The red splotch above his nose, next to his right eye, told the story of Paul George's approach to the game, and to the rest of the season.
“I paid a price for that dunk,” he said, smiling.
That dunk lifted the fans in Bankers Life Fieldhouse out of their seats in the third quarter of the Pacers' 120-101 victory over Houston Sunday, restored the Pacers' flagging energy level and offered further indication of George's return to his All-Star form.
With the Rockets having pulled within 12 points to force a Pacers timeout, George responded to Trevor Ariza's jamming defense at the 3-point line by driving hard to the basket, rising above gravity and expectations, and slamming the ball through the basket. Clint Capela's attempt to block his path was futile, although Capela's hand did arrive in time to scrape George's face.
It was reminiscent of George's legendary dunk over Chris “Birdman” Andersen in Game 2 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals in Miami, as well as proof that George has shaken off the after-effects of the left ankle sprain that kept him out of six games early in the season and other nagging aches.
“Young legs coming back,” he said.
“I've had a lot of injuries to my legs, they just haven't been the same, but through time they've been getting stronger and stronger. I felt the change.”
So did James Harden, who endured one of his worst games of the season because of George's smothering defense. Harden, the NBA's second-leading scorer at 29.1 points entering the game, settled for 15 on 3-of-17 shooting. He had eight assists, 3.6 below his league-leading average, as well as eight turnovers. Normally adept at drawing fouls, he got to the line for just seven free throws, well below his average of 10.6.
Compare all that to his game in Philadelphia on Friday, when he splurged with 51 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists, and attempted 14 foul shots.
George has done this kind of thing before to Harden. Four seasons ago, Harden hit just 11-of-43 shots in two games against George, averaging 18.5 points. Three seasons ago, he hit just 3-of-14 shots and scored 12 points against George at Bankers Life, but escaped for 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting in Houston. Two seasons ago, when George was sidelined with his broken leg, Harden scored 45 and 44 points against the Pacers. And last season, when George was making his comeback from that injury and sharing the defensive duties, Harden scored 21 and 34 points against Indiana.
Fairness requires mention of the Pacers' fortunate timing: the Rockets were playing the final game of a five-game road trip. Coach Mike D'Antoni said before the game fatigue wouldn't be an issue, but had a different viewpoint afterward. His team has now played 51 games, more than any team in the league, and four more than the Pacers.
“I don't want to take anything away from Paul George; he's one of the best players in the league without a doubt,” D'Antoni said. “I wouldn't read too much into it. James didn't have his legs. I don't think they found a formula to stop James Harden. There is no formula. He was tired.”
Said Harden: “Tonight was…nothing, man…we just didn't have it. It was a long road trip. It was a tough game.”
Still, Harden's history against George, and his flourishes against the Pacers when George didn't play or didn't guard him throughout the game, don't add up to one big coincidence. Sunday's outcome was no outlier, just the resumption of a solid trend. Harden was frustrated throughout much of the game, rarely able to get off a jumper without a hand in his face. George even made it a point to block his desperation heave from the opposite foul line at the end of the first quarter.
“We made him shoot contested jump shots,” said Pacers coach Nate McMIllan, who said before the game he would throw a few defenders at Harden, but stuck with George because Harden was unable to draw fouls on George. “That's what defense is all about. We felt if we could keep him in front of us, we could have some success.”
Harden hit just 2-of-10 3-pointers, and it was infectious. The Rockets – who have relied on the 3-pointer to compile the NBA's third-best record (35-16) – hit just 11-of-39 overall. Harden's eight turnovers also reflected George's defensive effort.
George, wrapped in brown towels and still shivering after a dip in the cold tub, refused to take an ego trip afterward.
“He's so good, so talented, you can't allow him to have freedom,” George said. “He likes to dance, he's a rhythm guy, he likes to get rhythm out of his bounce. You have to take that out of his game. We were able to tonight.
“It's fun playing against the good matchups,” George added. “I get a rush. At the end of the day this is what it comes down to, me versus him and us versus them. I look forward to those matchups.”
It would seem the Pacers have something to look forward to as well. They are three games above .500 (25-22), matching their high point of the season. The last time they reached that peak, they followed with a three-game losing streak. Now they have a three-game winning streak, and are confident they won't turn back again.
George mentioned his improving defensive trust in Myles Turner — which enables him to defend tighter on the perimeter — as one reason for his optimism, but George stands alone in that regard. He finished with 33 points, his fourth consecutive game of 30 or more. He hit 13-of-23 shots, grabbed nine rebounds and passed out three assists.
More than that, he set the tone for his teammates with his aggressive play at both ends and the variety of his contributions. That dunk over Capela, in fact, wasn't the highlight in their eyes. George followed it with a 3-pointer on the Pacers' next possession that increased their lead to 70-53.
“That's when the momentum swung to our side, and it stayed with us the rest of the game,” said Myles Turner, who recorded his sixth double-double in 13 January games with 18 points and 10 rebounds, as well as four blocked shots.
The difference in George's approach the past four games has been dramatic, and the results telling. The Pacers are now 13-3 when he scores 25 or more. He plans to stick with his mindset, not necessarily going out to score big, but to at least be in an attacking mode and play assertively.
“This should be me every night until the season's over,” he said. “At this point my teammates trust me to go out there and lead by example. They trust every time I have the ball I'm going to try to make the right play, whether it's me getting a good look for myself or me moving it to a teammate.
“It just comes down to trust, knowing I have their trust, I'm able to go out there and pretty much just be me and play my game.” When he does, opponents usually pay a price.
Have a question for Mark? Want it to be on Pacers.com? Email him at askmontieth@gmail.com and you could be featured in his next mailbag.
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.
