Paul George injury update: Pacers star in lineup for Game 3 vs. Heat

Ray Slover

Paul George injury update: Pacers star in lineup for Game 3 vs. Heat image


Paul George (AP Photo)

Between now and 8:30 p.m. ET, all eyes will be on Paul George. Barring a setback, this Indiana Pacers star will play Game 3 vs. the Miami Heat in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals.

The immediate question is: Will George, the Pacers' best player, be available? He declared himself ready to go on Friday, but admitted he blacked out after a collision with the Heat's Dwyane Wade in Game 2. The hours before tipoff will bring an answer.

The bigger question: How effective will George be? Tie that with the question of how much he will play.

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Saturday, George went through the Pacers' morning shootout without apparent problem.

With the series tied 1-1 heading into tonight's game in Miami, the Pacers need George. He is the team's top scorer in the playoffs, averaging 21.5 points. He plays more than 41 minutes a game.

And, George has been the man assigned to guard LeBron James. Whether that assignment holds tonight will be seen.

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Having cleared the NBA's concussion protocol, George got the go-ahead from Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the NBA's director of concussion management. He practiced in a red jersey, a symbol of non-contact. Teammates, he said, were calling him Peyton Manning, in reference to the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback who now plays for the Denver Broncos.

While Pacers pals weren't going to hit George, don't think the Heat will be so kind. Not that they will target him, but the game will be tough. And it was an accident that left George concussed in Game 2.

The back of George's head was struck by Wade's knee as both were trying to get control of a loose ball during the fourth quarter of that game. George remained in the game but was a non-factor the rest of the way. The concussion came to light only after George revealed postgame that he briefly "blacked out."

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"I probably should have kept that to myself," George said. "It just made a mess. That's something that, going forward, just keep that between myself and the training staff."

The Heat never even considered the possibility that George wouldn't play in Game 3.

"Why wouldn't he?" James said.

Wade said he wanted to see George out there, because competitors always want to play against the best, particularly at this time of year.

The Pacers pledge they will accommodate Wade.

Pacers coach Frank Vogel acknowledged that he was "mildly concerned" about how much the regimen of getting cleared may have taken out of his best scorer's legs.

''But he said he feels really good," Vogel said.

Miami is 5-0 at home in the postseason, winning by an average of 10 points per game and shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor.

Even George at his best might not be enough.

Contributing: Associated Press

Ray Slover