INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers grew up this season. Brad Daugherty Cavaliers Jersey . They overcame the loss of their top scorer to win a division title and make their deepest playoff run in nine years. They put the defending champion Miami Heat on the brink of elimination and recaptured their fans in this basketball-loving state. Now one of the leagues youngest teams insists that Monday nights dismal season-ending loss wont stymie their ascension. It will only make this team better and tougher. "First time for a lot of us to be in this situation, Game 7," budding star Paul George said after the 99-76 rout ended Indianas run in the Eastern Conference finals. "They (the Heat) really ramped up the pressure. We should have taken a deep breath and remembered its just a basketball game and doing what weve been doing all year long." A year ago, the Pacers were pondering so many other things heading into the off-season. George had struggled mightily against Miami in the playoffs and promised to return a different player. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh continually sliced up Indianas defence. And with such a young roster, many wondered how long it would take this team to mature. Turns out, not long at all. George delivered on his promise, taking the reins when Danny Granger started the season on the bench because of an injured left knee, and wound up being selected the NBAs Most Improved Player. Center Roy Hibbert signed his big contract, spent the off-season training MMA style and eventually showed he was worth all that money by dominating the middle in the playoffs. Forward David West returned to form, providing inside muscle and veteran expertise to help stabilize the Pacers when times got tough, and George Hill and Lance Stephenson fit neatly into their new roles. Together, Indiana turned the conference finals into the most compelling playoff series of the post-season and they didnt even have to be perfect to nearly upset the defending champs. Coach Frank Vogel pulled his rim protector, Hibbert, out in overtime of Game 1 and when George overplayed James on the final play, the four-time MVP drove in for an easy game-winning layup as the buzzer sounded. The Pacers failed to protect their home court in Game 3, blew a halftime lead at Miami in Game 5 and a first-quarter lead in Game 7 at Miami. The missed opportunities prevented Indiana from turning the NBA Finals into an old ABA donnybrook with San Antonio, and the scary part is what the Pacers can do next -- if they keep the core group together. Indianas top off-season priority will be re-signing West, who heads into free agency after posting averages of 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds during the season and virtually identical numbers in the playoffs. Despite speculation that the 6-foot-9, 250-pound soon-to-be 33-year-old West might rejoin ex-teammate Chris Paul, West has continued to make it perfectly clear where he would like to play next season. "This is my group. These are my guys. You know, I cant see myself going anywhere else," West said after Mondays loss. "Were the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, one of the top four teams in the league, in my estimation, based on this year. This group is a solid group. It gives me as an individual the best chance to accomplish the goals that I have left in terms of my future, and thats competing at this stage of the game every single year from here on out." The question is how much can this small-market team afford? Last summer, Indiana gave big contracts to Hibbert and Hill. The Pacers also face the costly proposition of trying to re-sign George and Stephenson, who are scheduled to become restricted free agents in 2014, while trying to improve a bench that didnt provide enough scoring punch in the conference finals. The Pacers must also decide what to do with Granger, who led the Pacers in scoring each of the previous five seasons. In 2012-13, he played in only five games and watched from the bench as the Pacers came within one win of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since Reggie Miller & Co. in 2000 Grangers absence gave Indiana a glimpse into what the future could be. At age 23, George led the team in scoring (17.4), made his first All-Star appearance, was a third-team All-NBA choice and a second-team choice on the leagues all-defensive team. Then in the playoffs, he showed everyone in the playoffs why hes an emerging superstar. Stephenson also took advantage of the move from career backup to NBA first-time starter and delivered two key post-season performances that helped Indiana play into June. If Granger comes back healthy, it would give the Pacers another big scorer and perhaps deliver the one missing link to get past Miami. With Grangers salary expected to top $14 million next season, the Pacers could to move the 30-year-old to add another big-time scorer in the backcourt or depth to the bench. "I expect to be back in the starting lineup," Granger said. But if this season demonstrated one thing, it was this: They dont need Granger to be a contender. They won the Central Division by 3 1/2 games over Derrick Rose-less Chicago, upset second-seeded New York by rendering NBA scoring champ Carmelo Anthony ineffective in the fourth quarter and then beat up Miami inside. Indiana finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in defensive field goal percentage, 3-point defensive field goal percentage and rebounding while finishing second in scoring defence. And in a league that has gone small, the Pacers are winning by going big. That blueprint nearly worked this year and it could keep them in contention for a title for another decade. "Again, weve got the same goals we had last summer," West said. "Our only focus is going to be to beat Miami. I mean, thats what it was at the beginning of the year, and I dont see that changing in the foreseeable future." J.R. Smith Cavaliers Jersey . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. LeBron James Cavaliers Jersey . Pence singled in the winning run with no outs in the ninth inning to give the Giants a 7-6 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. http://www.cavaliersbasketballpro.com/shaquille-o-neal-cavaliers-jersey/ .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J. OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook wasnt entirely pleased with his 51-point triple-double two nights earlier, so he adjusted his approach.Westbrook still scored 33 points as part of another triple-double, but he focused more on his role as a facilitator on Sunday. He had 16 assists to go with 12 rebounds, helping the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 113-96 to remain undefeated.Westbrook took a career-high 44 shots against Phoenix on Friday, and he criticized himself for it afterward. This time, he made 11 of 21 field goals.I thought we did a good job of running the offense, letting it work for us, he said. Getting better shots, easy shots, and it worked out for us.According to the Thunder, Westbrook joined Magic Johnson, Jerry Lucas and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history with two triple-doubles in the first three games of a season. He now averages 38.7 points, 12.3 rebounds and 11.7 assists.He had a masterful game tonight -- the way he was getting everyone involved, shooting when the shots were there and playmaking for teammates, Lakers coach Luke Walton said. When we were aggressive on him, he showed today why hes one of the top point guards in the world.The Thunder have won 20 straight regular-season games when Westbrook registers a triple-double. He clinched this one, the 39th of his career, in the third quarter.Thats standard for him, Thunder center Steven Adams said. Hes a freak.Victor Oladipo added 20 points for the Thunder.DAngelo Russell and Julius Randle each scored 20 points for the Lakers.The Thunder led 58-46 at halftime, but the Lakers chipped away and pulled to 77-71 by the end of the third quarter.A putback dunk by Enes Kanter and a steal and dunk by Oladipo pushed Oklahoma Citys lead to 10 in the first minute of the fourth.The Lakers triied to hang tough. Brad Daugherty Jersey. Nick Young made a 3-pointer to trim Oklahoma Citys lead to 95-91 with just under five minutes remaining. Adams scored in close, and Westbrook followed with a fast break dunk after a steal by Adams to put the Thunder back in control for good.The biggest part was we had Russ, Adams said. Russ did an amazing job of just controlling us as players, and then we got everything we wanted because he was scoring the basket, and obviously, they had to overhelp.TIP-INSLakers: Randle made 5 of 6 shots in the first half, while the rest of the team made 13 of 39. ... Los Angeles shot 5 for 18 on 3s in the first half and finished 7 for 32 for the game. ... Walton was denied his first road win as Lakers coach.Thunder: Westbrook ranks second among active players behind LeBron James in triple doubles. James has 43. ... Oklahoma City had 17 assists on 23 baskets in the first half. ... Scored 34 points off 21 Lakers turnovers.STAT LINESWestbrook matched a career high with five made 3-pointers. He was 5 for 6 after making going 2 for 10 from beyond the arc against Phoenix.QUOTE OF THE NIGHTWestbrook, on upcoming road games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors: Honestly, it dont matter who we play in a back-to-back. We could play the Globetrotters, all I care. It dont matter. Our job -- were going to go out and play one game at a time and try to get a win.UP NEXTLakers travel to Indiana to play the Paul George and the Pacers on Tuesday.Thunder head west to play the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, then face the Golden State Warriors and former teammate Kevin Durant on Thursday.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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