Victor Oladipo dropped 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting Monday (AEDT) in the Pacers' 98-80 Game 1 win over the Cavaliers on Monday, and Oladipo admitted Cavs owner Dan Gilbert's comments from last summer were a driving force behind his performance.
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When the Pacers traded Paul George away to the Thunder and received Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, Gilbert said, "Indiana could have done better than it did.”
“I already had fuel,” Oladipo said of Gilbert after the game, via Sports Illustrated . “You could say it added fuel to the fire. … That was so long ago. It came up recently obviously because we’re playing the Cavs in the series. I’m aware of what he said. Can’t control his opinion. All I’m focused on is myself and becoming the best Victor Oladipo possible."
Oladipo has enjoyed a career year in Indiana averaging 23. 1 points per game — up from 15.9 in his final season with the Thunder.
Monday (AEDT) marked the first time since 2012 that LeBron James has lost a game in the first round of the playoffs.