Things have not gone well for the Indiana Pacers (56-26) lately. Although they have won their last two games, they had lost eight of their previous 11.
The Atlanta Hawks (38-44) have played better as of late and have had to survive several key injuries, including losing their best player, Al Horford, for the season.
Series Schedule:
Game 1 in Indianapolis: Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2 in Indianapolis: Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3 in Atlanta: Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m. ET, NBATV
Game 4 in Atlanta: Saturday, April 26, 2 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 5 in Indianapolis (if necessary): Monday, April 28, 8 p.m. ET, NBATV
Game 6 in Atlanta (if necessary): Thursday, May 1
Game 7 in Indianapolis (if necessary): Saturday, May 3
Season Series: Split 2-2
| Indiana Pacers | Atlanta Hawks |
| Roy Hibbert | Paul Millsap |
| David West | Elton Brand |
| Paul George | DeMarre Carroll |
| Lance Stephenson | Kyle Korver |
| George Hill | Jeff Teague |
| Indiana Pacers | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Pace | 94.90 | 96.87 |
| Offensive Rating | 101.5 | 103.4 |
| Defensive Rating | 96.7 | 104.1 |
In terms of talent, this series really should not be all that close. The Hawks are below .500 and don’t have their best player. The Pacers have one of the deepest and most complete rosters in the entire league and were just a game away from advancing to the NBA Finals last season. However, the Pacers have played poorly down the stretch and the last time they met the Hawks, they suffered an embarrassing 107-88 loss on April 6. Still, the Pacers’ superior talent should win out in the end.