Pacers Advance to Conference Semis, Capitals Go Home for the Summer
Pacers Win First Playoff Series in a Decade
BOOM BABY! First good playoff news on the HOTPO beat in a long time!
By beating an admittedly injury-hobbled Milwaukee Bucks 120-98 last night, the Indiana Pacers won their first playoff series since 2014.
Highlighted by an insane Tyrese Haliburton-to-Obi Toppin lob with 1:00 remaining in the second quarter and a 19-1 bench points advantage, the Pacers went into halftime up 59-47. Indiana starting C Myles Turner went into the break with three fouls and Milwaukee veterans G Damian Lillard and SF Khris Middleton were not going to lie down. After a decade of playoff failures, there was plenty to be concerned about.
By 10:21 in the third quarter, Bucks C Brook Lopez had drawn one quick foul on Turner, sending him quickly back to the bench, and another on PF Pascal Siakam. At that time in the game, Lopez had eight free throws compared to 11 for the entire Pacers team. Indiana was maintaining a double-digit lead, but as things got chippy between Haliburton and Milwaukee dirtball PG Patrick Beverly at a timeout with 8:45 in the third, you sensed things could go either way.
As the Pacers rotated in bench players, Middleton fed Beverly for a basket in the halfcourt set and then Beverly fed PF Bobby Portis for a basket on a fastbreak for a quick 4-point run that pulled Milwaukee within 11. Pacer backup PG TJ McConnell was getting victimized on the offensive and defensive ends and Lopez got another bucket and questionable "and-one" call with 1:05 remaining in the third to pull Milwaukee within 7 at 85-78. Now the game felt like it might actually be slipping away.
In the next minute of play, however, McConnell hit a layup, starting PG Andrew Nemhard hit a layup and a following free throw and McConnell drained a 3-point field goal with five seconds remaining in the third quarter to push the Pacers back up by 15. After a rough couple of minutes when he came back off the bench, McConnell was spectacular and ended up scoring 20 points with 9 assists. As the Pacers emptied their bench, the game was never seriously in doubt in the fourth quarter.
The victory prompted an excited phone call from our HOTPO stringer in Southwest Virginia. Stuff like "eff yeah," "I love you," and "can't wait to watch the semis with you," were expressed. And now we will get to enjoy a Pacers vs. Knicks playoff matchup that has a great history and interesting current storylines, as quickly summarized by Peter Botte of the NY Post.
The New York Rangers finished off the Washington Capitals Sunday with a 4-2 victory in what amounted to a mercy killing.
New York is the current President's Trophy winner (the team with the most regular season points) and Washington was the last of 16 teams to qualify for the playoffs - the result was pretty much expected.
Tom Gulitti of NHL.com identified five reasons the Capitals were no match for the Rangers. I can't argue with any of his points, particularly poor special teams play and a lack of production by F Alex Ovechkin. But, like I said, this was expected.
The story of the Caps is not the expected playoff butt whipping, but the expectations for the future. Washington is attempting to put playoff-ready veterans around an aging Ovechkin while also cultivating a pipeline of young talent and are, so far, failing at both. As the Capitols enter a pivotal summer of roster adjustments, the "future is murky," according to Liam Griffin in an excellent Washington Times article.
Congratulations to the HOTPO senior editor for knocking out the Parkway Classic 10-miler on Sunday. It is an excellent course that starts at George Washington's Mount Vernon and ends in Old Town Alexandria. She established a new personal record and I got her complimentary beer.
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