The red splotch above his nose, next to his right eye, told the story of Paul George's approach to the game, and to the rest of the season.
"I paid a price for that dunk," he said, smiling.
That dunk lifted the fans in Bankers Life Fieldhouse out of their seats in the third quarter of the Pacers' 120-101 victory over Houston Sunday, restored the Pacers' flagging energy level and offered further indication of George's return to his All-Star form.
With the Rockets having pulled within 12 points to force a Pacers timeout, George responded to Trevor Ariza's jamming defense at the 3-point line by driving hard to the basket, rising above gravity and expectations, and slamming the ball through the basket.