The last time we saw Indiana Pacers guard Paul George in postseason action prior to Saturday, he dropped 29 points and 8 rebounds in a Game 6 loss to the Miami Heat in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals.
George picked up right where he left off in the series-opener against the Toronto Raptors, as he dropped 33 points (including 27 in the second half), 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals in an impressive 100-90 road win for Indiana.
In addition to powering the Pacers offensively, George’s defense stifled Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, as he held him to 14 points on 5-19 shooting. DeRozan, along with backcourt mate Kyle Lowry finished the loss a combined 8-32 from the field.
Toronto has now lost seven straight playoff games, and the goal of successfully exercising their postseason demons must begin anew in Game 2 or they’ll be staring at another 0-2 series deficit for the second straight season.
