Hickory Night

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The tournament seeped into their DNA early, a shimmering light and joyful noise that at once seemed an unreachable mirage and close enough to touch. It beckoned them forward, inspiring the first steps of a journey that became their profession.

Bill Keller and George McGinnis had parallel basketball careers in many respects. They led their Washington High School teams to the state championship in their respective senior seasons. They were voted Mr. Basketball, symbolic of being the best player in the state, and the passing years would confirm that opinion. They had standout college careers at Purdue and Indiana respectively, earning individual national recognition, and then joined forces on Pacers teams that won ABA championships.

They're also in lockstep in the opinion that winning the state high school tournament was a highlight never to be exceeded. Keller did it in 1965, leading the Continentals to a 29-2 record. McGinnis did it in 1969, leading one of the greatest high school teams in the state's history to a 31-0 record. Now that sufficient time has passed to bring their basketball careers into perspective, the light and noise have not dimmed.

Keller and McGinnis will headline the next Hickory Night celebration at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday when the Pacers play Sacramento and Washington's championship teams are honored. Several of their teammates will be on hand as well, players who were essential to the championships, many of whom had distinguished careers of their own.

Keller was joined in the starting lineup by Ralph Taylor, who also played at Purdue; Marvin Winkler, who played 20 games for the Pacers in the 1971-72 season; Trester Award winner Eddie Bopp; and Bill Rogers, who went on to play for Vincennes University. McGinnis' teammates included Steve Downing, who became an All-American center at IU and a first-round draft pick of the Celtics in '73; Wayne Pack, who played 21 games for the Pacers in the 1974-75 season; Louie Day, who attended IU on a football scholarship, and Jim Arnold, who also played collegiately.

Keller will fly up from his winter home in Florida and McGinnis will drive in from his home in Indianapolis, but they would go to just about any length to relive the memories with their teammates.

"There was nothing like it," McGinnis said. "There was an innocence to it. It was something I grew up with that was ingrained in all of us. It was something we dreamed about, being able to play on TV one day. That was the biggest thing in the world at that time."

Keller would agree. For both, the high school championship represented the culmination of a childhood dream.

Keller grew up watching the tournament on television, and then, around fifth grade, began attending it with his father back when the finals were a one-day event that filled Butler's fieldhouse.

"He dangled that carrot in front of me, and it was something I wanted to be involved in," Keller said. "I dreamed about it. I'd often go out and play by myself, and I'd put myself at the free throw line with a chance to win the state tournament. And whether you made the shot or missed, you'd laugh about it. You'd do that over and over.

"There wasn't a day that went by as a kid that I didn't put myself in the state finals. Especially at the free throw line. I had put myself in a situation to play in the state finals and maybe win the state finals with a free throw."

As a sophomore and junior, Keller was one of the varsity letter winners from city schools entrusted with working the final four games as an usher. One of the duties was to hold the ropes after the game to keep fans from running onto the court and join the celebration. That required sitting on the edge of the court halfway through the final quarter, to be in position when the game ended. From there, his dream played out in front of him in living color, just a few yards away.

He watched Muncie Central and its future Mr. Basketball, Rick Jones, win in 1963, then watched Lafayette Jeff and its future Mr. Basketball, Denny Brady, win in '64. From those experiences, along with the childhood fantasies he had conjured in his solitary hours with a ball and basket, it all felt familiar when he got his chance to play in the game '65.

"The first time I went to the line in the state finals, I had been there many, many times – in my mind," he said. "I wasn't really nervous going to the free throw line, because I had been there."

Keller led all scorers with 25 points in the championship game, but the singular moment that remains clearest in his mind today is, of all things, a missed foul shot. He had hit all 31 of his free throws during the tournament, beginning with the sectional, and had a chance to extend the streak when he was fouled with 11 seconds remaining. Washington's victory was assured, his teammates had vacated their places along the foul lane to defend Fort Wayne North's basket, and celebrations were breaking out all around him. Distracted by all the commotion, he missed the first foul shot, breaking his streak. He hit the second to finish 32-of-33 from the foul line for the tournament.

"I wasn't focused and I missed it," he said. "When you ask me today what memory comes to mind, that's the first thing. That's a memory that lingers. It could have been 33 out of 33."

Keller went on to play at Purdue, where he was a three-year starter and point guard for the 1969 team that reached the championship game of the NCAA tournament. The Boilermakers, in fact, defeated North Carolina in a semifinal game of the Final Four on the same Saturday that McGinnis and the rest of the Continentals won the state championship. Keller also was the inaugural winner of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith award, given to the nation's best player 6-foot or shorter.

Keller then played seven seasons for the Pacers, becoming one of four players to be part of all three championship teams, in 1970, '72 and '73. McGinnis joined the team for the 1971-72 season after earning third-team All-American honors as a sophomore at IU. He was a starter by the end of his rookie season, and a star the following season, when he was voted the '73 ABA finals MVP after starring in the Game 7 victory over Kentucky in Louisville. He would go on to be voted co-MVP of the ABA with Julius Erving in 1975 and become a three-time NBA All-Star.

Like Keller, however, nothing surpassed the thrill of his high school championship. His Washington team was one for the ages, an undefeated team that dominated nearly every game it played. Only one opponent came within single-digits of the Continentals during the regular season. Shortridge did it twice, but lost by 22 points in the championship game of the city tournament.

Also like Keller, McGinnis was primed for his first championship by all he saw and heard while growing up in Indianapolis. His first impression came from being five years old and watching the Oscar Robertson-led Attucks team win the title in 1956 with his father.

Attucks' overachieving 1959 championship team excited him even more, because he was old enough to understand better, and the feeling never left him. When he was a freshman at Washington, he rode up with a few sophomores with driver's licenses just to marvel at the "Home of Rick Mount" sign near the exit to Lebanon. The next two years, in a scene fit for "Hoosiers," he and teammates Steve Downing and Jim Arnold sat in a car outside the fieldhouse during final four games and listened to them on the radio, imagining themselves playing in the game and helping with the broadcaster's call of the game. When the action heated up, they could hear the muffled noise seeping through the fieldhouse bricks, an invitation to their future.

"It was so cool," McGinnis recalled, "listening to that game and hearing that roar."

Washington was favored by many to win the title McGinnis' junior year. Downing had grown from a 5-10 freshman to a 6-9 junior, and was finding his legs. McGinnis, even as an underclassman, was the best player in the state. The Continentals, though, lost by 12 points in the championship game of the Regional to city rival Shortridge, which advanced to the final game before losing to Gary Roosevelt.

Bill Green took over as head coach for McGinnis' senior season, replacing Jerry Oliver, who left to take an assistant coaching position at IU – and begin working to lure McGinnis and Downing there. Green was famous for his matchup zone defense, but he was a savvy motivator, too, according to McGinnis.

"At the beginning of the season he said, 'Look, guys, we're going to win them all. And I want you to think about this. Every game we win, Friday night and Saturday night, I'm taking you to White Castle and you're getting 10 hamburgers apiece."

Green kept his promise. At the time, for a bunch of high school kids from blue collar families, it was a highlight never to be forgotten.

Green also saw something in a kid who had been cut three times by Oliver. Wayne Pack excelled on the local playgrounds, but Oliver considered him too undisciplined. Green, though, kept him. Pack was so excited about getting his first pair of Converse All-Stars that he took them home, put them on his dresser and stayed up all night staring at them.

He was more excited to become an integral part of Washington's team. He became a starter shortly after the season began, and scored 13 points in the championship game victory.

"Wayne Pack was, by far, the most interesting story on our team," McGinnis said. "I tell kids all the time, take advantage of playing basketball, don't let basketball take advantage of you."

Pack did that, becoming the first member of his family to go to college. He played at Tennessee Tech, sat out a year after his college career ended, then caught on with the Pacers for 21 games. He was the fourth guard among four, but had a couple of double-figure games when he got playing time in blowouts. He was nicknamed Six-Pack, and given jersey No. 6 to go with it.

If not for his persistence and Green's faith in him, he likely would have wound up working in a factory or joining the military. College simply wasn't an option given his parents' blue-collar salaries without a scholarship of some sort. After Pack's playing career ended, armed with a college degree and local status as a former Pacers player, he began a path toward a career as an executive in Human Resources.

As McGinnis likes to point out, for many years Pack was the only person in the history of Indiana high school basketball who never lost a game and won a state championship. His one and only season had been perfect.

The two Washington championship teams were just four years apart and most of the players lived within walking distance of the school, so there's some crossover between the two groups. Taylor from the '65 team, for example, lived just down the street from McGinnis, who remembers watching him walking home after school with a backpack full of books.

Combined, these two teams account not only for two Mr. Basketballs and two popular Pacers, but for two other players with brief Pacer careers, a future first-round draft pick of the Boston Celtics, a future Pacers' assistant coach (Oliver), and the coach with more state tournament championships than any in the state's history (Green, who won five more at Marion).

All of them would agree, nothing they went on to do in life surpassed those state titles at Butler. That's true even for Keller, who won three with the Pacers, and nearly another with Purdue.

"The high school state championship was the most memorable for me, because it was the first," he said. "It was the one you dreamed about, the one you worked towards. My work for the high school championships started when I was in the fourth grade.

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Indiana Pacers. All opinions expressed by Mark Montieth are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Indiana Pacers, their partners, or sponsors.

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For Keller and McGinnis, Memories of Winning State Never Faded

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Trailing 60-59, the undefeated Indianapolis Washington Continentals, led by George McGinnis and coached by legendary Indiana high school coach Bill Green, found their dream season in serious jeopardy.

In front of a deafening crowd at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis Washington was trailing Marion by one point, but had the ball with a chance to take a lead.

First, on offense, McGinnis was whistled for a double dribble at the top of the key, giving possession back to Marion. Then, on defense, McGinnis faltered again, getting called for a foul while attempting to press his man.

The pair of missteps ended up not costing the Continentals any points, as the Giants were unable to capitalize on the turnover.

But in the final minute of play, with the clock winding down, Louie Day received a pass on the wing that slipped his grasp. The ball tumbled towards the sideline with the team's undefeated season hanging in the balance.

Day chased it down, and planted both feet inches from the out-of-bounds line, but his momentum was carrying him out of the field of play.

Frantically searching for a teammate, Day heaved a pass towards the half court as he fell backwards. Marion's Jerry Townsend jumped through the air to try to make the interception, but was unable to haul it in, instead tipping it out of bounds.

With new life, the Continentals tried yet another shot to take the lead, as Jim Arnold hoisted a jumper from the wing.

The shot hit iron and skied into the air, where Steve Downing — who would later win an NBA title with the Boston Celtics — rose up above the defense to snare the offensive rebound and force a jump ball.

Downing won the jump ball, followed by a quick timeout to draw up the final play.

When they resumed play, the Continentals wasted no time getting the ball to Downing, who backed down his man in the post before making a difficult spinning jump shot from the baseline.

The score gave the Continentals a 61-60 lead, and on Marion's final possession, Downing got a piece of the shot and McGinnis secured the rebound.

The ball was quickly passed to Wayne Pack, who sprinted out in the open floor and was fouled with barely any time left on the clock.

Although Pack missed both the free throws, the clock expired as Indianapolis Washington was able to salvage its perfect season despite a series of errors down the stretch.

Thanks to the IHSAA, you can watch the final frantic moments, as well as the entire title game, which was also a close affair for the Continentals.

In their finals matchup, which happened on the same day as the semi-final, the Continentals topped Gary Tolleston high school 79-76, completing their perfect season and winning the second state title for the school in a five-year span.

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The 1969 Indpls. Washington Continentals Nearly Had it Slip Away

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Hickory Night Honoree: Damon Bailey

To hear Angelo Pizzo tell it, the movie that basketball fans have loved for 30 years now, nearly died on the vine.

"There were just times, there were a lot of times where it just felt so overwhelming, where it just felt like we were trying to survive," said Pizzo.

Luckily for the state of Indiana, basketball lovers, and film buffs alike, not only did screenwriter Angelo Pizzo and director David Anspaugh survive the making of "Hoosiers", they thrived.

However, the journey from the inception of the film to its release ended up being so loaded with potholes and pitfalls, that the timeless movie's inclusion on lists of greatest sports movies feels nearly as miraculous as Jimmy Chitwood's game-winning shot (sorry for the spoiler).

As undergrads at Indiana University, Anspaugh and Pizzo became fast friends due to their shared interest in movies and Indiana basketball history. Late one night, the pair kicked around ideas about how cool it would be to not just make movies in Hollywood after college, but to make a film specifically about Milan's 1954 state championship run. By that time, the story had become gospel for coaches in Indiana.

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"Having played high school basketball, you knew it was tournament time every year, because every coach, and I'm assuming every other school like mine, would sit the team down, and we'd think, oh god, here we go, the Milan story again," Explained Anspaugh. "(They were) trying to inspire you that, you too, no matter how bad you were, you could go up against the big guys."

After the two finished their undergraduate programs at IU, they both headed west. Pizzo found success as a producer, so he had the connections he needed to make the pair's dream become a reality. Amazingly enough, Hoosiers was Pizzo's first script, so it was only right that he give the duty of directing to Anspaugh, who had yet to direct a feature film.

Initially, Pizzo struggled to animate his characters while writing the script. He felt as if, despite the stories he developed for his characters, they were all just manifestations of himself. They weren't ringing true.

So Pizzo dug back to his middle-school memories, crafting the characters loosely on people he actually knew growing up. In doing so, he managed to authenticate the voices of the characters, allowing his script to come to life.

While it's easy to look back now at what a universally acclaimed success the film was, at the time, the duo couldn't look beyond the task at hand, as the challenges and reality of making a movie from start to finish sprung up all over.

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"When we were in the process of making it, there was never a moment where we were in the context of stepping outside of ourselves and thinking look at us now," Pizzo said. "Making a movie is mounting a campaign, it's going to war, there are so many moving parts to it."

It was hard enough to train up the teenagers who played the kids on Hickory High, most of whom had never acted before, but the challenges were made greater by some of the more experienced actors having creative difference with Anspaugh's directing.

Add to it the limited budget for production, which made their margin of error in shooting and editing the film even slimmer, and you have an environment where every day felt like it brought the possibility of critical failure.

"It was a collection of things that were difficult for us," Pizzo said. "We knew we only had one opportunity, we were making a movie about something we cared about, you know, where we grew up and the passion that we had for basketball and we wanted to do it right, not just for ourselves, but for the people who live here."

By the time Pizzo and Anspaugh wrapped up shooting and editing the film, they were beyond relieved to just know it was going to be released in theaters and video stores. There was no thought that the film, based on Bobby Plump's legendary game-winning shot for Milan, would reverberate throughout cinematic and sports history.

And yet, here they are, set to be honored during halftime of the Pacers' game with the Phoenix Suns. Indiana will be wearing the jerseys whose name, colors, and story came from a couple of college kids staying up late at night imagining if they could make a movie about something they loved.

They took a shot, and just like Chitwood, they made it.

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For Pizzo and Anspaugh, "Hoosiers" is a Dream Come to Life

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On Sunday, April 10, 2016, as the Indiana Pacers take on the Brooklyn Nets in the final "Hickory Night" of the season, the organization will be honoring the eight recently crowned Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) state basketball champions.

The girls' State Finals took place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, February 27, 2016.

In the Class A State Championship, the Jac-Cen-Del (27-1) girls, coached by Scott Smith, won their second state title in school history, defeating Argos (24-4), 57-39.

In the Class 2A State Championship, the Lafayette Central Catholic (25-5) girls, coached by Craig DeVault, defeated Covenant Christian (23-6), 56-43, earning their second straight title and first in Class 2A.

In the Class 3A State Championship, the Heritage Christian (26-4) girls, coached by Rick Risinger, won their record seventh state title, and first in Class 3A, by defeating North Harrison (28-3), 51-45.

In the Class 4A State Championship, the Penn (28-2) girls, coached by Kristi Kaniewski Ulrich, won their first state title with a 68-48 win over Columbus North (27-2).

The boys' State Finals were held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 26, 2016.

In the Class A State Championship, Liberty Christian (26-4), coached by Jason Chappell, won their first state championship in any sport with a 64-45 win over Bloomfield (26-4).

In the Class 2A State Championship, Lapel (26-4), coached by Jimmie Howell, collected their second state basketball title, emerging victorious over Howe (23-8), 59-37.

In the Class 3A State Championship, Marion (23-7), coached by James Blackmon, Sr., claimed a record-tying 8th state championship with a 73-68 win over Evansville Bosse (19-11).

In the Class 4A State Championship, New Albany (27-1), coached by Jim Shannon, secured their second state championship, and first since 1973, with a 62-59 win over McCutcheon (28-4).

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IHSAA State Champions Honored at Final Hickory Night

On April 15, 2015, the Pacers lost the their last game of the season after winning six straight in a mad-dash effort to make the postseason. The loss to Memphis eliminated the Pacers from making the playoffs for the first time in five seasons under head coach Frank Vogel and sent the Pacers into the offseason with a disappointing ending.

The missed playoff trip sent the Pacers to the draft lottery, where they selected Myles Turner. And in a game against the Nets on Sunday night — the same team whose tiebreaker advantage kept the Pacers out of the playoffs last season — the Pacers proved their one-year playoff absence was just an outlier, destroying the Nets 129-105 and clinching a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference for the fifth time in the last six years. And Turner, the consolation prize for a trying season the year before, played a key role in the win, scoring 28 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

"The first and second unit came out and played with great energy tonight," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "All year we felt we had a team that could do damage in the playoffs. It was about getting it done to get there."

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The Hickory night victory, even against a team as decimated by injuries as the Nets, is big news for Indiana, who dropped their last game to the Raptors despite Toronto resting four of its six top players.

Additionally, the win knocks the division-rival Bulls out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2007-08 season. The only question that remains for the Pacers is whether they'll end up as the eighth or seventh seed in the postseason. But after the Pacers handed the Nets a whopping 24-point loss, it's possible head coach Frank Vogel will look to rest key players like Paul George — who has been bothered by a sore left ankle — over the final two games.

In the first half, the Pacers got hot quick and didn't let up, breaking out to a 28-point lead at halftime.

From early on in the first quarter, it was clear that the Pacers had an edge on the Nets, who were resting Brook Lopez, their best offensive player. After going on a 14-3 run in the first six minutes, the Pacers ended the first quarter leading 39-19, their season-high for the opening quarter.

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In the second quarter, Turner came off the bench and quickly piled up stats against the smaller Nets frontline, scoring 12 points and snaring seven rebounds in just 11 minutes of action.

The play from the Pacers' second unit, coupled with an explosive start to the game, led to their sizable 69-41 lead to start the second half.

"It was a big point of emphasis — the way we came out," George Hill explained after the win. "In Toronto, we didn't come out the way that was planned. We had to redeem ourselves and come out and take care of our own court. Coach challenged us. He said the starters didn't get off to a good start at Toronto. He wanted us to come out and set the tempo for the second unit. I think we did a great job of that today."

The third quarter was when the Pacers truly seized control of the game, starting the half on a 19-5 run and leading by as much as 42 points as the game turned into an offensive exhibition.

By the time the final frame began, the Pacers led 104-72, in cruise control en route to the 2016 Playoffs.

The lead allowed Indiana to give much-needed rest to PG and the rest of the starters, as the second unit and deeper bench players finished out the fourth quarter and kept Brooklyn at a safe distance.

When Indiana last reached the postseason, it fell to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. At that time, Turner was a senior in high school, C.J. Miles was on the Cavaliers, and David West and Roy Hibbert started for Indiana — point being, a lot has changed in two years.

"It feels good, feels good," said George of making the playoffs. "We're very proud about that, making it into the playoffs once more, especially with this group. I think it will be great to get Myles (Turner) some playoff experience. And really (that's the case) for all of us. This is a young group."

With 8:33 left in the third quarter, the Pacers led the Nets by a game-high 42 points.

Myles Turner's 28 points were the second most he's scored all season. He dropped 31 points in a loss to the Warriors on January 22.

Paul George did major damage in limited minutes. George scored 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting while collecting five rebounds and passing out six assists.

C.J. Miles stayed hot from beyond the arc, sinking 3-of-6 attempts from long range.

"Seeding is to be determined. Our intent is to play. We have to focus on what we do. We're not worried about anything except playing well the last two games." --Pacers head coach Frank Vogel

"This is not the way I wanted to play. I wish today we were prepared. They came out, jumped on us early. I didn't see a lot of fight with our starting group at the beginning of the game." --Nets head coach Tony Brown

"It feels great. I was out of the playoffs the last two years. Now my team is going to the playoffs and I'm excited." --Pacers guard Ty Lawson

"No matter what place we're in, that's what you play for. We're going to cherish this, try to rest up as much as possible, and figure out what we have to do next." --Pacers guard George Hill

The Pacers set their season high for team assists, passing out 34 dimes on the night. When the Pacers have 25 or more assists this season, they are 16-4.

Don't miss the Pacers' final regular season homegame against the Knicks on Tuesday night at 7 PM: Find Tickets »

Hickory Mini Basketball - $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.

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Game Rewind: Pacers 129, Nets 105

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Editor's Note: The Delaware St. entrance to the Virginia Ave. Parking Garage is 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.

The Pacers had a chance to lock up a playoff spot on Friday night in Toronto against a team that elected to rest four key players, including their two All-Star guards. But the Raptors' reserves took it to Indiana, putting the Pacers' playoff hopes on hold.

The Pacers (42-37) need to win just one of their final three games to clinch a playoff berth. But regardless of their playoff status, the Blue & Gold will want to put together a stronger overall performance on Sunday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets (21-58).

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The Pacers should make the playoffs, but they want to build some positive momentum heading into the postseason. That starts with putting together a better defensive performance against Brooklyn than they did against Toronto. The Pacers allowed the Raptors to shoot 45 percent from 3-point range and could not defend without fouling, sending Toronto to the free throw line 38 times in Friday's loss.

On paper, the Pacers should take care of business against Brooklyn. The Nets are owners of the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and have elected to shut down their two best players (the frontcourt duo of Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, who combined to average over 35 points and 17 rebounds per game) for the remainder of the season.

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But the Pacers' struggles in Toronto show that they cannot afford to take anyone lightly, regardless of who is playing and who is in street clothes.

Despite their loss on Friday, the Pacers control their own destiny to claim the seventh seed in the East. They're tied with Detroit in the loss column and own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pistons. If they want to avoid a first round matchup with the defending conference champion Cavs, they can do so simply by winning their final three regular season contests.

Pacers: PG - George Hill, SG - Monta Ellis, SF - Paul George, PF - Lavoy Allen, C - Ian MahinmiNets: PG - Shane Larkin, SG - Wayne Ellington, SF - Bojan Bogdanovic, PF - Chris McCullough, C - Jared Sullinger

Nets: Jarrett Jack - out (torn ACL, right knee), Brook Lopez - out (rest), Willie Reed - out (personal reasons), Thaddeus Young - out (rest)

March 26, 2016: The Nets outscored Indiana 35-17 in the fourth quarter to come away with a 120-110 win at the Barclays Center. Brook Lopez scored 14 of his team-high 23 points in the final period to lead Brooklyn to victory.

The loss spoiled an excellent offensive performance by Indiana, who matched their season high at the time with 66 first-half points. Paul George led all scorers with 27 points in the loss. Ian Mahinmi added 18 and George Hill scored 17.

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TV: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.

The Pacers host the Brooklyn Nets in the final Hickory Night game of the year. At the game, we will honor the 2016 IHSAA boys and girls basketball state champion teams: Find Tickets »

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Game Preview: Pacers vs Nets

The Pacers opened a pivotal five-game homestand with a big victory, knocking off the Boston Celtics (39-28) on Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 103-98. The win was the fourth in their last five games for the Pacers (36-31), who continue to inch closer to a playoff berth.

It was fitting that the Pacers wore their Hickory uniforms on Tuesday, as this game had an old-school feel. Both teams put together excellent defensive performances, making their opponents work for each and every shot.

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The game was tightly contested throughout, with 12 ties and 15 lead changes over the first three and a half quarters. Boston led 77-76 with eight minutes to play, but the Blue & Gold scored the next six points to surge back in front, capped with a memorable sequence where Monta Ellis drove the lane and somehow wrapped a pass around the back of Celtics forward Amir Johnson to Jordan Hill, who finished with a thunderous one-handed dunk.

From there, the Pacers locked down Boston defensively and slowly put the game out of reach. Paul George buried a 3-pointer that pushed Indiana's lead to 10 with 2:13 to play, then he and Hill took turns dunking in the final two minutes, exclamation points on a big-time win over a Boston team that entered the night in third place in the Eastern Conference.

"I thought we just guarded," George said about the Pacers' closing effort. "We played great defense and that turned into some easy offense for us."

The Pacers got off to a slow start out of the gates. George picked up two quick fouls and Indiana amassed seven turnovers over the first 8:37, falling into an early seven-point hole.

But the Blue & Gold righted the ship from there. They reeled off an 11-0 run over the end of the first and beginning of the second quarters to surge in front and pushed their lead as high as 10 points.

They led by four at the half and withstood Celtics All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas dropping 16 points in the third quarter to take a 71-70 lead into the final period.

The Pacers defense stifled the Celtics all night, limiting Boston to a .383 overall field goal percentage and a .250 mark from 3-point range.

George, who scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting in a 29-point loss in Atlanta on Sunday, bounced back in a big way against Boston. The three-time All-Star led all scorers with 25 points and went 9-for-16 from the field while also tallying seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Hill provided a major boost off the bench, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter and finishing the night with 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting.

"I was doing pretty good defensively and on the offensive end," Hill said about his late-game play. "(Head coach Frank Vogel) allowed me to stay in and keep doing it."

Monta Ellis chipped in 16 points, seven boards, and six assists for Indiana. Ian Mahinmi added 13 points and six rebounds, while George Hill contributed 10 points and five boards.

Thomas led Boston with 18 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Jonas Jerebko added 17 points off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting. Jared Sullinger recorded a double-double, posting 15 points and 11 rebounds.

After beating Boston, the Pacers will now prepare to take on the team directly ahead of the Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings. Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors visit the Fieldhouse on Thursday, March 17 at 7:00 PM ET.

George scored 17 of his 25 points after halftime, while 13 of Ellis' 16 points came in the second half.

The Pacers committed just one turnover in the fourth quarter, a far cry from their loss in Boston on Jan. 13, when they had four costly turnovers in the final minutes that cost them a chance at a big road win.

Lavoy Allen had some big hustle plays for Indiana and finished the night with four points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Like he has many times this season, Allen had the best plus/minus of any Pacers player against the Celtics at +19.

The Pacers held their opponent under 40 percent shooting for the 15th time this season and improved to 13-2 when their opponent's field goal percentage is .399 or lower.

Indiana is now 27-5 on the year when holding their opponent under 100 points.

"He was the recipient of a lot of good Monta Ellis decisions. He's a great finisher and had a strong performance. I was about to sub for he and Lavoy (Allen), but Jordan made a play at the offensive end and Lavoy made a couple of defensive stops at the defensive end. They both made winning plays down the stretch." -Vogel on Jordan Hill

"We are right there and ready for a postseason run. I know I am watching the standings. We have a chance to move up." -George

"I was more focused and more comfortable in the second half. Tonight was a game of two halves for me. In the first half, I did not do a good job of getting to the basket and getting my shots. Thankfully in the second half I did a better job, made good adjustments." -Ellis

"Jordan Hill loves playing against the Celtics. He's had great games against us every time." -Celtics head coach Brad Stevens

"We got a lot of shots, we got a lot of opportunities but our shots just weren't falling. They were able to get the ball in some comfortable areas for their shots. It was just one of those games." -Celtics guard Marcus Smart

With Tuesday's victory, the Pacers won the regular season series with the Celtics, 3-1. Indiana is now three games back of Boston in the loss column and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Celtics if they can catch them by the season's end.

The Pacers welcome the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night at 7:00 PM. Find Tickets »

Hickory Hat - $12. 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.