At first it looked like the Indiana Pacers were going to be down 0-2 to the Atlanta Hawks and one of the worst collapses in sports history was about to take place. However, in the third quarter it looked like something finally clicked for the Eastern Conference’s number one team. Indiana finally started to show glimpses of the dominant team from the first half of the regular season. Paul George finished the night with 27 points, including a buzzer beater three in the third quarter, and 10 rebounds. So is this the official turn around for the Pacers?
Maybe, but it appears their problems run deeper than anyone imagined. According to Yahoo Sports Adrian Wojnarowski, teammates Evan Turner and Lance Stephenson got into a physical altercation during practice before game one against Atlanta. Teammates had to carry Evan Turner who had cuts from the ordeal who was described as enraged still cursing at Stephenson. It is nothing new that teammates butt heads with other; it is actually quite common.
Maybe this is how they needed to get rid of the tension that had been holding this team back since the Pacer acquired Turner at the trade deadline. Stephenson is a fiery player and it is a good thing and a bad thing. He gives his team an advantage with his attitude, but he is unlikely to make friends with everyone. He is one of the main reasons that this team has managed to stay afloat during the second half of the regular season.
A win should help everyone relax in the locker room. Rumors have swirled if the Pacers make a first round exit it could cost head coach Frank Vogel his job as well as Roy Hibbert’s spot on the team. This team has to build off all of the positive things it did in the second half of last night’s game. This is where Paul George has to be a leader and keep his team together.
