NBA: Celtics paste Pacers in key battle for 4th in East

Jayson Tatum scored 22 points and Gordon Hayward added 21 as the Boston Celtics took over sole possession of fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 117-97 victory Friday over the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.

The result puts Boston on track for home-court advantage in the upcoming NBA playoffs.

Kyrie Irving scored 17 points for the Celtics (48-32), who broke a fourth-place tie with the Pacers, doing it on the road, where they have held their ups and downs. Boston is now 20-20 away from home this season.

Hayward was 9 of 9 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line, while Aron Baynes had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics.

Myles Turner scored 15 points for the Pacers, who are having their troubles down the stretch, losing eight of their past 11 games. Indiana (47-33) entered Friday's game after consecutive victories over the Detroit Pistons.

While the fourth-place Celtics and fifth-place Pacers are in line to meet each other when the playoffs begin next weekend, Boston did move 1 and a half games behind the third-place Philadelphia 76ers with games remaining at home against the Orlando Magic on Sunday and at the Washington Wizards on Tuesday to close out the regular season.

The Pacers conclude their schedule with a game at home against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday and a visit to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

The Celtics started slowly, trailing 27-24 after one quarter as Indiana worked the ball inside, scoring 16 points in the paint. Boston neutralized the Pacers' inside game by speeding up the tempo, scoring 34 points in the second quarter to take a 58-47 lead into halftime.

Boston remained on the attack in the third quarter, increasing the advantage to as many as 18 points before taking a 91-74 lead into the final quarter by shooting 55.4 percent from the field.

The Celtics effectively put the game away three minutes into the fourth quarter when they turned a pair of Pacers turnovers into back-to-back fastbreak dunks by Tatum for a 102-80 lead.

Pacers forward Bojan Bogdanovic, who entered scoring 21.5 points per game since All-Star Victor Oladipo was lost for the season in January, scored just four points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field. Domantas Sabonis and Tyreke Evans scored 12 points each for Indiana.

The Pacers were playing without point guard Darren Collison (groin), while the Celtics lost guard Terry Rozier after just six minutes on the floor because of illness.

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NBA: Aldridge powers Spurs past Pacers

LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 33 points and added 14 rebounds Friday night for the San Antonio Spurs, who never trailed in beating the host Indiana Pacers, 111-100 in Indianapolis.

The Spurs snapped a two-game losing streak with just their third win in the last 10 games. 

The Pacers have lost two straight, both of which they have played without star Victor Oladipo, who has missed three consecutive contests with a sore right knee.

The double-double was the 11th of the season for Aldridge. Rudy Gay also had a double-double for the Spurs with 11 points and 12 rebounds. 

DeMar DeRozan (16 points), Patty Mills (15 points) and Bryn Forbes (13 points) also scored at least 10 points apiece for San Antonio.

Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and a game-high 16 rebounds for the Pacers, who were led in scoring by Bojan Bogdanovic (21 points). 

Cory Joseph added 18 points while Thaddeus Young finished with 12 points and Aaron Holiday and T.J. Leaf each chipped in with 11 points.

The Spurs scored the first six points of the game, the final four of which were collected by Aldridge. 

San Antonio led by as many as 13 (25-12) in the first quarter before the Pacers went on an 11-1 run in which Joseph scored five points.

A Bogdanovic jumper closed the gap to four points at 45-41 with 2:04 left in the second quarter, but Indiana got no closer as the Spurs ended the half on a 9-4 run to take a 54-45 lead into the locker room.

The Spurs embarked upon a 9-0 run early in the third quarter, a stretch that included a layup by Aldridge which gave them a double-digit lead for good at 58-47. 

San Antonio extended its lead to 20 for the first time on a layup by Mills with 5:44 left.

The Pacers stirred in the fourth quarter, when a dunk by Leaf closed the Spurs lead to 91-80. 

But Gay (five points) and Forbes (a 3-pointer) combined for an 8-0 run and San Antonio was never threatened again.

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Pacers dominate Jazz, earn 3rd straight win

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 points and Domantas Sabonis just missed recording a triple-double as Indiana cruised to a 121-94 win on Monday over the visiting Utah Jazz.

Domantas Sabonis scored 19 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out a career nine assists off the bench.

The win was the third straight for the Pacers as Indiana completed a sweep of a three-game homestand that included wins over Miami and Atlanta.

The Pacers were playing without Victor Oladipo, who missed his first game of the season because of a sore right knee. Tyreke Evans got the start and totaled eight points, five assists and two steals.

Aaron Holiday, the rookie from UCLA, also made a significant contribution for the Pacers, coming off the bench to score 19 points and grab seven rebounds.

Rickie Rubio led the Jazz with 28 points, six assists and three steals. Jae Crowder had 14 points off the bench and Rudy Gobert recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards.

The Indiana defense smothered Donovan Mitchell, who came in averaging 21.7 points per game, holding him to just seven points on 3 of 8 from the field.

The Pacers took control midway through the first quarter when Bogdanovic's step-back 27-foot jumper gave Indiana a 12-10 lead.

Indiana went on a 12-2 run to open up a 24-12 lead on two free throws from Sabonis at the 2:40 mark of the period.

Thaddeus Young's jumper put Indiana up 39-19 early in the second period.

Utah cut the deficit to six at 47-41 on Joe Ingles' 3-point jumper with a little more than three minutes left in the half. Indiana stretched the lead back to 10 (57-47) heading into the intermission.

The Jazz cut the lead to nine early in the third but would get no closer the rest of the game.

After committing 24 turnovers in a win against Atlanta on Saturday, the Pacers turned the ball over just nine times against the Jazz. Utah turned the ball over 18 times, which Indiana turned into 33 points.

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Bogdanovic leads Pacers past struggling Hawks

Bojan Bogdanovic picked up the slack after an injury to Victor Oladipo, scoring 22 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 97-89 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Bogdanovic, the NBA leader in 3-point percentage, was 3-for-5 beyond the arc and 7-for-12 from the field. He added four rebounds and helped the Pacers win their second in a row.

The Pacers played most of the game without Oladipo, who left after only four minutes with a sore right knee. Oladipo, who had seen his streak of 20-point games end at 13 in his last start, scored only two points before departing.

Indiana also got 12 points each from Darren Collison and Aaron Holiday, who came off the bench to sink 3-of-4 from downtown. Myles Turner had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Domantas Sabonis matched his career high with 16 rebounds.

Turner had three blocked shots, allowing him to pass Clemon Johnson and move into seventh place on the Pacers' all-time block list.

It was the seventh straight loss for the Hawks, who went 0-4 on a road trip that took the team to the West Coast and Denver before finishing in Indianapolis.

Atlanta got power forward John Collins back from an ankle injury that has kept him out all season. Collins had 12 points and two rebounds in his return.

The Hawks were led by Jeremy Lin with 16 points and Kent Bazemore with 13. Dewayne Dedmon added 12 points and seven rebounds.

Atlanta played without second-leading scorer Taurean Price for the second straight game with a sore Achilles.

The Hawks led 56-47 at halftime thanks to a 32-22 second-quarter effort. But the third period, a problem all season, was an issue again with Atlanta being outscored 26-16. That allowed the Pacers to enter the final period with a 73-72 lead.

The Pacers shot 40 percent (12-of-30) from behind the arc, while the Hawks shot 27.6 percent (8-of-29). Atlanta rookie Trae Young was 0-for-5 from long range and finished with nine points.

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Pacers' Oladipo sinks Celtics with 3 in final seconds

Victor Oladipo capped a wild finish with a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining Saturday night, delivering the host Indiana Pacers a 102-101 victory over the Boston Celtics.

After sweeping two games at Indiana last season, the Celtics appeared headed for another road success when Kyrie Irving hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final 1:08, the second putting Boston up 101-97 with just 38.1 seconds remaining.

But after Oladipo cut the deficit in half with two three throws with 29.2 seconds left, the Pacers got a shot at the win after Irving couldn't complete a drive with 11.7 seconds to go.

Oladipo got the defensive rebound and, a few seconds later, connected from 27 feet for the game-winner.The Celtics had one final possession, but Oladipo stole a pass from Gordon Hayward and ran out the clock.

Oladipo finished with game highs in points (24) and rebounds (12) for the Pacers, who won their third straight in the opener of a three-game homestand.

Tyreke Evans (17 points), Bojan Bogdanovic (16), Myles Turner (12) and Domantas Sabonis (12) also scored in double figures for the Pacers.

Marcus Morris had 23 points and Irving 18 for the Celtics, who were seeking a fifth straight win in the opener of a five-game trip.

Jayson Tatum and Al Horford added 14 points apiece for Boston, while Jaylen Brown had 12.

Morris, Irving and Tatum each hit four 3-pointers and the Celtics had 19 in all, outscoring the Pacers 57-33 from beyond the arc.

Until the final seconds, neither team led by more than three points in a fourth quarter that featured 11 lead changes and three ties.

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NBA: LeBron, Cavaliers even series with Pacers

LeBron James scored 32 points and Kyle Korver hit two clutch 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 104-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers, evening their first-round playoff series at two games apiece Sunday night in Indianapolis.

James, who hit 12 of 22 field-goal attempts, grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. Korver scored 18 points, including eight in the final three-plus minutes. JR Smith and Jordan Clarkson each scored 12 points for the Cavaliers.


Game 5 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series is Wednesday night in Cleveland.

Victor Oladipo sank a 3-pointer to cut Indiana's deficit to 103-100 with 11.9 seconds to go. Pacers guard Lance Stephenson was called for foul after taking Jeff Green down trying to tie the ball up. Green hit one free throw. Bojan Bogdanovic missed a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left, and James sealed it by grabbing the rebound.

Domantas Sabonis came off the bench to lead the Pacers with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Myles Turner contributed 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Thaddeus Young added 12 points and a team-high 16 rebounds. Oladipo scored 17 but hit just 5 of 20 shots from the floor. Boganovic, who scored 30 in Game 3 victory, had 10 points, making just 4 of 13 field-goal attempts.

Korver put Cleveland ahead for good at 94-93 with a 3-pointer with 3:48 to play. Following a Pacers miss, James hit a driving layup. After Oladipo's basket, Korver hit another 3-pointer to make it 99-95.

The Cavaliers shot 44.9 percent from the field to the Pacers' 43 percent. The 3-point shooting was nearly identical with Indiana making 12 of 33 and Cleveland 12 of 34.

The Pacers cut the Cavaliers' 10-point halftime lead to 80-78 heading to the fourth quarter, the fourth time Indiana trimmed the Cavaliers' lead to two points in the second half.

Stephenson tied it at 80-all on the first basket of the final quarter. After a James layup, Sabonis drilled a 3-pointer to give the Pacers their first lead since the first quarter.

After the Pacers took a 91-89 lead on Young's put-back, James got called for a technical foul for shoving Stephenson. Oladipo hit the free throw.

James scored 23 in the first half, and Cleveland held a 60-50 halftime lead.

The Cavaliers' largest first-half lead was 49-33 midway through the second quarter.

Smith sank a 3-pointer from beyond half-court at the buzzer to give the Cavaliers a 30-24 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Kevin Love picked up his second foul with 1 1/2 minutes gone in the first quarter and was replaced by Tristan Thompson, who saw his first action since Game 1. Love was scoreless in nine-plus minutes in the opening half. He wound up five points on 2-of-10 shooting, though he added 11 rebounds.

The Cavaliers had to play without starting point guard George Hill, who was sidelined due to back spasms. Jose Calderon started in his place and contributed five points and two assists.

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NBA: Balanced Pacers rout Hawks in Collison return

Bojan Bogdanovic paced a balanced attack with 21 points and the Indiana Pacers routed the Atlanta Hawks 112-87 Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Myles Turner finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Victor Oladipo had 17 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Pacers, who bounced back from a 20-point blowout loss to Utah to win for the fourth time in the last five games. Indiana entered Friday's game tied with Washington for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Pacers are getting healthy for the stretch run. Veteran point guard Darren Collison returned after missing the last 12 games recovering from knee surgery. Collison scored 17 points off the bench in 21 minutes.

The Pacers stormed out to a quick double-digit lead. Oladipo hit a jumper that put Indiana in front 27-12. Collison, Turner and Cory Joseph each made two 3-pointers to fuel a 34-point first quarter for the Pacers. Joseph finished with 18 points, one of five Pacers in double figures.

Indiana hit 14 3-pointers, shot 49.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded Atlanta 49-35.

Dennis Schroder scored 11 points in the first half, but the Hawks trailed 53-37 at halftime.

The Pacers poured it on in the third quarter, with Oladipo scoring 15 of his points, including a step-back 3-pointer that gave Indiana an 83-53 lead.

Rookie guard Tyler Dorsey was a bright spot for the Hawks, who have long been playing for next season. Dorsey scored a career-high 18 points to make his case to be a part of Atlanta's future.

Schroder finished with 15 points, and Mike Muscala added 12 points for the Hawks.

The Hawks return to Atlanta to open a three-game homestand, beginning with a Sunday matinee against Chicago. They will host Oklahoma City and Charlotte before embarking on a six-game road trip toward the end of the month before returning home to face Philadelphia on March 30.

Indiana now heads to Boston on Sunday and Philadelphia on Tuesday.

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Pacers rally back from 21-point deficit to beat Magic

Victor Oladipo scored 24 points and Lance Stephenson added a season-high 21 as the Indiana Pacers rallied for a 114-112 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Thaddeus Young added 20 points for the Pacers, who trailed by 21 in the first half. Stephenson had nine points in the fourth quarter. Domantas Sabonis chipped in with 17 points and team-high nine rebounds.

Trailing 106-96, the Pacers used a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to grab a 111-106 advantage with 2:22 to go. Oladipo's basket gave Indiana its first lead of the game at 107-106 with 3:30 left.

Orlando's Evan Fournier's layup cut the Pacers' lead to 113-112 with 22 seconds to go. Sabonis hit the second of two free throws to push the lead 114-112 with 20.5 seconds remaining.

Aaron Gordon was fouled with 7 seconds left and missed the first free throw. He missed the second on purpose, and Fournier got the rebound. Jonathon Simmons missed a 3-point shot with 2 seconds to go, and Oladipo got the rebound.

Gordon recorded highs for the Magic with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Fournier added 21 points.

The Magic shot 54.5 percent overall from the field, while the Pacers shot 54 percent. The Pacers swept the season series with the Magic.

The Magic led by as many as 21 before settling for a 70-53 halftime lead. Pacers guard Darren Collison sank a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Indiana cut the deficit to 78-71 with 7:23 left in third quarter. The Pacers couldn't get any closer in the third quarter, but trailed the Magic by just eight points (92-84) after three quarters.

Indiana trimmed Orlando's lead to five points early in the fourth quarter, then made the late run.

Orlando shot 60 percent in the first half, while Indiana made 45.7 percent.

Gordon converted a rare four-point play with 2 seconds left in the first quarter to give the Magic a 32-22 lead.

The Magic shot 59.1 percent in the opening quarter.

Indiana center Myles Turner entered the game with four-plus minutes left in the first quarter after missing the last nine games with a right elbow injury. Turner scored four points in 11 minutes.

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Oladipo returns, leads Pacers to romp over Bulls

After missing four games with a sore right knee, Victor Oladipo showed no signs of rustiness in scoring 23 points in 23 minutes to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 125-86 rout of the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night in Indianapolis.

Oladipo, who hit 9 of 11 shots, also had nine assists, five steals and six rebounds as the Pacers (20-19) snapped a five-game losing streak.

"We did a great job staying together and setting the tone and we've got to do that every night," Oladipo told Fox Sports Indiana.

Domantas Sabonis scored 22 on 9-of-12 shooting off the bench for Indiana.

  
The Pacers, who led by as many as 41 points in the fourth quarter. got other major contributions from the bench with rookie T.J. Leaf (15 points), Joe Young (11 points) and Cory Joseph (team-high 10 rebounds).

The Bulls, who beat Dallas 127-124 on Friday night, looked like a tired team on the second night of a back-to-back.

Chicago (14-26) made just 30 of 80 shots (37.5 percent). Bobby Portis came off the bench to lead Chicago with 15 points. Denzel Valentine and Lauri Markkanen each had 13 points. Justin Holiday was limited to six points on 2-of-14 shooting.

Indiana hit 15 of 20 shots in the third quarter to expand a halftime lead of 64-37 to 101-67 after three quarters. The Pacers hit 48 of 86 shots (55.8 percent) overall.

Veteran Damien Wilkins started in place of Bojan Bogdanovic, who was out with an Achilles heel injury. It was Wilkins' first start with the Pacers and he finished with 11 points

Pacers coach Nate McMillan decided to start Wilkins instead of Lance Stephenson, so Stephenson could return to his regular role off the bench.

Oladipo hit 4 of 5 shots en route to nine points in the first quarter as the Pacers led 31-26.

The Pacers outscored the Bulls 33-11 in the second quarter. Indiana hit 25 of 48 shots in the first half while Chicago was 14 of 40 from the field.

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Celtics edge Pacers on Rozier's steal and layup

LOS ANGELES -- Terry Rozier's steal and layup with 1.2 seconds remaining Monday gave Boston a 112-111 NBA victory over the Indiana Pacers after the Celtics squandered a 19-point lead.

Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 30 points while Al Horford scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and passed off nine assists.

Jayson Tatum contributed 16 points and Marcus Smart added 15 and the Celtics made their first 10 shots and improved the best record in the Eastern Conference to 26-7.

"That was one hell of a of a game to be a part of," Irving said.

Victor Oladipo led the Pacers (17-14) with 38 points, 30 in the second half. His 3-pointer and layup on back-to-back possessions gave Indiana a five-point edge with 31 seconds to play.

An Irving 3-pointer pulled Boston within 110-109 with nine seconds remaining. Rozier followed by intercepting a Bojan Bogdanovic pass intended for Oladipo and raced the opposite way for the winning layup.

"It's a tough, tough loss," Oladipo said. "We gave ourselves a chance to win and we competed with the best team in the Eastern Conference. We can be that good. We just have to keep on getting better."

Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 38 points on 16-of-28 shooting from the floor and sank the winning free throw after being fouled later in the host Thunder's 95-94 victory over Denver.

The Houston Rockets stretched their win streak to 14 games with a 120-99 rout of visiting Utah as Eric Gordon scored 33 points, making a career-high seven 3-pointers, and James Harden added 26 points, six rebounds and six assists with Chris Paul contributing 18 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

Rockets center Clint Capela returned from injury and had 24 points and 20 rebounds while Rodney Hood led Utah with 26 points.

Minnesota's Jimmy Butler, who scored 37 points, hit two free throws with 2.5 seconds left and Damian Lillard missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer as the host Timberwolves held off Portland 108-107. Lillard had 17 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds while Jusuf Nurkic and C.J. McCollum each scored 20 for the Trail Blazers.

Nikola Mirotic and Kris Dunn each scored 22 points and Justin Holiday added 20 to power the host Chicago Bulls to their sixth consecutive victory, a 117-115 triumph over Philadelphia. Dario Saric led the 76ers with 27 points while Australian rookie star Ben Simmons added 19 points.

Kent Bazemore's two late baskets among his 16 points halted a Miami rally as the host Atlanta Hawks beat the Heat 110-104. Taurean Prince matched a career high with 24 points and Dennis Schroder added 21 for the Hawks. Josh Richardson had 26 points for Miami.

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 19 points and Tony Parker added 16 as the San Antonio Spurs cruised past the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 109-91 while T.J. Warren scored 19 points and Isaiah Canaan added 17 to power the Phoenix Suns over host Dallas 97-91.

At Charlotte, reserve Frank Kaminsky scored 24 points and the host Hornets snapped a three-game losing streak with a 109-91 victory over New York.

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Thunder defeat Pacers in George's return to Indiana

LOS ANGELES -- Russell Westbrook recorded his ninth triple double of the season and Paul George made a successful return to Indiana as the Oklahoma City Thunder edged the Pacers 100-95 on Wednesday.

The four-time all-star George was booed loudly whenever he touched the ball in his first return to the Bankers Life Fieldhouse arena since being traded five months ago.

But George's return went off without a hitch as he scored 12 points and backed up Westbrook's 10-point, 17 rebound and 12 assist performance in front of the hostile crowd of 17,900.

  
George was traded to Oklahoma City in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis after he told the Pacers he didn't plan to re-sign with the club at the end of this NBA season.

"He had incredible poise," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of George. "He didn't shoot well, but I thought his defence was critical."

George knew the environment would be a physical and mental test.

"I'm glad the circus is over with and now everybody can move on," George said. "I'm not sure what they (fans) wanted me to be, a circus act or some kind of show.

"I played my hardest. I thought I took what the city is about and that's being blue collar."

Steven Adams scored 23 points on 11-of-16 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Thunder.

The Thunder improved to 13-14 on the season as they registered their first two-game season sweep of Indiana since 2012-13 and snapped the Pacers' four-game winning streak.

Oladipo led the Pacers with 19 points, but had a rough shooting night, going nine of 26 from the floor.

Bojan Bogdanovic added 15 for the Pacers and Thaddeus Young had 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals.

Elsewhere, Kyrie Irving returned from a one-game injury absence and scored 33 points as the Boston Celtics shot a season-high 59.5 percent from the floor en route to a 124-118 win over Denver.

"That was the only way we were going to win tonight, the way we were guarding and rebounding," said coach Brad Stevens of the strong shooting performance.

Jaylen Brown added 26 points and Aron Baynes had 17 as the Celtics overcame a career-high 36 points by Nuggets guard Gary Harris and 28 by Jamal Murray.

Denver, finishing a six-game road trip, were missing three key players with injuries, Paul Millsap (wrist), Nikola Jokic (ankle) and Will Barton (back).

In New Orleans, DeMarcus Cousins nailed a clutch three pointer from the left side with 22 seconds remaining as the New Orleans Pelicans powered past the Milwaukee Bucks 115-108.

Cousins scored a team-high 26 points and Anthony Davis chipped in 25.

The Pelicans trailed 94-87 early in the fourth quarter but outscored the Bucks 28-14 in the final 10 minutes.

Cousins added 13 boards and Davis tallied 10 rebounds. E'Twaun Moore had 21 points for New Orleans.

Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with a game-high 32 points.

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James's Cavaliers stun Pacers with record rally

LOS ANGELES - LeBron James led a fourth-quarter assault as the Cleveland Cavaliers set a playoff record by storming back from a 25-point halftime deficit to defeat the Indiana Pacers 119-114 on Thursday.

James tallied 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for the Cavaliers who seized a 3-0 lead in the best of seven Eastern Conference first-round series.

James passed Kobe Bryant for number three on the league's career playoff scoring list and tied another NBA record by winning his 20th consecutive first-round game.

James delivered 28 second-half points as he took over the contest in the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers scored 70 points to just 40 for the Pacers in the second half. Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Kyrie Irving and Channing Frye each scored 13 points for Cleveland while Kyle Korver added 12.

Pacers forward Paul George scored 36 points, including 21 alone in the second quarter. But George couldn't keep pace with James and Cavaliers over the last two quarters.

Jeff Teague added 15 for Indiana, and Lance Stephenson scored 13 for the Pacers. George also finished with 15 rebounds and nine assists.

Indiana led by 10 after one quarter. They built a 50-36 lead with just under six minutes left in the second quarter and went on to lead 74-49 at the half.

The 74 first-half points are the Pacers's most this season, surpassing the 68 they scored in the first half on April 8 at Orlando.

Indiana shot 56.8 percent in the first half and the Pacers's non-starters outscored the Cavaliers's reserves 28-8.

gph/vs

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Young's clutch shot pushes Pacers past Wizards

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thaddeus Young's short jump shot with one second left on the clock lifted the Indiana Pacers to a 107-105 win over the Washington Wizards on Monday.

"I just made a play, that was the biggest thing," Young said of his jumper from 10 feet. "My teammates put me in a position to make that play by having a lot of guys on the court that could space the court out."

Washington's Bradley Beal missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in front of a crowd of 18,100 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse arena.

Paul George led the Pacers with 27 points and teammate Jeff Teague added 23. Myles Turner fouled out with 20 points and eight rebounds.

"They switched out and denied Paul," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "Thaddeus did what he was supposed to do and come to the ball. With four seconds to go you want to attack the basket. It was the right thing instead of just settling for the hero long jump shot.

"He put his head down and attacked the basket. It was an aggressive move by Thaddeus."

Beal, who hit both two free throws to narrow the Pacers' lead to 105-103 with 50 seconds left, had tied the score by hitting a jumper with 15 seconds left.

Marcin Gortat tallied 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Wizards (12-15). Teammate John Wall delivered 19 points.

Washington erased a deficit by scoring the first nine points of the fourth quarter to tie it 88-88. George's basket made it 90-88 and halted the Wizards' run.

Elsewhere, Dennis Schroder and Paul Millsap combined to score 61 points in leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 110-108 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Schroder scored 31 points on 10 of 16 shooting to go along with eight assists. Millsap poured in 30 points, 11 rebounds and hit three of five from beyond the arc.

Thabo Sefolosha added 15 points as the Hawks raised their record to 14-14.

Oklahoma City was led by Russell Westbrook, who had a game high 46 points. He also racked up 11 rebounds and seven assists.

In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Timberwolves held onto a late advantage to escape with a 115-108 win over the Phoenix Suns at the Target Center.

The win for the Timberwolves came two days after they let a 12-point lead slip away with just over two minutes to play against Houston. The Rockets eventually won that game in overtime.

On Monday, Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points and grabbed 15 boards for his 18th double-double of the season -- and his eighth straight.

Canada's Andrew Wiggins had 26 points in the win, and Zach LaVine chipped in 23.

In Chicago, Rajon Rondo narrowly missed a triple-double with 10 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls rolled to a 113-82 win over the Detroit Pistons.

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Pacers beat Raptors 101-83 to force Game 7

When the Indiana Pacers are more than All-Star forward Paul George's prolific scoring, they usually are difficult to beat.

George had a game-best 21 points and 11 rebounds Friday, but the Pacers used smothering defense, solid rebounding and a dominating second half to defeat the Toronto Raptors 101-83 in Game 6, tying the best-of-seven series 3-3 and forcing Game 7 on Sunday in Toronto.

After leading 65-64 late in the third quarter, Indiana used a 32-5 run to increase its lead to 97-69 with 3:02 remaining.

Indiana limited the Raptors to 36.7 percent shooting, only 39 second-half points and outrebounded Toronto 44-40, also scoring 20 points as the result of 17 Raptors' turnovers.

"The Indiana Pacers have to beat the Raptors instead of just Paul George beating the Raptors," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. "Our defense and our rebounding turned this game.

"We stayed with our big lineup to start the second half, and we executed our offense much better in the second half. We have to be able to hold a lead, and tonight we did that."

The Pacers scored the fourth quarter's first six points and led 77-64 with 10:38 remaining, prompting a Toronto timeout. The run became 12-0 for an 83-64 advantage. Indiana shot 64 percent from the field in the second half.

Rookie Myles Turner had 15 points and nine rebounds for Indiana, Monta Ellis scored 14 and George Hill and Ian Mahinmi each scored 12.

"Tonight was one of the most exciting games I've ever played in," Turner said of avoiding elimination. "I'm not ready for summer, and I'm not ready to go fishing."

Cory Joseph had 15 for Toronto, DeMarre Carroll also scored 15, Jonas Valanciunas contributed 14 points and nine rebounds and Kyle Lowry scored 10.

DeMar DeRozan struggled again for the Raptors, making 3 of 13 field goal attempts and scoring eight points. He is shooting 32 percent in the series.

"We couldn't score, and that really allowed them to get into transition," DeRozan said of Toronto's second-half meltdown. "The Pacers' team defense has been really tough the whole series, and George Hill especially has played good defense."

Indiana opened the third quarter with a 15-6 run, including 3-pointers for Ellis, Turner and George Hill, to lead 55-50 with 7:19 on the clock. The Pacers scored the third quarter's final six points to lead 71-64 through 36 minutes.

"Our offense just went down the drain in the third quarter," Lowry said. "But it's a seven-game series, and we have to stay after it. We know what is at stake in Game 7."

The Pacers outscored the Raptors 31-20 in the third quarter and outrebounded Toronto 12-5 in the period. Indiana was 10 of 15 from the field in the third quarter.

Solomon Hill came off the bench to sink three 3-pointers and also give the Pacers a defensive boost.

"We did a really good job collectively on the defensive end," Solomon Hill said. "We maintained that defensive tenacity throughout the entire game. Now we just have to go into Game 7 and leave everything out there on the floor."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacers seal seventh seed, avoid Cleveland

LOS ANGELES -- The Indiana Pacers clinched the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a 102-90 victory over New York on Tuesday, avoiding a daunting opening postseason with Cleveland.

The Pacers win coupled with the Miami Heat's 99-93 victory at Detroit means Indiana will now play second seeded Toronto in the first round of the playoffs.

Detroit, who squeezed into the postseason at the expense of the Chicago Bulls, will face LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

Indiana recovered from a first-quarter blitz that saw New York score 36 points.

Nineteen points each from Paul George and George Hill anchored the Indiana effort as the Pacers wrapped up a 26-15 record at home during the regular season, 44-37 overall.

"Teams hit their stride at different times in the season, and we were hoping to enter the playoffs with some momentum," said Indiana coach Frank Vogel, whose team travel to Milwaukee on Wednesday for their final game.

"We got a great game tonight from George Hill, who we ask to play his game and be aggressive. He does whatever he is asked."

New York's Derrick Williams top-scored for the Knicks with 21 points, while Jerian Grant chipped in with 18 and Arron Afflalo 13. The Knicks finished the season with a 32-50 record.

"The Knicks came out hot and negated what we were trying to do, but then our defensive pressure got better, and we were able to get control of the game defensively," George said. "In the second half, we got some stops and got some easy opportunities, a lot of transition plays."

Knicks coach Kurt Rambis bemoaned his team's failure to blunt the Pacers attack.

"They were allowed to penetrate, and that created confusion in our defense and allowed them to get open scoring opportunities," Rambis said.

"Paul George got himself going, and a lot of that had to do with our execution."

Meanwhile in Michigan, the Pistons tumbled to defeat as Miami improved their chances of securing home-court advantage for the opening round of playoffs.

Luol Deng scored 17 points and 10 rebounds while Goran Dragic finished with 16 points for the Heat (48-33). Hassan Whiteside weighed in with 14 points and nine rebounds while Dwyane Wade chipped in 14 points.

Heat rookie forward Justise Winslow was missing after suffering an ankle sprain.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was Detroit's highest scorer with 17 points. Marcus Morris added 16 points and nine rebounds.

Elsewhere Tuesday, San Antonio scored a 102-98 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Kawhi Leonard scoring 26 points, to snap a three-game losing streak.

Leonard drained a jumper with 49 seconds left in the extra period to put the Spurs 100-98 ahead before Tony Parker added two free throws with 12 seconds to go.

The win saw the Spurs tie the 1985-86 Boston Celtics for most home victories in a single season in NBA history (40).

San Antonio's 66 wins is also a new franchise single-season record. The Spurs had already secured the second seeding in the Western Conference and complete their campaign on Wednesday against Dallas.

The Thunder, who rested stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, will be seeded third in the Western Conference in the playoffs.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacers hang on to beat Rockets

The odd adventure that has been the Indiana Pacers' 2015-2016 season was on display in all of its glory -- or inconsistency -- on Sunday night in Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the equally up-and-down Houston Rockets.

Indiana (39-34), which lost on the road to 21-win Brooklyn on Saturday night, led Houston (36-38) by 16 points in the third quarter, trailed by five in the fourth quarter and somehow found a method to scratch out a 104-101 victory.

Paul George had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Monta Ellis added 23 points and Ian Mahinmi had 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Pacers held on.

Houston's Jason Terry had a chance to force overtime, but his 3-point attempt from the right wing was short as time expired.

"This was exactly the kind of game we expected," said Mahinmi, whose 19 points tied his career high. "We felt really bad about the loss Saturday (at Brooklyn), and we knew we had to have this one tonight. A big thing right now is that we are still learning to play with each other, and we are getting better."

Mahinmi and Ellis each made one of two free throws in the final 11.7 seconds to help the Pacers hold onto the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Indiana is a half-game ahead of the eighth-place Detroit Pistons, who were idle Sunday.

"After Houston came back and made it a game, we finally did a good job of taking control again at the end," George said.

James Harden poured in 34 points to lead the Rockets (36-38). Trevor Ariza had 14 points, and Dwight Howard added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Houston remains a half-game ahead of Dallas for eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race after the Mavericks also lost Sunday.

"Those 3-pointers are the shots we are comfortable taking," said Ariza, who was 2 of 8 from beyond the arc. "If the shots are not there, we want to keep moving the ball and look for a better shot."

The Rockets, who lost their fourth consecutive road game, made only 7 of 33 shots from 3-point range (21.2 percent), their second-worst 3-point shooting percentage this season.

"They missed some open 3-pointers, but overall, I thought our 3-point defense was good," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. "They hurt us and got back in the game in the third quarter when they went small, and James Harden really got going."

A George 3-pointer gave the Pacers a 93-92 lead with 5:43 to play, but Harden answered immediately, pushing the Rockets back in front at 94-93.

Indiana clung to an 81-79 lead through three quarters, but baskets from Harden and Ariza gave the Rockets an 83-81 advantage with 10:44 to go.

Trailing by 16, Houston used a 16-3 run to close to within 70-67 on a Harden 3-pointer with 4:08 remaining in the third quarter. Another Harden 3-pointer tied it at 70 with 3:32 left in the quarter.

"This team defends the 3-point line well," Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of the Pacers. "They force you into taking coverage shots because their length allows them to cover a lot of ground to cover and contest. I thought we got looks we wanted, but always in those situations, you want to put pressure on the rims. But the Pacers do a great job protecting the paint."

A 3-pointer from George Hill and a steal and layup from Ellis extended the Indiana lead to 67-51 with 7:57 remaining in the third quarter, prompting a Houston timeout. At that point, the Rockets were 2-for-20 from 3-point range.

"Tonight, we needed contributions from everybody to win this game," said Vogel, noting that the Pacers were playing the second of a back to back. "I thought Solomon Hill came off the bench and gave us some good minutes when Houston went with its small lineup."

Solomon Hill played only 15:30 but had two points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals and played excellent defense against the Rockets' perimeter players.

George scored 16 first-half points, and C.J. Miles came off the bench to add 10, helping Indiana seize a 57-47 lead through 24 minutes.

The Rockets, who got 10 first-half points from Harden, missed 14 of their first 15 attempts from 3-point range and finished the opening two quarters 2-for-18 from long distance.

Indiana led 30-24 after the first quarter and increased its advantage to 55-42 on a Mahinmi layup with 1:41 remaining in the half before the Rockets closed within 10 at intermission.

The Pacers outshot the Rockets 47.1 percent to 44.7 percent overall, and Indiana posted a 50-44 rebounding edge.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Ellis, George combine to lead Pacers past Spurs

When the Indiana Pacers lost at San Antonio in December, Monta Ellis and Paul George scored a combined 13 points on 4 of 24 field-goal shooting, helping the Spurs pull away to a comfortable 14-point victory.

Monday night's rematch in Bankers Life Fieldhouse was quite a different production for Ellis and George, who combined for 49 points on 15 of 33 shooting in Indiana's 99-91 victory.

Ellis scored 26 points, including 21 in the second half, and George added 23, including two free throws with 15.7 seconds remaining to give Indiana (34-30) a 97-91 lead.

The Spurs (53-10) had an eight-game winning streak snapped and were without coach Gregg Popovich, who was home with an ailing family member.

"We were dialed in and more focused this time," said George, who was 1 of 14 in the game in San Antonio. "I knew I needed a better effort. This was one of our best games overall. We did a great job for four quarters against a great team."

Ellis, who carried the Pacers during the second half each time San Antonio closed the gap, said Indiana's defense won the game.

"We got stops," Ellis said. "On the other end, my teammates found me when I was open. That was a great team, and this was a big win for us. Everybody refreshed their minds at the All-Star break, and everybody got locked in. We have had some tough losses, but we've stayed together."

Rodney Stuckey scored 12 for Indiana, and Ian Mahinmi had 11 points and nine rebounds. The Pacers shot 41 percent from the field (32 of 78) and outscored the Spurs 28-19 from the free-throw line.

Forwards Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge each scored 23 for San Antonio, and Patty Mills came off the bench for 17. The Spurs shot a season-low 35.4 percent (34 of 96).

"You have to feel good about beating the Spurs," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "That's a heck of a team. The last six quarters, we have worked extremely hard on the defensive end. For the most part, we were guarding at a high level."

San Antonio scored the first six points of the third quarter and continued to apply the pressure, but two George free throws and an Ellis steal and dunk gave Indiana a 71-59 lead with 44 seconds left in the period. The Spurs got a David West putback at the buzzer to pull to within 73-62 with 12 minutes remaining.

"It was a rough night shooting for us," said assistant coach Ettore Messina, who coached the Spurs in Popovich's absence. "We were getting food looks, but it just happens sometimes. We were just not as sharp as we could have been."

The Spurs scored the first two field goals of the fourth quarter to slice the deficit to 73-66, but Indiana answered with a 9-0 run that included two Jordan Hill baskets, a Solomon Hill 3-pointer and two Myles Turner free throws for an 82-66 lead with 9:33 remaining.

"We missed a lot of shots, obviously," Mills said. "The mistakes we made tonight are mistakes we don't normally make. In the second half, we gave ourselves a chance, but we just couldn't come through down the stretch. Ellis hit some big shots. It seems like he does that against us no matter who he is playing for."

In the first half, Indiana took advantage of the Spurs' 4-of-24 start from the field to lead 45-32 through 24 minutes. San Antonio led 4-0, then Indiana countered with a 14-0 run.

The Spurs made only 13 of 50 first-half field-goal attempts (26 percent), including 1 of 14 from 3-point range. Leonard was 5 of 11 in the opening half, but his teammates were a collective 8 of 39. Leonard finished the half with 11 points.

Indiana shot only 40.5 percent (15 of 37) but was 11 of 13 from the free-throw line while the Spurs were 5 of 6. Stuckey came off the bench to lead the Pacers with 12 first-half points.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Clippers shrug off Griffin furore to down Pacers

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers shrugged off the furor surrounding Blake Griffin's punch-induced hand injury on Tuesday to beat the Indiana Pacers 91-89.

Guard Chris Paul scored 26 points including a crucial jumper with just 33.7 seconds left on the clock as the Clippers held on in a frantic finale.

The road victory saw the Clippers improve to 29-16 for the season while Indiana fell to 23-22 after the game at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Clippers had been plunged into controversy earlier Tuesday after confirming that Griffin had suffered a broken bone in his hand after throwing a punch at an unidentified person.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers paid tribute to the way his side had reacted to the controversy with victory over Indiana.

"I think all the stuff in the last 48 hours, you always say it's the game that brings your team back," Rivers said. "You could kind of feel that tonight. That was a good win for our team."

The Los Angeles Times reported that Griffin had attacked a member of the Clippers equipment staff during an altercation in Toronto over the weekend.

The incident left Griffin needing surgery to repair a spiral fracture in a metacarpal in his right hand, meaning he faces four to six weeks out.

The 6ft 10in (2.08 meter) power forward now faces an internal investigation after the Clippers announced a sternly worded statement about the incident on Tuesday.

- Griffin apology -

"This conduct has no place in our organization and this incident does not represent who we are as a team," the Clipper said.

"We are conducting a full investigation with assistance from the NBA. At the conclusion of the investigation, appropriate action will be taken."

Griffin, 26, has not played since suffering a torn quadriceps tendon in late December.

USA Today identified the target of Griffin's assault as the Clippers' assistant equipment manager Matias Testi.

Griffin later issued an apology on Twitter.

"A situation among friends escalated and I regret the way I handled myself towards someone I care about," he wrote.

"I want to apologize to the Clippers organization, my teammates and the fans for creating a distraction."

It is not the first time Griffin has found himself in hot water over a physical altercation.

In 2014 he was accused of slapping a man at a Las Vegas nightclub who had taken a picture of him with a cellphone.

He was accused of misdemeanor battery, but the charges were eventually dropped by Nevada prosecutors.

- Playing the right way -

Elsewhere Tuesday, Kevin Durant poured on 44 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder outgunned the New York Knicks in an overtime thriller at Madison Square Garden.

The Thunder squeezed home 128-122 with Durant also contributing 14 rebounds and five assists while draining four three-pointers from seven attempts.

It was Durant's second 40-point haul of the season after scoring 43 points against the Orlando Magic on Oct 30.

"I'm not really into how many points I score anymore," said Durant, a four-time league scoring champion. "I try to play winning and consistent basketball. If I play a good brand of basketball, if I play the right way, that stuff will come."

In Toronto, Kyle Lowry scored 29 points as the Raptors defeated the Washington Wizards 106-89 to record their ninth consecutive victory, equaling the franchise record for longest winning streak set in 2002.

DeMar DeRozan chipped in with 17 points for Toronto while Terrence Ross contributed 15 points off the bench, and center Jonas Valanciunas scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacers turn up defense, coast past Raptors

With his team trailing Toronto, 26-5, midway through the first quarter Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana Pacers' coach Frank Vogel called a much-needed timeout during which he did not mince words.

"I'm not sure I can actually repeat what I said, but essentially, it was about getting our defense right, something we have talked about for the past five games," Vogel said.

Indiana countered with a 39-4 run on its way to a roller-coaster 106-90 victory over the Raptors.

Indiana's huge run that spanned the end of the first quarter and start of the second quarter gave the Pacers a 44-30 lead, and they never trailed again, beating the Raptors for the first time in the past six meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals.


"Obviously, I wasn't happy about our start, but most the shots (the Raptors) were making were over the top (9 of 11), and the key to beating them usually is keeping them out of the lane," Vogel said.

After the hot start, Toronto made only 20 of its final 68 field goal attempts.

Forward Jordan Hill led the Pacers (14-9) with 20 points and 13 rebounds, each a season high. Guard Monta Ellis scored 18, guard/forward C.J. Miles added 17, forward Paul George scored 16, and guard Rodney Stuckey had 10.

Guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan each had 20 for Toronto (16-10).

"We started getting up into them and not letting them get comfortable," said Miles, who was 5 of 5 from 3-point range.

"We forced them into some turnovers and into some tough shots. To be good, we have to be active on defense. On offense, it was about making good passes."

Indiana features what Vogel refers to as two lineups -- the spread lineup and the big lineup. With Hill and Lavoy Allen coming off the bench for 28 points and 23 rebounds, the big lineup worked well Monday night.

"The start was pretty scary, but we got back into it and then won it with defense," Jordan Hill said.

A George 3-pointer with 8:57 remaining gave the Pacers an 83-69 lead.

Another George 3-pointer with 7:29 extended the advantage to 88-71. A Miles 3-pointer with 4:50 on clock gave Indiana a 97-76 lead.

"Teams that play a traditional (power forward) have trouble guarding Miles," Vogel said. "We also created a lot of stuff inside and got a good game from Ellis."

Indiana led 73-64 through 36 minutes, limiting Toronto to 37 percent field goal shooting after three quarters. The Raptors wound up at 36.7 percent from the floor, while the Pacers hit 47.7 percent of their shots.

A pair of three-pointers from Miles helped give Indiana a 64-46 lead in the third quarter. The Raptors countered with a 10-0 run to trim the deficit to 64-56. An Ellis layup extended the Indiana lead to 71-59.

Trailing 26-5 after a Lowry field goal with 5:34 remaining in the first quarter, the Pacers scored the game's next 22 points.

"A lot of that was on us, being careless with the ball, and they brought energy and juice," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "We did not match their energy. I don't know if I have ever seen anything like that (22-0 run).

"We shot ourselves in the foot. We were making one-handed passes, playing in the mud, not going anywhere and not being assertive. You can't beat good teams in the league playing like that."

Indiana began the second quarter with a 17-2 run, capped by a three-point play from Ellis. Indiana led 52-41 through 24 minutes, thanks in part to a second quarter in which the Raptors made only three of 15 field-goal attempts (20 percent) and were guilty of seven turnovers.

Ellis had 13 first-half points, and Hill came off the bench for nine. The Pacers' nonstarters outscored the Raptors' reserves, 25-8, during the first 24 minutes, making 10 of 17 field goal attempts. Overall, Indiana enjoyed a 47-27 edge in bench points.

Lowry had 14 in the opening half to lead Toronto, and DeRozan added nine.

"They picked up their aggressiveness, and we didn't match their intensity," Lowry said of Indiana's big comeback. "They picked up their physicality and had more energy than us."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com