Pacers to have George for Game 7 against Hawks

Less than an hour after wrapping up practice, an NBA spokesman confirmed in an email to The Associated Press that league officials reviewed the tapes from Thursday night’s altercation and determined none of the players who stepped onto the court would be punished for the decisive game of this first-round series.

Few, including Stu Jackson, the league’s former disciplinarian, expected that to happen with George, who took two slow, short steps onto the court before he was pushed back by assistant coach Popeye Jones.

Jackson wrote on Twitter that he didn’t expect the league to suspend George, Indiana’s best player and an All-Star starter.

George has topped 20 points in all six games, has double-doubles in five of them and has been the one Pacers’ defender able to slow down quick, shifty Hawks guard Jeff Teague.

All the league’s best regular season home team must do now to reach the second round and avoid the distinction of becoming the sixth No.

The Pacers, who spent all season chasing the Eastern Conference’s top seed, expect a raucous crowd for the first Game 7 to be played at home in the franchise’s NBA history.

George has plenty of motivation after a stressful week that included ceding home-court advantage for the second time in the series, losing his 2014 All-Star ring in a burglary that took place while he was playing Game 5, two elimination games and speculation that his 24th birthday celebration might be marred by the announcement of a one-game suspension.