The Cleveland Cavaliers shot 54 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range, had LeBron James on fire for most of the game, yet narrowly beat the Indiana Pacers, 109-108, after C.J. Miles’ shot drew the front of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
Paul George and Lance Stephenson nearly shocked the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs
The two were nearly enough to pull off the upset.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The Cavs’ defense clearly isn’t where it should be, and the one-two punch from Paul George and Lance Stephenson reinforced that claim.
Indiana won five of the seven regular season games it played with Stephenson back in the lineup due to the offensive spark he provided off the bench. He was more than just a spark in Game 1, and had moments that took us back to the 2013-14 season.
He finished with 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting with seven rebounds and three assists to no turnovers. He’s the second scorer George has so desperately needed, and he was nearly enough to stave off the Eastern Conference favorite Cavs.
George was spectacular on his own with 29 points on 9-of-19 shooting, seven assists and five rebounds, and it was his late 3-pointer which had Indiana within one inside the final minute.
Indiana nearly pulled this all off with George firing off just four shots in the fourth quarter and taking two free throws. It was a slow middle of the last frame offensively that may have cost them. One possession more and Cleveland could have been stripped of its home court advantage.
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