Pacers Stars Proving Indiana Is Still a Threat in the East

During the months-long NBA soap opera that was Roy Hibbert’s precipitous fall from grace, it was easy to forget that Paul George—all beaming smile and upside for 

miles—hadn’t exactly held the hype.

Their respective comebacks might remain works in progress, but if George and Hibbert’s performances in the Indiana Pacers' 95-92 Game 4 win over the Washington Wizards are signs of times to come, we might want to rewrite our April epitaphs.
George’s outing was especially transcendent: 39 points (including seven three-pointers), 12 rebounds, a pair of steals and plenty of off-focus flights of brilliance—contributions told only through DVR rewinds and a coach’s quote:

Nearly cresting 40—in 46 minutes, no less—might wind up as the noteworthy nugget, but it was George’s efficiency that offered a welcome return to form.
The last time PG converted on more than half of his field-goal attempts was a 107-97 Game 5 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1 when George charted 26 on 9-of-16 from the floor.
If the Atlanta series marked a renaissance for George (23.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game on 46 percent shooting), then the Eastern Conference Semifinals have been Hibbert’s redemptive respite—albeit a much more muted affair.
After a Game 1 nightmare in which he failed to register a single point or rebound over 18 minutes, Hibbert’s last three outings have been comparatively colossal: 19.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game on 65 percent from the field.
Up 3-1 and headed back to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for Game 5, the Pacers are one sustained stand from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year.