2012 NBA Playoffs: Orlando @ Pacers, Game 1

Result: Magic win, 80-77

Mentally, I had written off the Howard-less Magic in this series. But, as it turns out, the Pacers may not be the best team to exploit Dwight Howard's absence, especially when they settle for jump shots so often (negating his absence in the middle). And strangely enough, Big Baby has turned out to be a tough matchup for Hibbert despite the huge height discrepancy.

Ultimately, the Pacers collectively choked the game away (special points to Granger though), but I still favor them for the series. They still look like the better team.

Observations
-The Pacers did a terrible job defending the pick and roll with Jameer Nelson (w/ an other Magic but especially Big Baby). Nelson had tons of room to run around in the half court as George Hill was crushed by picks over and over again.
-The Magic did a great job keeping the Pacers out of the paint for much of the game
-The Pacers did kick up their defensive intensity in the second half. Thta reminded me of the Pacers that gave the Bulls so much trouble last year.
-Big Baby did a great job denying position against Hibbert. Hibbert has a huge size advantage but can't take advantage of it in the low post if he can't get the ball. Hibbert has almost all of his scoring success on second chance shots.
-Hibbert has great body control on his shot block attempts, although he got some no-call home cooking too.
-David West looked good in the low post and is a tough cover for a seemingly over-matched Ryan Anderson.
-I love watching Hansburough (sp?) play. He just gives it everything he's got and plays with exuberance and confidence.
-Collison flat out looked better than George Hill (the Pacers' staring PG). Indeed, in crunch time, Collison was carried over from the second team to play out the fourth quarter.
-With 1:14 left in the game, and up 2, Granger ganked two FTs. On the next possession, Granger missed a close-range shot that was tough but make-able. Later, down three, Granger travels (TRAVELS!) while covered by Big Baby, effectively ending the game without even getting a shot off.

(in order of importance)
Most Valuable Magic: Nelson, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Jason Richardson
Most Valuable Pacers: West, Granger (yeah, he ultimately blew it, but he was critical early), Hibbert

Starting Goat(s): Hill (Pacers), Ryan Anderson (Magic)