ATLANTA - The Indiana Pacers knew what they were up against. http://www.thenfllockerroom.com/Philadelphia-Eagles-Wilbert-Montgomery-Jersey/ . This was a game they had to have. Paul George and David West made sure they got it. George and West hit key 3-pointers down the closing minutes, and top-seeded Indiana held off the Atlanta Hawks 91-88 to even the opening-round series at two wins apiece Saturday. Finally, the Pacers showed some grit and resilience, regaining the home-court edge that slipped away when they were stunned by the No. 8-seeded Hawks in Game 1. "We were just in desperation mode," West said. "You just cant go down two games in a playoff series. The odds are against you." George put the Pacers ahead 86-85 with a jumper beyond the arc, and West hit another trey with 1:33 remaining. Atlanta had a chance after Kyle Korver was fouled in the corner and knocked down three free throws, taking advantage of a do-over after the Pacers were called for a lane violation. But George gave the Pacers two chances at the other hand, scrambling for an offensive rebound after Lance Stephenson missed a 3. George Hill took advantage by scooping one in off a drive with 56 seconds left. That would be the final points. The Hawks whiffed on their last three possessions; Pero Antic missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime after the Pacers made sure Korver, the long-range specialist, didnt get his hands on the ball. Game 5 is Monday in Indianapolis. After questioning his teams toughness, George scored 24 points and added 10 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double. West added 18 points. "My number was called," George said. "I had to deliver." Unfortunately for the Hawks, Paul Millsap couldnt provide the matching punch. Even though he led the Hawks with 29 points, the All-Star forward turned it over with a bad pass with 33 seconds to go. Then, after Stephenson lost the ball and the Hawks gained possession off a jump, Millsap missed a spinning shot in the lane as Atlanta passed on going for a tying 3-pointer. "Were still a confident group," Millsap said. "We let one slip away, but we showed we can go out and compete in the games up there. Thats where our mindset is now. Weve got to let this one go and get ready for Monday." Indiana left the door open by missing its final four free throws, including a pair by George with 7.5 seconds left when only one would have been enough to seal the victory. But the Pacers buckled down at the defensive end, forcing Antic to throw up a desperation shot that clanked off the rim. The Pacers decided against benching Roy Hibbert to go with a smaller lineup against the Hawks, who have taken the 7-foot-2 centre out of his comfort zone by spreading the court with their big men. Hibbert continued to struggle, managing just six points and three rebounds in a little less than 25 minutes. But he did have his first two blocks of the series. George and West took care of the rest. Cheered on by a raucous crowd at Philips Arena, where they even took down a curtain that normally covers part of the upper deck, the Hawks looked as though they were headed for a commanding lead in the series as they pushed out to their biggest lead, 54-44, early in the third quarter. But Millsap picked up two fouls just 7 seconds apart, giving him four in the game and forcing him to the bench for much of the period. The Pacers took advantage of the Atlanta stars absence, whittling the deficit down to 59-56 by the time he returned. "Getting him on his heels, putting him in a tough spot, obviously it changes who they are," West said. "The game was getting away from us. He goes to the bench, we closed the gap somewhat." It was tight all the way in the fourth, and things really got heated down the stretch. With about 5 1/2 minutes remaining, Millsap stumbled trying to drive to the basket and two Pacers piled on him trying to snatch the ball away. Tempers flared, Hill gave Atlantas Mike Scott a little shove, and both players were assessed technical fouls. After sorting things out, the officials ruled it a jump ball. "In the fourth quarter, we just made enough plays," West said. "The season was on the line." Notes: The Hawks gave a lot more attention to Indiana F Luis Scola, who had scored 37 points in the two previous games. He managed only 4 Saturday. ... Scott had 12 points off the Atlanta bench, but went just 4 of 15 from the field. ... Evan Turner gave the Pacers a boost early on, scoring seven straight points. He finished with 11. ... All five Indiana starters blocked at least one shot. ... Korver had a career playoff high with nine rebounds. http://www.thenfllockerroom.com/Pittsburgh-Steelers-Hines-Ward-Jersey/ . - Gatineaus line of Martin Reway, Simon Tardif-Richard and Marc-Olivier Brouillard combined for six goals and 12 points as the Olympiques crushed the visiting Saint John Sea Dogs 8-4 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. http://www.thenfllockerroom.com/Pittsburgh-Steelers-Sean-Davis-Jersey-Uk/ . Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans ended up with the bigger problem.Asked to describe his coach in three words, Brendan Gallagher almost makes it. "Competitive, knowledgeable, competitive," says Gallagher, then continues. "He wants to win more than any other coach." There is certainly a tirelessness about Don Hay, who coaches Gallagher on both the Western Hockey Leagues Vancouver Giants and the Canadian junior mens hockey hockey team. During practice, Hay moves quickly, covers a lot of ice and continually bangs his stick on the ice. He reacts to his players successes or failures during drills with a gesture or a grimace. Seventeen years after coaching Canada to gold at the 1995 world junior championship in Red Deer, Alta., Hay is stepping behind Canadas bench again with the 2012 edition of the team. Canada opens the world junior championship Sunday in Edmonton versus Finland. Hay can join Brent Sutter, Craig Hartsburg and Terry Simpson as the only men to coach Canada to gold twice. Those men did it in back-to-back years. The long interval between Hays stints is by his own choosing. A successful junior coach with three Memorial Cup titles, as well as some NHL coaching experience, Hay would have been a leading candidate for the job in recent years if hed thrown his hat into the ring. But Hay chose 2012, when the tournament returns to Alberta and the scene of his success in 95. "Being in Canada first and foremost, I feel comfortable coaching in Canada and in a North American rink," Hay said. "I still have a passion to coach and I really desired to coach Canada again. I thought it was the right opportunity. Im not getting any younger." He may not be, but Hay is a fit 57-year-old. Hes an avid runner who enters the Vancouver half-marathon every year. Hay has also not tired of challenging teenage hockey players to become better. "He loves to see improvements in his players and that I think, along with his conditioning, is why he always seems like he has energy," says Ryan Huska, who is both Hays assistant coach on the Canadian team and a former player of Hays on the Kamloops Blazers. "He really does love teaching kids and young players," Huska continued. "He likes to get them to progress and challenges them to move on to the next level and thats what drives him." Hay, a former minor pro player, left the Kamloops fire department to join the Blazers coaching staff as an assistant from 1986 to 1992. During that apprenticeship, he was an assistant to current Edmonton Oilers head coach Tom Renney. "Hay is well organized, well prepared and very thorough," Renney said. "Hes very demanding and tough, no question about that, but very fair and equitable in how he treats people. "There are no hidden agendas. A player doesnt have to leave a conversation with Donny asking himself, What did he mean by that? Youre going to get the goods." Hay became head coach of the Blazers in 1993. After winning back-to-back Memorial Cups in 1994 and 1995, as well as winning gold at the world juniors in 95, the natural progression for a successful junior coach is the NHL. Hay coached the Phoenix Coyotes to a 38-37-0-7 record and got them into the first round of playoffs in 1996-97. But he was turfed after just one season. After a couple of seasons back in the WHL with the Tri-City Americans, Hays second NHL stint was even shorter. The Calgary Flames fired him just 68 games into the 2000-01 season. Hay wont say the NHL didnt give him a legitiimate chance, but recalls how shocked he was by the lack of patience he was shown. http://www.thenfllockerroom.com/Oakland-Raiders-Aldon-Smith-Jersey/. "That was my hardest thing when I left juniors. I didnt understand that," he said. "And that really hurt I think because you think you did a good job. "You think youre doing the right things and you should get rewarded for doing the right things, but you dont. I know the saying is A coach is hired to get fired and it took me a while to figure that out." Hes not in a rush to try the NHL again and why should he? Hay has job stability as head coach of the Vancouver Giants, which is a model WHL franchise in a world-class city. The Giants have never finished under .500 or out of the playoffs in Hays seven seasons at the helm. They won the Memorial Cup in 2007 as hosts after finishing third in that tournament the previous year. The franchise has a wealthy majority owner in Ron Toigo, and some famous minority owners in Gordie Howe, Pat Quinn and singer Michael Buble. The Giants extended Hays contract last year until 2015. Hay turned down an assistant coachs job with the Oilers last year. He didnt pursue the same opportunity with the Winnipeg Jets this year because hed committed to coaching Canada at the world junior tournament. "I think Id like to have the opportunity to go back (to the NHL), but if it doesnt come its not going to affect me," Hay said. "Its got to be a pretty good job to go to for me to leave this one." Huska says a secret to Hays success as a junior coach is developing leaders on his teams who set examples for young players. "They would help pull the other guys along," Huska explained. "He always had a way to transition a new group up. They understood what he wanted and how he wanted his teams to play." "If they didnt fit in or play the proper way, the room would take care of it and if it didnt, Don would." Hay and his wife Vicki have three children. Darrell, a defenceman, tried out for the Canadian junior team in both 1999 and 2000, but didnt make the squad. Hes currently playing hockey in the Czech Republic. Their daughters Ashley and Angela are twins. Angela has two children and Hay counts spending time with his grandchildren as one of his favourite things to do away from the rink. When Hay coached Canada in 1995, he had the best players in the land available to him because an NHL lockout extending into January. He famously cut Brett Lindros from the team because he felt the big forward wasnt the right fit for his team. Hays says the players on the Canadian junior team today are the same as in 95. They grow up watching the tournament on television and seeing the emotion that so often drives Canada to gold. The players dream of doing the same. And make no mistake, Hay wants the gold just as much in 2012 as he did in 1995. "You can just see how badly he wants to win," Gallagher says. "Whenever hes behind that bench, you sense it as players and it makes you want to win just as bad. "When your coach is that competitive and hes trying just as hard for you, you want to do the same for him." Wednesdays Forward Lines Pearson - Scheifele - Smith-PellyJenner - Strome - ConnollySchwartz - F Hamilton - StoneHuberdeau - Bournival - Gallagahr Howden rotating with both the White lines (Scheifele and Bournival lines) Defence Pairings Gormley - HamiltonBeaulieu - PysykHarrington - MurrayOleksiak Goaltenders VisentinWedgewood Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ChinaWholesale Jerseys ' ' '
