Atlanta Hawks at Indiana Pacers Game 7 Preview: The stage is set

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (24) plays defense against Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) during the first quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks are 48 minutes from the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, and while virtually no one in the “expert” community believes that they will win Game 7, the stage is set as they face the Indiana Pacers on Saturday afternoon. As you know by now, the Hawks were dealt a devastating blow in losing Game 6 at home on Thursday evening, but this is a resilient group, and that will be on display here.

From a match-up perspective, the Pacers are the more talented team, but their center (Roy Hibbert) has been a mess, and that has leveled the playing field. Still, Atlanta has been unable to take full advantage due to the struggles of Pero Antic (who is 7-for-37 from the field in the series), and this one could come down to the star power of Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap stepping up in a big spot.

Our friends in Las Vegas have the Hawks as 6.5-point underdogs in this one, but Game 7 certainly has a way of “throwing out the record books”. Expect a hard-fought game on both ends, but the winner will likely be the team that executes in the final moments.

You can follow us on Twitter (@ATLBeatBlog) for updates before the game and commentary throughout it, and also be sure to check back here on the site for a full game recap after its conclusion.

Date: May 3, 2014

Tip-Off Time: 5:30 p.m.

TV Channel: SportSouth (Local in Atlanta), TNT

Radio: 92.9 FM (Atlanta Flagship), Atlanta Hawks Radio Network Affiliates

Live Stream: League Pass Broadband