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Pacers keep hope alive with 93-90 win over Heat

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Paul George and the Pacers got one win Wednesday night.

Now comes the hard part: Winning an elimination game at Miami against LeBron James and the Heat.

George scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and inspired his teammates to withstand the Heat’s frantic late charge to help keep the Pacers’ once-promising season alive with a 93-90 victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

“We have to go and basically do the impossible, which is go down there and beat them in front of an unbelievable crowd with unbelievable energy and knowing that LeBron is going to come back and try to respond,” Pacers forward David West said after finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds. “We’ve got an ultimate challenge in front of us. I think guys are up for it.”

While George fell just short of his career playoff high (39) and four points short of Reggie Miller’s franchise record for points in an NBA playoff game, he also had six rebounds, six steals and only three turnovers in 45 minutes. And he helped limit James to a career playoff-low seven points in 24½ minutes, largely because the four-time MVP spent most of the night in foul trouble.

It was good enough, barely, to get within 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Friday night at Miami. The Heat haven’t lost back-to-back playoff games since the 2012 conference finals against Boston, and the Pacers know they have to continue playing the way they did in Game 5 if they intend to get Game 7 back in Indy.

“Coach told me, ‘Green light. Stay on green.’ David West kept telling me, ‘Don’t keep no bullets in the chamber’ so I really just came out firing,” George said. “My teammates found me and I got hot.”

Even without James going full throttle, the Heat still had a chance.

After falling into an 11-point hole early in the fourth quarter, the Big Three — James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade — rallied the Heat. James’ only 3-pointer of the night tied the score at 81 with 3:51 left, and after Indiana answered with five straight, the Heat twice closed to within one in the final 1:16. They even had a chance to take the lead with 4.9 seconds left, but a 3-pointer from Bosh that would have given Miami the lead was off the mark.

Bosh finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Wade and Rashard Lewis each had 18 as the Heat went 15 of 31 on 3-pionters.

Now the Heat will get a second chance to clinch their fourth straight conference championship at home, where they’ve won 10 straight postseason games. The last team to reach the NBA Finals four straight times was Boston from 1984-87, and Miami is eager to make sure they don’t have another trip back to Indy.

“It’s the Eastern Conference Finals,” James said. “There should be urgency, no matter what.”

George was the personification of urgency Wednesday as he delivered the most clutch shooting performance of his young career. The 24-year-old All-Star was 12 of 19 from the field in the second half and was 5 of 14 on 3s in the game.

But the Pacers needed everything else to go right just to survive.

The Heat committed 17 turnovers, compared to just 13 for the usually turnover-prone Pacers, Indiana had a 45-38 rebounding edge, and it needed every one of George’s points in the fourth quarter. The 21 points broke Michael Jordan’s previous record for most points in a playoff quarter against Miami. Jordan had 20 against the Heat in May 1997.

“I just felt it. I felt in rhythm. I had to be aggressive,” George said. “I tried to come out and be aggressive to start this game off and I was getting looks. I got hot.”

And this one lived up to the heavyweight billing.

There were hard falls, tough plays and strange sights.

James watched helplessly from the bench after picking up his fifth foul with 8:34 left in the third quarter as the Pacers went on a 23-7 run to turn a 50-41 deficit into a 64-57 lead.

Lance Stephenson made things even stranger when he attempted to listen in on one of Miami’s huddles, drawing a glare from coach Erik Spoelstra, and later blew in James’ ear. James cracked a small smile.

“I’m just here to play basketball, man. All the extracurricular activities, I don’t really get into,” James said. “I’m just trying to win. We need one more win to get to the finals. That’s my only concern.”

Indiana extended the lead to 77-66 early in the fourth on one of George’s dunks.

Then the Heat scored nine straight to make it 77-75, tied it at 81 and twice managed to get within one in the final 76 seconds before George answered with a 3. West finally sealed it by making 1 of 2 free throws after Bosh’s errant 3.

NOTES: James scored in single digits for the first time since finishing with eight against Dallas on June 7, 2011. He’s only scored in single digits 10 times in his career. … Roy Hibbert, who had only five rebounds in Game 4, had five in the first seven minutes Wednesday and finished with 13.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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