Video: Pacers' Roy Hibbert throws down poster dunk on Hawks' Ivan Johnson
Pacers center Roy Hibbert threw down arguably the best dunk from a center we've seen since DeAndre Jordan demolished Brandon Knight.
With a little less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter of a 113-98 Game 2 victory over the Hawks, Hibbert set a high screen for George Hill and rolled to the hoop. Johan Petro, Hibbert's defender, stepped out on Hill and was unable to recover in time when Hill split the defensive coverage to find Hibbert with a bounce pass. Eyeing a wide open lane, Hibbert received the pass in stride and took two large steps, rising just as Ivan Johnson slid in from the weakside to attempt to take a charge. Hibbert cleared Johnson and crushed a one-handed dunk, drawing a defensive foul in the process because Johnson's feet were inside the protect circle. The 7-foot-2 center -- known more for his paint-clogging defense than his rim-rocking -- had his body at almost a 45 degree angle to the court as he extended to finish the slam. Where did this come from?
Hibbert finished with 15 points (on five-for-10 shooting), nine rebounds and three blocks in 31 minutes. Paul George scored a game-high 27 points (on 11-for-21 shooting) and added eight rebounds, three assists and four steals for Indiana. Devin Harris led Atlanta with 17 points (on six-for-10 shooting), four rebounds and four assists.
It was a busy night for Pacers dunkers. Later in the game, Gerald Green rose high to posterize Josh Smith. Hibbert and Green join Warriors forward Harrison Barnes in the discussion for the top dunk of the the 2013 playoffs.
Indiana, the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed, now holds a 2-0 series lead over Atlanta, the No. 6 seed. The series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 on Saturday.
