National Basketball Association

Hawks go bigger for Game 3 vs Pacers

Published Apr. 27, 2013 8:17 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Atlanta Hawks have made an expected lineup change for Game 3 of the playoffs against Indiana, going with 7-footer Johan Petro at center in hopes of playing tougher defense against the more physical Pacers.

By moving Petro into the lineup on Saturday night, the Hawks are able to shift Al Horford to power forward and Josh Smith to small forward. Kyle Korver is coming off the bench after starting the first two games in Indianapolis, where the Pacers grabbed a 2-0 lead in the series by an average of 16 points a game.

Petro played only 31 games during the regular season, averaging 3.5 points and 3.6 rebounds. He has played a total of 25 1/2 minutes in the playoffs, scoring 10 points and grabbing two rebounds.