ATLANTA - The Indiana Pacers headed south Wednesday, finally carrying themselves with a swagger befitting the No. [url=https://www.customnikebaseballjerseys.com/171n-custom-nike-washingt on-nationals-jerseys-baseball.html]Custom Nike Washington Nationals Jerseys[/url] . 1 seed. Now, they need to prov

ATLANTA - The Indiana Pacers headed south Wednesday, finally carrying themselves with a swagger befitting the No. Custom Nike Washington Nationals Jerseys . 1 seed. Now, they need to prove theyre really back on track — at a place where they havent had much success over the years. The Pacers evened the series against the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks with a dominating third-quarter performance in Game 2, stifling some of the incessant criticism the supposed best team in the East had endured after sleepwalking through the final seven weeks of the regular season and turning in a dismal performance in the playoff opener. Of course, the condemnation will start up all over again if the Pacers falter in Game 3 on Thursday night. Theyve got to keep their edge. "That was my point to them," coach Frank Vogel said after a practice in Indianapolis, before the team hopped on a 90-minute flight to Atlanta. "Weve got to maintain that." While a bit down about their most recent showing, the Hawks already accomplished their primary goal of the series — win a game on the road to steal away the home-court advantage. Besides, this team has endured plenty of adversity in recent years, from a massive overhaul that left Atlanta with almost an entirely new roster to the loss of top player Al Horford with a season-ending injury back in December. The Hawks may have lucked into the playoffs with the worst record of any qualifier (38-44), but theyve shown plenty of grit and teamwork to make up for their deficiencies. "Our group has been very, very resilient all year, very tough-minded all year," rookie coach Mike Budenholzer said after a film session with his players. "Ive felt good about this group all year, and I dont feel any differently now." The Hawks did plenty of good things in the first two games, winning the opener rather easily, 101-93, and positioning themselves to pull off another shocker when they built an 11-point lead in the first half Tuesday night. Suddenly, Indiana took control, outscoring the Hawks 52-27 through the rest of the half to the end of the third quarter, pretty much removing any doubt about the outcome when Paul George hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer. "We had to prove our point," guard Lance Stephenson said. The Pacers have won only twice at Philips Arena since December 2006, a drought that included a 13-game losing streak stretching for more than six years. But Vogel was quick to point out that Indiana has won two of its last three games in Atlanta, including a series-clinching victory in last years playoffs. "Weve won three of our last four if youre counting the preseason," he added. Indiana struggled early on in Game 2, trying to get centre Roy Hibbert more involved in the offence. When that didnt work, the Pacers turned to more familiar weapons. George scored 27 points, knocking down five 3-pointers. Point guard George Hill sparked the offence with his slashing drives into the lane, scoring 15 points over the final two quarters after going scoreless in the first half. Luis Scola provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting, most of them jumpers in the 18- to 21-foot range. "He hit a lot of shots," Budenholzer said. "Credit to him. Now the challenge for us is to make those shots harder and more difficult and more challenged." The Hawks also have to figure out a way to get their point guard, Jeff Teague, to play more like he did in Game 1 (a career playoff-high 28 points) than he did in Game 2 (14 points, just two coming in the second half). The 6-foot-9 George switched over to cover the quicker player and did a marvelous job, limiting the penetration that allows Teague to set up good looks from the outside. Atlanta went 10 of 29 beyond the arc, missing 11 in a row in one stretch as the Pacers seized control. "Paul George is a very good defender no matter who he guards," Budenholzer said. "Hes going to have an impact on the game." Custom Nike New York Yankees Jerseys . Mars announced Saturday that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers will join him as part of his halftime show. Super Bowl halftime performers often have collaborators. Cheap Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys Free Shipping . Listen to the Raptors vs. Jazz live tonight on TSN Radio 1050 at 9pm et/6pm pt. The Raptors are 1-1 so far on the five-game junket after defeating Denver and losing to Portland. https://www.customnikebaseballjerseys.com/271n-custom-nike-minnesota-twins-jerseys-baseball.html .Y. - Matt Harvey wants to make sure hes on the mound in late October — if the New York Mets get there for the first time since 2006.HONOLULU -- NFL great Jerry Rice is already bucking conventional fantasy football wisdom in a new Pro Bowl format inspired by the popular hobby. Rice picked New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and St. Louis defensive end Robert Quinn to anchor his Pro Bowl team on Tuesday, opting for a passer over a runner. Rice made the selections in Hawaii after winning a coin toss against Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders. Rice called tails. The decision prompted Sanders to select Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles and Houston defensive end J.J. Watt for Sundays game. "Dont think we forget Jerry picked them first," Watt said when asked whether the new schoolyard-style format would leave players with bruised egos. The toss and selections started a new process for the NFL in selecting this years Pro Bowl teams. Rice and Sanders are serving as captains and general managers in charge of divvying up the NFL stars. "Im so pumped -- Im ready to run some routes," Rice said at a news conference after winning the toss, picking his players and embracing them as active player captains. "Thats exactly how I thought it was going to go," Sanders said. The toss gave Sanders and Rice another chance for good-natured trash talk in a game thats become as much about showcasing their personalities as celebrating the accomplishments of the NFLs best. Rice and Sanders split up interior lineman, punters, fullbacks and special teamers during the first part of the draft, with the 22 picks announced on a tape-delayed show. Rice and Sanders went position by position, skipping the usual fantasy strategy of prioritizing positions -- ann element that will be in play Wednesday when the rest of the 60 players are divvied up. Custom Nike Tampa Bay Rays Jerseys. Sanders picked Ndamukong Suh with his first defensive tackle selection, and then opted for Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe. Rice grabbed Jason Hatcher and Marcell Dareus, and was assigned Kyle Williams. Among guards, Rice picked two of Brees New Orleans teammates, Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs, along with Evan Mathis. Sanders picked Marshal Yanda and Logan Mankins and was assigned Kyle Long. Centers Mike Pouncey and Alex Mack went to Sanders, while Ryan Kalil and Nick Mangold went to Rice. Rice picked Mike Tolbert at fullback while Sanders got Marcel Reece. Sanders said Reece will not get the ball. "Hes blocking for that man over there," Sanders said, pointing toward Charles. Punter Johnny Hekker and special teamer Justin Bethel ended up on team Rice, while Sanders picked punter Brandon Fields and special teamer Matthew Slater. The Pro Bowl coaches, Chuck Pagano of Indianapolis for Team Sanders and Ron Rivera of Carolina for Team Rice, selected long snappers as a need position. Pagano went with Carolinas J.J. Jansen and Rivera responded in kind, going with Matt Overton of the Colts. The second part of the draft will air live on the NFL Network. NFL officials are hoping the new format is a recipe for a more competitive game on the field and higher ratings as the bulk of league fans look toward the Super Bowl on Feb. 2. Brees said players know how to balance the demands of playing hard and avoiding injury. "What it comes down to is just pride -- pride in your effort and your performance," Brees said. ' ' '