INDIANAPOLIS -- Big Roy came up with a big answer for his critics and his teammates Wednesday night. Larry Johnson Jersey . He played like an All-Star when the Pacers really needed it. After 48 hours of questions and criticism, Roy Hibbert scored a season-high 28 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked two shots and altered a handful of others to help the Pacers get even in the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 86-82 victory over Washington. Hibbert sounded more relieved than redeemed. "David (West) always talks to me about being the person that rescues yourself when youre in the middle of the ocean," Hibbert said after Indiana tied the best-of-seven series at 1-1. "Theres nobody who can throw a lifesaver or a rope out to help you. So I had to do it myself." The next step is proving he can play this way again Friday when Washington hosts Game 3. Hibbert went into Wednesday with a combined total of 37 points and 24 rebounds in Indianas first eight playoff games. Twice in the previous four he failed to score a point or grab a rebound. Beleaguered Pacers fans wanted Hibbert benched. Frustrated teammates talked publicly and privately about needing more from their 7-foot-2 centre. Critics turned Hibbert into the butt of jokes and on the Internet, some even tried to explain Hibberts incredible disappearing act with unseemly speculation. After talking to his old college coach, John Thompson III, and Colts linebacker Robert Mathis, a close friend, Hibbert blocked out the inescapable firestorm, focused on basketball and fueled the decisive 6-0 run late in the fourth quarter. It was enough to put repeated smiles on Hibberts face, even if he considers it only a start. "I just want to string a few games together," he said. "Consistency hasnt been my biggest friend this year. Im going to try to continue to play aggressive and Im going to try to control the things I can control. I cant control play calls, but I can control how hard I play, how fast I run down the court and how well I play defence." George Hill finished with 14 points, Paul George had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Lance Stephenson added 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists. And for the first time this post-season, the Pacers held an opponent to fewer than nine 3-pointers. Washington finished 5 of 21 from behind the arc, the lowest percentage (23.8) in the playoffs this year. Much of the credit went to Hibbert, who helped open up the offensive lanes for his teammates and protected the rim well enough that Indiana could spread out and defend the perimeter. "Hes got our attention now," Drew Gooden said. "Weve got to be focused on guarding the Roy Hibbert we know." It was a lost opportunity for the Wizards, who had won their first four playoff games on the road -- three at Chicago and Monday night at Indy -- and could have gone home with a commanding 2-0 lead. They had chances. Washington led by as much as six early in the third quarter and rallied in the fourth to take a 77-74 lead with 5:01 to go before Hibbert and George scored six straight to give the Pacers the lead for good. Marcin Gortat finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Bradley Beal had 17 points and Nene added 14. "He came out with a lot of intensity and established position," Beal said. "We didnt play our best game. We didnt shoot the ball and we didnt defend like we know were capable." But Hibbert changed this game almost by himself. He scored the first five points of the game, an indication that things were going to be different, and he came up big late, too. Hibberts nifty stop-and-go layup got the Pacers within 77-76. That basket ignited the decisive 6-0 spurt. Georges steal on the ensuing possession led to a layup from Hill that gave Indiana a 78-77 lead, and Hibberts presence in the middle allowed George to find a lane for a two-handed dunk that made it 80-77. All the Wizards could muster after that was an alley-oop layup from Gortat and a long 3-pointer from Beal that got the Wizards within 84-82 with 11 seconds to play. West made two free throws and Hibbert sealed it by grabbing the last rebound of the game. "He carried us tonight," West said. "I thought he was very relaxed before the game. He was relaxed this morning. He didnt say a whole lot, but as a professional, I think everything just came down on him and he responded the right way." Notes: Hibbert was 10 of 13 from the field and made all eight of his free throw attempts.... Nene went to the locker room in the first quarter after apparently hurting his left leg or ankle but returned early in the second quarter and finished the game. Travis Kelce Jersey . Rookie Marek Mazanec made 39 saves for his first NHL victory and the Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2 Saturday night. Marcus Allen Womens Jersey . - Pierre-Maxime Poudrier scored twice and added an assist, and Antoine Bibeau made 43 saves as the Val-dOr Foreur downed the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 6-3 on Sunday to force Game 7 in their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League final series. http://www.prochiefsauthentic.com/Youth-Tony-Gonzalez-Elite-Jersey/ . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the Maple Leafs have trade offers on the table for the 26-year-old, but none have been deemed acceptable by the team.When Chris Phillips suits up for his next game, he will move into a tie with Jean Beliveau on the NHLs all-time games played list. Beliveau played his entire career with the Montreal Canadiens and up to this point, Phillips has played all 1,124 games of his career with the Ottawa Senators. But there is no guarantee that Phillips will be in the Ottawa lineup on Tuesday night in Edmonton, as his future with the team is up in the air. Phillips has reportedly been offered a one-year contract extension by the Senators, but its believed the 35-year-old defenseman is looking for a multi-year deal. If the two sides cannot come to an agreement on an extension in the next 48 hours, there is a very realistic chance that Phillips will be moved by Wednesdays 3pm ET trade deadline. And while Phillips has been able to control his fate in the past, he no longer has the luxury of holding the hammer with a no-trade clause this time around – which means general manager Bryan Murray can move him to any team in the NHL that is willing to offer suitable compensation. If Phillips is moved by the trade deadline, he will join the likes of Daniel Alfredsson and Jarome Iginla as players who left Canadian cities after spending the majority of their careers with one team. A couple of years ago it seemed unfathomable that all three of these players would pack up and leave. But playing an entire career in one Canadian city has been virtually impossible since the NHL expanded in 1967. That ended the Original Six era when players like Beliveau and the Richard brothers played with only one Canadian franchise for the duration of their careers. Since that time, only one player – Bob Gainey – played more than 1,000 games and spent his entire career with one Canadian team. As it stands right now, Phillips and Gainey are the only two members in that exclusive club – although that could change in the next couple of days. (Other players like Thomas Steen and Stan Smyl spent their entire career in one Canadian city, but did not meet the 1,000-game threshold) At the same time, its a lot easier to find players who fit these criteria in American cities. Whereas the Canadian list of players includes just Gainey and Phillips (for now), the American list includes the following 14 players: Nicklas Lidstrom – DetroitSteve Yzerman – DetroitMartin Brodeur – New JerseyKen Daneyko – New JerseyGilbert Perreault – BuffaloDenis Potvin – NY IslandersBobby Clarke – PhiladelphiaPatrik Elias – New JerseyDave Taylor – Los AngelesCraig Ramsay – BuffaloWayne Cashman – BostonPatrick Marleau – San JoseTomas Holmstrom – DetroitMilan Hejduk - Colorado So just by comparing the two lists, it seems significantly more difficult to spend yourr entire career in one Canadian city – even when you adjust for the fact there are roughly three times as many American teams in the NHL. Tyreek Hill Jersey. This dates back almost 30 years, when players from the Montreal Canadiens dynasty moved along to other teams to close out their careers. Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Steve Shutt all joined other teams after the Canadiens stopped winning Stanley Cups. And all of the pieces of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty found new homes as well, with most of them ending up with the New York Rangers at some point in their careers. This trend also includes players who didnt play for winning teams, but were considered to be mainstays with their Canadian teams. Borje Salming played the first 1,099 games of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but in a prelude to what Alfredsson would later do, he signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Red Wings to finish off his career. Even popular players who were deemed to be the "face of the franchise" by the fans and media in the 1990s were moved along, like Trevor Linden, Wendel Clark and Ryan Smyth. All three players eventually returned to their original teams to close out their careers, but were unable to stay for several years during their prime. And the recent examples of Alfredsson and Iginla highlight the challenges of staying with one Canadian team in this current climate. The Sedin twins recently signed long-term extensions that should keep them in Vancouver for the rest of their careers, but dont be surprised if they leave to chase a Stanley Cup at some point if the Canucks dont have a legitimate chance at winning in two or three years. There are certainly more challenges that make playing in a Canadian market extremely difficult. In some cases, the players feel suffocated by a rabid media and fan base and yearn for a chance to spend a couple of seasons in a fresh place. In other instances, the players fail to live up to the expectations of a contract and are forced to a new destination because public pressure becomes intolerable. Often a player just wants a chance to win a Stanley Cup and doing so has been impossible for Canadian teams since 1993. And we are all well aware of how Canadian cities have colder climates and higher taxes that make American destinations seem more appealing at times. Whatever the reasons – and most need to be judged on a case-by-case basis – it appears virtually impossible to spend your entire career in one Canadian city. If Phillips signs an extension in Ottawa, he will join Bob Gainey on this list of post-expansion players to spend their entire careers with one Canadian team and play more than 1,000 games. But as history shows, its more likely that Phillips will be moving on to a different destination to close out his career. ' ' '