The Indiana Pacers have dominated the Atlanta Hawks down low thus far in Game 5, taking a 50-43 lead into halftime. David West has 16 points and Roy Hibbert has 14, while the Pacers are winning the rebounding battle 26-13.
Hawks vs. Pacers score update, Game 5: Indiana leads 50-43 at halftime
The Pacers have found their offense in Game 5 after struggling in Atlanta, using their advantage down low to take a seven-point halftime lead.
The Hawks led 22-21 after the first quarter, but the Pacers’ offense kicked into gear in the second quarter after some early sloppiness. West was able to find his rhythm and helped Indiana close the half on a 22-12 run.
Josh Smith has 11 points to lead Atlanta, but he sat the last half of the second quarter with two fouls. Devin Harris had eight points and Jeff Teague battled through an ankle injury to record five points and five assists.
Before the game, Satchel Price took a look at three key questions heading into this pivotal Game 5.
Can the Hawks win on the road?
The Hawks were blown out at Indiana in the first two games of the series, and although they competed a bit better at the outset of this game, still find themselves down seven at the half. There’s still plenty of time to turn things around, so Atlanta should not feel too down just yet.
Will the Pacers regain their shooting stroke?
The Pacers were woeful from the field in their two losses at Atlanta after shooting 47 percent in Games 1 and 2. Indiana started Game 5 scorching hot, making seven of their first eight shots from the field. They missed their next eight shots to close the quarter, but picked things up again in the second quarter. The Pacers finished the half shooting 54.3 percent.
Will free throw shooting finally cost Atlanta?
The Hawks have improved on getting to the line as the series has gone on, but the percentages have still been sub-par. Atlanta has only managed to reach 60 percent from the charity stripe in one game this series, and that was when they shot 65.8 percent in Game 4. So far in Game 5, the Hawks have been much better, shooting 11-of-14 from the line. All three of those misses have been by Smith.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
