Roy Hibbert finally showed up for the Indiana Pacers after over a month-long slump that saw him mocked endlessly for his poor play.
Hibbert scored 28 points on 10-of-13 shooting and grabbed 9 rebounds in the 86-82 Game 2 win to even Indiana’s series with the Washington Wizards. The 28-point performance topped Hibbert’s combined point total (23) for the previous six playoff games.
In an interview with TNT’s Tracy Wolfson after the game, Hibbert credited teammate Paul George for his turnaround.
“Paul took me out on his boat yesterday and we just sat there and we just fished for a long time. We didn’t even talk about basketball. So I think this one is really attributed to Paul’s love and care for me as a friend and teammate. So I’m thankful for such great teammates,” Hibbert said.
That’s a pretty significant comment for several reasons. One, it shows that sometimes just getting your mind off the game is the best way to regroup. Two, it shows how a teammate really helped Hibbert. And three, it also seems to crush the silly rumor that Hibbert and George had a major conflict over a girl. I don’t think they’d be out fishing together like that if they really had beef over a woman.
