The Indiana Pacers were locked in defensively in the second half on Monday night, but it was too little too late as the Atlanta Hawks won 102-91 and evened the first round best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

Atlanta shot 32.3 percent in the second half, including a dreadful 15 percent in the third quarter, but Indiana couldn’t crawl out of the hole they built themselves over the first 24 minutes. Trailing 57-40 at halftime, the Pacers used a 15-2 run in the third to cut the Hawks’ lead to just seven entering the fourth.

As badly as the Hawks shot the ball in the third -- they missed all eight of their three-point attempts -- it could have been worse. The Pacers shot 40.9 percent in the quarter and 38.1 percent overall, keeping them forever at arm’s length.

Frank Vogel may not sleep before Wednesday night because of a stretch between the first and second quarters that ultimately doomed the Pacers. They had chances to get within a possession in the final minutes, but their issues were too deeply rooted to overcome.

The Hawks closed the first on an 8-0 run and outscored the Pacers 35-19 in the second. The 43-19 swing allowed Atlanta to erase a seven-point deficit and build a 17-point advantage. Larry Drew’s club shot 60 percent in the second frame, making seven of their first nine attempts. Kyle Korver and Anthony Tolliver combined to help the Hawks go 7-for-8 from deep in the fateful quarter.

In an offensive rut, the Pacers settled for jumpers and too many threes in hopes of stemming Atlanta’s flow. Vogel’s crew went 4-for-10 from three in the second, with their long misses helping the Hawks initiate quick offense. In the first half, the transition defense was poor once again. Atlanta shot 55 percent in the first 24 minutes against a team that, for a good majority of the season, was the best field goal percentage unit in the NBA.

There is a lot to look for as the series becomes a best-of-three tilt. 

Paul The Great

Paul George looked frustrated and off on both ends of the floor in the first half, but his defense clicked in the third and he dominated offensively in the fourth. Overall, George has been gambling too much defensively and hasn’t been able to shut anyone down this series.

George’s assignments -- Josh Smith and Korver -- were a combined 16-for-31 in Game 4.

Entering the final period with seven points, George erupted for 14 points on 3-for-5 shooting and 6-for-8 from the foul line. He finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and four steals. He also had four turnovers. The Pacers need more of the aggressive, fourth-quarter Paul George if they plan to advance.

Drew Back To Earlier Lineup?

Larry Drew used a smaller lineup often in the second half, which may bode well for the Pacers going forward. He had to keep Korver on the floor because of his hot shooting, forcing the Hawks to pick-and-choose when to go big. With Korver on him, George went off late.

The Pacers obviously want George to be able to blanket Korver on defense and score easily against him on the other end, but it remains to be seen where Drew will lean in Game 5 on Wednesday night. George has had issues guarding and scoring on Smith, who hasn’t gotten enough credit for his D on George.

Free Throw: Positives and Negatives

Atlanta attempted 38 foul shots on Monday night, thirteen more than Indiana. If it weren’t for trips to the foul line in the third quarter, the Hawks might have seen all of their first-half lead vanish. Still, it hurts to watch a team shoot 65.8 percent from the line.

The Hawks were not a good free throw shooting club during the regular season at 71.5 percent, but they have further regressed in the playoffs. Through four games, they are shooting 59 percent at the line. Of course, it helps that they have increased their attempts steadily in the series (from 14 to 20 to 28, all the way to 38 in Game 4).

Can the Hawks Remain Hot?

It continues to boggle the mind that the Pacers could lead the league by holding opponents to 42 percent shooting overall and 32.7 percent from three in the regular season and then allow the Hawks to light them up when the games matter most. They struggled defensively in April, but they attributed that to some players being hobbled by injuries and others resting.

That isn’t a valid excuse anymore.

Atlanta is shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from deep in the series. If you remove Indiana’s best defensive quarter (the third from Game 4) from the equation, the Hawks see their percentages jump to 48.8 percent and 43.6 percent. Those numbers would have made them the best offense over the course of the regular season.

After allowing 1.10 points per field goal attempt over 81 games, the Pacers are allowing 1.22 PPS in the playoffs -- right in the middle of the playoff pack. If the Pacers don’t shore up their defense by Game 5, their dreams of a getting a second chance at the Miami Heat will end two rounds too soon.