Hawks-Pacers Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Feb 04 2013 11:52PM

The Indiana Pacers failed in two chances this season to end a lengthy losing streak in Atlanta.

Hosting the Hawks could produce a different result.

The Pacers will go for their first 15-game home winning streak in 13 seasons and sole possession of the Central Division lead on Tuesday night when they continue the league's only back-to-back-to-back set this season.

With losses to Atlanta on Nov. 7 (89-86) and Dec. 29 (109-100), Indiana (29-19) has dropped 11 straight as the road team in this series and four in a row overall. The Hawks (26-20), though, are definitely not an overconfident group as they make their first of two visits to Bankers Life Fieldhouse this season.

"We've played some good games against them, and we've had some success, but we know that at home they're a totally different team," said center Al Horford, who is averaging a team-best 18.0 points with 7.5 rebounds against Indiana this season.

The Pacers have matched their longest home winning streak in 10 seasons after a 111-101 victory over Chicago on Monday helped them earn a share of the division lead with the Bulls. It was a make-up game from a Dec. 26 blizzard that hit Indianapolis, and it set up the first of three straight games for Indiana, which plays at Philadelphia on Wednesday.

"We're just playing together, every game I feel like we're playing sharper," said David West, who has totaled 59 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists in back-to-back wins over Eastern Conference-leading Miami and the Bulls.

The Pacers' last 15-game home winning streak was a 25-game run from Nov. 29-1999-March 9, 2000.

Indiana could move closer to that mark if it continues to clamp down on defense. The team is giving up 85.0 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting during its home winning streak.

That doesn't bode well for a Hawks team that's dropped seven of eight on the road and is coming off a 93-76 home loss to the Bulls on Saturday when it shot 39.2 percent.

"(The Pacers are) a really good defensive team, so it's going to be a grind-in-out game," point guard Jeff Teague said.

Indiana, though, has shown lately that it can pick up the pace. Among the league's lowest scoring teams with 92.4 points per game, the Pacers are averaging 104.4 over their last five.

And this is without Danny Granger, who could return before the All-Star break after being out all season with patellar tendinosis in his left knee.

"I'm proud of the way we're growing on the offensive end," coach Frank Vogel said. "Still a few too many turnovers (50 during their three-game winning streak), but we've made a commitment to the extra pass. When the ball is moving, we're too many weapons to be as poorly efficient as we have been."

The Pacers, though, continue to dominate the glass, outrebounding their opponents by 9.6 over the last five games.

"It's a challenge to come out and play against teams that are really good rebounding teams," said Hawks coach Larry Drew, whose team has outrebounded Indiana by 10 this season. "... We're going to have to be good tomorrow night."

The Hawks won 101-96 on March 6 to avoid a third consecutive loss at Indiana.

The Pacers, 19-3 at home, haven't lost to a visiting team since Dec. 7 against Denver.

George scores 29 as Pacers beat Hawks, 114-103

By JIM JOHNSON
Posted Feb 05 2013 10:57PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indiana Pacers are being tested, and doing well.

First, a win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday to move into a tie for first in the Central Division. Then, a 114-103 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.

Now the Pacers will go on Philadelphia Wednesday night for the league's only back-to-back-to-back and will wrap up the four games in five nights week at home against Toronto on Friday.

"You definitely feel it," Indiana's Paul George said. "I felt it tonight, really. But once the game starts going, everything goes out the window."

George scored a game-high 29 points along with five rebounds to lead the Pacers, who have won 15 straight games at home, their longest home streak since winning 25 straight in the 1999-00 season.

David West had 15 points and seven rebounds and George Hill added 15 points and eight assists to help the Pacers to their fourth straight victory overall to tie their longest streak of the season.

Jeff Teague had 24 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead the Hawks, who have lost three of their last four.

The Pacers went on a 7-2 run midway through the fourth quarter. Lance Stephenson scored on a layup before Hill hit a 3-pointer with 6:28 left to play to give the Pacers a 100-84 lead, their largest advantage of the game.

"When they're making those shots, they're a tough team to beat," Teague said. "David West was making shots, Paul George was making shots and Lance Stephenson was knocking down 3s."

George made two free throws to give the Pacers a 93-80 lead before Johan Petro scored for Atlanta. Then George scored two more free throws to put the Pacers up 13 again with 7:17 left to play.

The Pacers then pulled away for good when Hill's 3 gave Indiana its 16-point lead.

The Hawks made it hard for the Pacers to build an advantage before that.

"They're tough," West said. "They have versatility all over the place. They so guard heavy in terms Teague being able to control the game and we knew we were going to have our hands full."

George hit a 3 with 2:39 left in the third quarter to put the Pacers up 75-67. The Hawks missed a layup and D.J. Augustin, who had 10 points, drove to the basket and the officials spend eight minutes reviewing the play to determine that Horford committed a flagrant foul on the play and Augustin was called for a technical.

Augustin made two free throws and John Jenkins hit the technical free throw to give the Pacers a 79-68 lead.

The Pacers led 81-70 at the end of the third quarter.

"When I look at the stat sheet, the most glaring thing is the free throws," Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. "We fouled way too much. From the game plan and game strategy, I thought we tried to execute the game plan, but we put them on the free throw line too many times."

Indiana was 31 of 40 from the line. Still, Atlanta went 23 of 28.

Teague dunked off a steal at the start of the fourth quarter and George answered with a 3 to extend the lead again and Mike Scott scored on a putback to make it 84-76.

Later, Stephenson hit a 3 to give the Pacers an 89-78 lead with 9:20 left in the game.

After the Hawks jumped out to a 7-3 lead, the Pacers scored the next eight points.

Hibbert scored in the paint and later hit a jumper. Then when George missed a jumper, Hibbert grabbed the rebound and passed it under the basket to George, who scored on a reverse dunk to give the Pacers the 11-7 lead with 6:56 left in the first quarter.

Kyle Korver's 3 gave the Hawks a 43-31 lead with 5:15 left in the second quarter.

The Pacers then went on a 13-2 run. Stephenson scored a layup and later a 3, and Hill made two free throws and a jumper. Stephenson scored two more free throws to pull Indiana to 45-44 with 2:48 left in the second quarter.

Later, Hill made 1 of 2 from the line to tie the score at 47. The Hawks missed a shot and then George hit a 3 to give the Pacers a 50-47 lead with 1:10 left in the first half.

The Pacers led 50-49 at halftime.

NOTES: Teague returned to his hometown where he graduated from Pike High School in Indianapolis. ... Korver tied Clifford Robinson for 33rd on the league's all-time 3-pointers made list after going 2 of 9 against the Pacers. ... West tied his career-high with five steals.

Notebook: Pacers 114, Hawks 103

Conrad Brunner, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:51 PM - Updated Tue Feb 05, 2013 10:51 PM

THE FACTS: A defensive stalwart for most of the season, the Indiana Pacers suddenly have become an offensive juggernaut. Racking up a season-high (in regulation) for the second game in a row, the Pacers knocked off their third straight Eastern Conference playoff contender by beating Atlanta 114-103 Tuesday before 12,578 in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana (30-19) won its 15th consecutive home game but finishes up the NBA's only back-to-back-to-back set tomorrow on the road against Philadelphia. Paul George scored 22 of his game-high 29 points in the second half for Indiana. Jeff Teague led Atlanta (26-21) with 24 points and eight assists.

QUOTABLE: "We could be real dangerous. Our leading scorer from last year (Danny Granger) is not even in the mix. We're still now coming together offensively. It's just fun basketball."
-- George

THE STAT: Indiana has scored at least 100 points five times in the last six games (scoring 98 in the other), averaging 106.0 in the process. In the season's first 43 games, the Pacers broke 100 just seven times and averaged 90.9 points.

TURNING POINT: The bench played a key role in breaking open a close game late in the third quarter, with D.J. Augustin and Ian Mahinmi combining for 10 points in a 15-6 run that pushed a 66-64 lead to 81-70 heading into the fourth quarter. Atlanta got no closer than eight thereafter.

QUOTABLE II: "This team plays with a lot of grit, a lot of unselfishness, a lot of hustle. It's a lot of fun to watch and a lot of fun to coach."
-- Indiana Coach Frank Vogel

HOT: Both team's centers were efficient. Indiana's combination of Roy Hibbert and Mahinmi combined for 24 points and 10 of 12 shooting, while Atlanta's duo of Al Horford and Johan Petro produced 25 points and 11 of 17 shooting. ... George hit five of nine from the 3-point line, but ...

NOT: ... George also hit just 3 of 10 inside the arc. Josh Smith shot 4 of 12 and Kyle Korver was 3 of 13, including 2 of 9 from the 3-point line, for Atlanta.

QUOTABLE III: "It felt like it was 2 hours long."
-- Atlanta's Kyle Korver on the third quarter.

NOTABLE: The game was marred by a delay of roughly 10 minutes while the officiating crew of Bill Kennedy, Josh Tiven and Scott Wall sorted out a replay review on a collision between a driving Augustin and Horford. After much discussion and review of video, the Indiana guard was given a technical foul for hitting Horford below the waist, while the Atlanta center a flagrant for a blow to the head. ... This is the longest home streak for the Pacers since a franchise-record 25-game run in 1999-00. ... Atlanta had won the previous three meetings. ... Indiana's 64 second-half points were their most in any half this season. ... David West tied his career high with five steals. ... Indiana had a season-high 28 assists, led by George Hill's eight. ... All five Indiana starters scored in double figures for the seventh time. ... Atlanta was shorthanded as Devin Harris (left foot) and Zaza Pachulia (right Achilles tendon) did not play. Pachulia missed his third game in a row, Harris his second. ... Petro returned after missing four games with a sore back.

UP NEXT: For the Pacers, Wednesday at Philadelphia, Friday vs. Toronto, Monday vs. Brooklyn. For the Hawks, Wednesday vs. Memphis, Friday vs. New Orleans, Monday at Dallas.

• Hawks: Pachulia, Williams
• Pacers: Granger, Plumlee

• Hawks: --
• Pacers: Augustin

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #58 Josh Tiven, #31 Scott Wall
• Attendance: 12578
• Duration: 2:33