NBA Playoffs - Eastern Conference First Round
Game 5 - Series tied 2-2
Tip-off: Monday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Indiana -7, Total: 186.5

After picking up a crucial win on Saturday to tie up their first-round series at two games apiece, the Pacers return home as big favorites in Monday's Game 5 versus the Hawks.

Atlanta has shot worse in each of its subsequent games in this series, starting 43% FG in Game 1 before dropping to 39% shooting in Game 2, 38% FG in Game 3 and a dismal 36% shooting clip in Saturday's 91-88 home loss. Shooting has also been the telling stat for Indiana this series, as the club has drained 50.3% FG in its two wins, but only 39.8% FG in the two defeats. Although this series is an even 10-10-1 ATS in the past three seasons, the Pacers are certainly happy to be returning home where they are 8-3 SU (6-4-1 ATS) versus the Hawks during this timeframe that has seen the Over go 9-2. Atlanta has been a miserable away team all season at 15-29 SU (18-24-2 ATS), but Indiana is just 22-20-1 ATS at home despite a 36-7 SU mark at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers are just 11-29 ATS (28%) in all games in the second half of the season, and 4-12 ATS (25%) after a win by six points or less. However, they are also 44-29 ATS (60%) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the past two seasons, and 30-15 ATS (67%) versus good three-point shooting teams (36%+ threes) in this same timeframe. The Hawks could be the fresher team though, as they are a strong 26-16-1 ATS (62%) with exactly one day's rest this season, while Indiana is a subpar 19-25 ATS (43%) in this situation. There are no new injury concerns for either club.

The Hawks shot so poorly in Game 4 because they were not able to penetrate, taking only 17 free throws. In the Game 3 victory, they went to the foul line 37 times. Atlanta was also limited to just six fast-break points on Saturday, which was a far cry from its 18 fast-break points in the previous game. PF Paul Millsap (21.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG in series) was a beast in Game 4 with 29 points on 10-of-18 FG (3-of-6 threes) plus seven boards and three blocks. Despite standing just 6-foot-8, Millsap has averaged 22.0 PPG on the road in this series versus what is arguably the league's best interior defense. PG Jeff Teague (19.5 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.0 RPG in series) has also helped to keep his team in the series, but made just 12-of-35 FG (34%) in the past two games after knocking down 15-of-32 FG (46%) in the two tilts at Indiana. But he was a much better distributor in the two home contests (17 assists) than he was in the opening two games (9 assists). Backcourt mate SG Kyle Korver (12.5 PPG, 46% FG, 5.3 RPG in series) averaged 17.5 PPG (7-of-15 threes) in the past two contests, which was a big improvement from what he did in the two games at Indianapolis (7.5 PPG and 3-of-11 threes). His ability to stretch this defense cannot be overstated. SF DeMarre Carroll (11.7 PPG, 60% FG, 5.3 RPG in series) has been a huge factor in this series, as he has averaged 15.0 PPG (10-of-15 FG) and 7.0 RPG in his team's two victories, but only 4.0 PPG (3-of-11 FG) and 4.5 RPG in the two defeats. The Hawks have received some quality minutes from their reserves, something that will need to continue for this team to pull off the gargantuan upset by winning the series. SG Louis Williams (8.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.0 SPG in series) and PF Mike Scott (7.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG in series) have been the most notable scorers off the bench, but both players are shooting poorly at 36% FG for Williams and 32% FG for Scott.

Indiana has really locked down defensively in the past three games and is now averaging 8.0 SPG and 5.3 BPG for the series. Its offense hasn't been too bad in this series either with 44.7% FG, 38.3% threes, but its 71.8% FT clip must improve. During the regular season, the Pacers made 44.9% FG and only 35.7% threes, but were much more efficient from the line at 77.9% FT. The efficiency of SF Paul George (21.8 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.0 SPG in series) has gone a long way in determining the outcome of each game this series. In his team's two victories, he scored 25.5 PPG on 56% FG (9-of-14 threes), but in the two losses, George averaged only 18.0 PPG on 31% FG (4-of-12 threes). He's been much more consistent in other areas, with at least 10 boards and four assists in each of the four contests, but after racking up four steals in each of the first two games, he had zero steals in the two games in Atlanta. Frontcourt mate PF David West (12.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 SPG in series) also shined in Saturday's win with 18 points and a game-high +13 rating, but hasn't been the rebounding force he was during the regular season when he pulled down 6.8 RPG. In the two home games this series, he managed just five total rebounds in 53 minutes. PG George Hill (11.5 PPG, 3.8 APG in series) had his best performance of the playoffs in Game 4 with 15 points (5-of-8 FG, 2-of-4 threes), five assists, two steals and only one turnover in 36 minutes. Indiana certainly needed this kind of production after Hill's horrendous Game 3 showing (4 points on 1-of-11 FG). SG Lance Stephenson (13.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.8 APG in series) has actually played better in his team's losses this series (20.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG) than in the two victories (6.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 0 steals), but his five points (2-of-9 FG, 1-of-7 FG) and four turnovers on Saturday shouldn't be too much of a concern because he rarely has two bad games in a row. The same cannot be said for underachieving All-Star C Roy Hibbert (6.0 PPG on 33% FG, 4.3 RPG in series) who continued his month-long funk in Game 4 with six points, three rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes. He has failed to surpass eight points in any of his past eight games (4 playoffs, 4 regular season) and has not attempted a free throw in each of the past two contests. If he starts playing with passion, this would be a series more indicative of a No. 1 versus No. 8 lopsided matchup. Helping pick up the slack for the slumping Hibbert has been reserve PF Luis Scola (10.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG in series), whose best showing of the series occurred in the last game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Game 2 when he scored 20 points (9-of-14 FG) with seven boards.