The Indiana Pacers may have righted the ship in Game 2, when they salvaged a split of their opening home games in the Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Washington Wizards behind a 28-point, nine-rebound performance by beleaguered center Roy Hibbert.
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The 7-foot-2 big man appeared assertive, demanding the ball and confidently attempting to score vs. Washington's big frontcourt. Rumors had been swirling that Hibbert's funk was caused by his learning that teammate Paul George had an affair with is fiancée, but that seems foolish now.
Hibbert actually credits George, and an impromptu fishing trip with getting his head on straight. "Yesterday after practice, he invited me out on his boat and we fished for about two hours, and just relaxed and didn't talk about basketball," Hibbert said.
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"We just talked about life and trying to catch some bass. He reached out and got my mind off things. Hopefully it's something I can build on, and he's a great teammate, so I really do appreciate him reaching out because he didn't have to."
Hibbert's explosion came after scoring no points and grabbing the same amount of boards in a Game 1 loss. He was called out in the media by fans and teammates alike, especially veteran forward David West.
"David (West) always talks to me about being the person that rescues yourself when you're in the middle of the ocean," Hibbert said after that debacle. "There's nobody who can throw a lifesaver or a rope out to help you. So I had to do it myself."
The performance from Hibbert offered a much-needed respite from carrying the scoring burden for George, who was held under 20 points for the second straight game. Following a brilliant Round 1 from George, he's shooting 30 percent from the field and a woeful 12.5 percent from 3-point land.
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