Editor's Note: The Delaware St. entrance to the Virginia Ave. Parking Garage is no longer in operation due to the construction of the St. Vincent Center. To enter the Virginia Ave. Parking Garage, please use to the entrance located at the intersection of E Maryland St. and S Alabama St. You will, however, still be able to exit the parking garage using the single-lane Delaware St. exit ramp.
In addition, the south bound lane of Delaware Street from Maryland to just south of the train bridge will be closed for the duration of the construction project.
Matchup
Last Updated: April 6 at 4:00 PM
On Saturday and Sunday, the Pacers achieved something they haven't done all season: win both nights of a road back-to-back.
Although Indiana picked up wins during Saturday's game with Philly, and Sunday's meeting with New York, a dangerous trend continued for the Pacers — leaving the door open for opponents.
In both games, the Pacers held a lead of 18 points in the third quarter, and on both nights, the opposition rallied back to make it a frantic finish.
NEXT THREE HOME GAMES: 4/6 vs Cavs » 4/10 vs Nets » 4/12 vs Knicks »
"Obviously you want to step on a team’s throat when you are up by 18 and put them away," Paul George said after the win. "We failed to do that the past few nights, but we got two W’s so we have to continue to work hard. I’ll be happy with the win."
The wins came following a key rotational change from head coach Frank Vogel, who moved Lavoy Allen into the starting unit and shifted rookie Myles Turner to the bench, playing alongside Solomon Hill.
The move was multipronged in its philosophy. It brings more experience to the starting lineup, with Allen being less prone to make unforced errors. It brings Turner's shotblocking and defense to the second unit, which needs a deterrent to opponent scoring with the undersized Solomon Hill at power forward. And it makes Solomon Hill an everyday player, the aspect of the move that might yield the most impressive benefits from shakeup.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Pacers' Playoff Push »
All season, Solomon Hill has transformed games with his energy. Aside from Lavoy Allen and Ian Mahinmi, Hill being on the floor creates the biggest boost in net rating (offensive efficiency-defensive efficiency).
Furthermore, the five-man unit of Solomon Hill, Monta Ellis, George Hill, Paul George, and Ian Mahinmi, has set the league on fire. This unit sees time when Vogel makes Solo the first substitute, swapping out Allen in favor of Hill.
Among five-man units in the NBA that have logged 80 minutes or more, the Solo Hill unit has a net rating of 26.4 (offensive rtg: 122.4, defensive rtg: 95.9), which is the fifth best mark in the entire league according to NBA.com/stats.
Hill's ability to affect the game without jumping out of the box score was on full display Sunday, when he scored four points, had three rebounds and one assist, yet finished with a team-high +19 plus-minus rating.
The change in lineups was clearly necessary after Indiana dropped two in a row, and it is now 2-0 since the shift, but players and fans alike will likely be unsatisfied until the Pacers show that they can not only create a double-digit lead, but hold one.
Their next chance to do so won't come easy, however, as the Pacers matchup with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Since the All-Star break, LeBron James has looked like the best version of himself, averaging 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists per night. His play has pushed the Cavaliers to a 56-22 record, where they will likely lock up the top seed in the playoffs this week.
Indiana has come painstakingly close to toppling the Cavaliers on three occasions this season, but has yet to come away with a win.
With Kyrie Irving recovering from a sprained ankle and the Cavs possibly being in a position to rest players, the Pacers might end up meeting Cleveland at an ideal time.
Projected Starters
George Hill
Monta Ellis
Paul George
Lavoy Allen
Ian Mahinmi
Kyrie Irving
J.R. Smith
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Timofey Mozgov
Pacers: PG - George Hill, SG - Monta Ellis, SF - Paul George, PF - Lavoy Allen, C - Ian Mahinmi
Cavaliers: PG - Kyrie Irving, SG - J.R. Smith, SF - LeBron James, PF - Kevin Love, C - Timofey Mozgov
Injury Report
Pacers: Ty Lawson - out (upper respiratory infection)
Cavaliers: Kyrie Irving - questionable (right ankle sprain)
Last Meeting
February 29, 2016: Indiana almost pulled of one of its biggest road wins of the season, but ultimately fell short, losing 100-96 to the East-leading Cavaliers.
The win was Cleveland's third against the Pacers this season, but every game played has been painfully close, with the Pacers hanging tough into the final minutes.
On this Monday night, Paul George hit what looked like a 3-pointer, teeing off a 7-0 Pacers run to take the lead in the final five minutes.
The shot, however, was reviewed by the officials and retroactively made a 2-pointer, shrinking Indiana's lead in crunch time.
With the Cavs leading by two, George Hill attempted a layup in the lane but was denied by Tristan Thompson, sending the Pacers to the tough-to-swallow road loss.
"We played together," Paul George said after the loss. "We took it to this team. We played aggressive. It’s another game where we were up and for whatever reason we couldn’t finish."
Noteworthy
- If the Cavaliers win, it would be their first season sweep of the Pacers since the 2007-08 season.
- Indiana's three losses to the Cavs this year have been by an average of 4.3 points.
- The Cavaliers are a potential playoff matchup with the Pacers, who are most likely to end the season as either the seventh or eighth seed.
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: ESPN - Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst), Doris Burke (analyst)
FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.
Tickets
The Pacers host LeBron James and the Cavaliers in a possible playoff preview on Wednesday, April 6 at 7 PM. Find Tickets »
Home Court Gift Shop Game Night Special
Select Pacers hat - $10. Game Night Specials can be purchased in the Home Court Gift Shop or any of our souvenir stands located on all levels of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The special is also available online at PacersGear.com until midnight.