Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson ( C-L) lays up a shot in the first half of game six of the Eastern Conference semi-finals during their NBA playoff game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday.
DPA/Los Angeles
Roy Hibbert reminded everyone that the Indiana Pacers are bigger than the New York Knicks. Lance Stephenson showed everyone that the Pacers are better.
Stephenson scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Hibbert triggered a late rally with a huge block on Carmelo Anthony as the Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in nine years with a 106-99 home victory Saturday over the New York Knicks.
Paul George scored 23 points and Hibbert added 21, plus 12 rebounds and five blocks, for the third-seeded Pacers who needed six games to eliminate the second-seeded Knicks. Indiana withstood a three-point barrage by New York and made all the key plays down the stretch.
“We did a good job of taking that hit and really rallying back,” George said. “It was a gutsy win on our behalf.”
Indiana will face top-seeded defending NBA champion Miami in the conference finals starting Wednesday. Fans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse began chanting, “Beat the Heat!” shortly after the final buzzer.
“They’re just the next team in our way and that’s how we’re approaching it,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.
Anthony scored 39 points but made just 2-of-7 shots in the fourth quarter, when the Knicks were held to just 18 points. New York broke out of a shooting slump with 13 three-pointers but was outrebounded, 43-36, and committed 34 fouls to Indiana’s 16.
“You just can’t give up that many fouls and expect to win,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said.
The Pacers led for virtually all of the first three quarters but found themselves trailing, 92-90, after a three-pointer by J R Smith with 5:43 to play. On the next possession, Anthony drove to the basket but had his dunk attempt snuffed by Hibbert.
“Roy Hibbert is the best rim protector in the game,” Vogel said.
“It was a hell of a block; big play by Hibbert,” Anthony said. “It kind of shifted the momentum.”
Stephenson scored inside to tie it, then turned a steal into a three-point play that gave the Pacers the lead for good. He added two free throws before a tip-in by David West made it 99-92 with 2:34 to play.
“(Stephenson) was the difference maker tonight,” Woodson said. “That sort of came out of nowhere. He was very aggressive tonight and we had no answer for him.”
Stephenson had been averaging 8.4 points in the postseason and made just 1-of-7 shots in Indiana’s Game 5 loss.
“Last game I felt like I played not to my ability,” said
Stephenson, who made 9-of-13 shots. “I was very focused for this game and it showed today.”
After Anthony finally scored in the fourth quarter, Stephenson answered with a left-handed layup for a 101-94 lead with 1:53 remaining, and the Pacers held on.
“He’s got no playoff experience whatsoever but he’s got some of the best basketball instincts,” Vogel said. “The kid’s got a lot of guts.”
The Pacers got a boost from the return of George Hill, who missed Game 5 with a concussion and was cleared to play by league doctors just hours before the game. Hill had 12 points and four assists.
Stephenson had several strong drives to the basket in the early going and scored 16 points in the first half to help offset 20 points by Anthony. His three-point play closed the first half and gave Indiana a 55-47 lead.
“I just wanted to be aggressive and try to penetrate and dish or take it to the basket,” Stephenson said.
As he did throughout the series, Anthony carried New York’s offense, scoring 11 of its first 13 points of the second half. Two free throws by Hibbert gave the Pacers their largest lead at 63-51 early in the third quarter before the Knicks caught fire from the arc.
In a span of 102 seconds, they made four three-pointers - three by Iman Shumpert and one by Smith - to pull into a 72-72 tie with 3:09 to go. Shumpert scored 16 points and Anthony added 15 in the period, which ended in an 81-81 tie.
“The Knicks gave us their best shot,” Vogel said. “They were making everything on that run.”
West scored 17 points for the Pacers, who had all five starters in double figures, shot 51 percent (34-of-67) from the field and made 34-of-46 free throws.
Shumpert scored 19 points and Smith added 15 for the Knicks, who shot 40 percent (34-of-85) and made 18-of-18 free throws.