Pacers center Roy Hibbert has been put through the media ringer over the final month of the regular season stretching into the playoffs. After a Game 1 no-show, in which he notched zero points and zero rebounds, it all came to a head. Hibbert spoke of change, then backed it up with a shocking 28-point, nine-rebound Game 2.
Rumors had spread that the reason for the bizarre dissolution of Indiana's team chemistry was an affair between star swingman Paul George and Hibbert's fiancée. It spread like wildfire thanks to George's previous off-court issues involving a Miami exotic dancer, as well as a strange "catfishing" incident, but George vehemently denied the claims.
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Now, some are speculating the real reason for Hibbert's hibernation was displeasure with a midseason deal for Andrew Bynum. NBA.com's Steve Aschburner wrote, "Bringing Bynum aboard rankled Hibbert, a source told NBA.com, when coach Frank Vogel ran plays to get Bynum involved offensively that he rarely calls for Hibbert."
Bynum rarely played for Indiana, though, and was sent home for the remainder of the playoffs yesterday. "We want to thank Andrew and our medical staff for trying to get the issues with his knee resolved," Pacers president Larry Bird said in a statement. "We wish him the best in the future."
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Perhaps unsurprisingly, Hibbert had one of the best games of his career. He didn't mention Bynum at all postgame, and instead credited the tough love of his teammates. "David (West) always talks to me about being the person that rescues yourself when you're in the middle of the ocean," Hibbert said. "There's nobody who can throw a lifesaver or a rope out to help you. So I had to do it myself."
Unfortunately, this performance merely tied the series with Washington. The Pacers will need this production game in and game out to achieve their goal of an NBA title.
"I just want to string a few games together," he said. "Consistency hasn't been my biggest friend this year. I'm going to try to continue to play aggressive and I'm going to try to control the things I can control. I can't control play calls, but I can control how hard I play, how fast I run down the court and how well I play defense."
Will Hibbert keep it up? Let us know @SportsWN
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