NBA: Durant, Irving lead Nets over Pacers, Celtics take second seed

NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combined for 55 points as the Brooklyn Nets held off a rally from the Indiana Pacers on Sunday to seal seventh place in the Eastern Conference and clinch home advantage for next week's play-in.

The Nets' final regular season game looked set to be a blowout for long periods as Brooklyn jumped out to an 18-point lead in the first half.

But a dogged Pacers unit drew level at 89-89 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter before Brooklyn regrouped to pull clear and run out 134-126 winners.

The win means Brooklyn will face a home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday where a victory will see them enter directly into the playoffs as seventh seeds.

The Nets will head into that showdown buoyed by the recent form of Irving and Durant.

Irving finished with 35 points, seven rebounds and five assists on Sunday, going 15-of-20 from the field.

Durant, meanwhile, completed a triple double of 20 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 16 assists while Brooklyn had six players finish in double figures.

"It's been an up and down last few weeks for us -- winning some games, losing some games," Durant said afterwards. 

"I think we're finding out who we are as a group and that's always a good thing." 

Durant is now looking forward eagerly to the business end of the season, starting with Tuesday's assignment against Cleveland. 

"It's been a long year and this is the perfect time of the year to play our best basketball," Durant said.

A Brooklyn victory over Cleveland on Tuesday would see the Nets face the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Tatum 'proud' of Celtics

That crunch showdown -- which would pit Irving against his former club -- was made possible after the Celtics vaulted over the Milwaukee Bucks into second place in the standings.

The Celtics clinched the second seed after a 139-110 blowout of the Memphis Grizzlies in their final game on Sunday.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum led the rout with 31 points -- making 11-of-14 from the field -- in just 26 minutes on court. Jaylen Brown added 18 points with Al Al Horford scoring 13.

The Grizzlies, who had already clinched second place in the Western Conference, rested several of their first choice starting line-up.

The Celtics rise to the second seeding is all the more remarkable given their indifferent early season form. 

As recently as February, Boston were languishing in ninth place in the East, well outside the automatic playoff places.

"It was a tough one, I'm proud of my group and proud of how we responded throughout the season," Tatum said afterwards. 

"It didn't start off well but we managed to figure it out and we've been on a roll and hopefully we'll keep it going through the playoffs."

Milwaukee meanwhile dropped to third in the Eastern Conference standings after their under-strength lineup was thumped 133-115 by the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Sunday.

The Bucks were without key players Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis for the game which was notable for a bizarre fleeting cameo by another mainstay Jrue Holiday.

Holiday came onto the court for the tipoff and promptly committed a foul after eight seconds before leaving the court without returning. 

Reports said the brief appearance allowed him to collect a $255,000 bonus included in his contract for featuring in 67 games this season.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Pacers halt 7-game skid with victory over Wizards

Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 14 assists to lead a balanced attack as the Indiana Pacers snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 113-108 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Terry Taylor scored all of his 18 points in the second half for Indiana, which won for the first time since Jan. 31. Tristan Thompson and Oshae Brissett scored 17 points apiece, Buddy Hield added 15, and Lance Stephenson had 11.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led Washington with 27 points. Kyle Kuzma contributed 26 points and 15 rebounds, Deni Avdija had 14 points, and Raul Neto and Ish Smith had 10 apiece.

The Wizards trailed 105-103 after Caldwell-Pope scored with 42.9 seconds left before Brissett dunked with 21.3 seconds remaining.

After Kuzma missed a layup with 17.7 seconds left, Indiana made four straight foul shots to seal its first win over an Eastern Conference opponent since Dec. 16.

Indiana, which had just nine players available due to injuries, shot 54.2 percent from the field but 4 of 20 (20 percent) from 3-point range.

The teams were deadlocked at 25 before Indiana opened the second quarter on an 18-7 run and led by 13 with 3:09 left in the half.

Thompson scored 12 points in the first half for the Pacers, who held a 56-51 advantage at the break despite shooting 2 of 13 (15.4 percent) from 3-point range.

Indiana extended its lead to 13 with 1:34 left in the third quarter, but Washington closed with five straight points to cut the deficit to 84-76.

Kuzma scored 13 points in the third quarter for the Wizards, who made 17 3-pointers for the game but were outscored 74-36 in the paint.

Washington trailed 84-76 heading into the fourth quarter before trimming the gap to 95-94 on Caldwell-Pope's trey with 5:18 remaining.

Indiana played without Goga Bitadze (right foot), Chris Duarte (sore left big toe), Isaiah Jackson (right ankle sprain), Malcolm Brogdon (sore right Achilles) and Myles Turner (left foot issue).

Washington center Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired at last week's trade deadline, is dealing with a bone bruise in his right knee and will not make his Wizards debut until after the All-Star break.

-reuters

NBA: Darius Garland's 41 points lead Cavs past Pacers

All-Star guard Darius Garland scored a career-high 41 points and dished out 13 assists to propel the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers to a hard-fought 127-124 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

His two free throws with 14 seconds remaining handed the Cavs a 126-124 lead they never relinquished. He scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. Cleveland got a key block by Lamar Stevens and a steal by Dean Wade down the stretch.

Rookie Evan Mobley, making the start at center with Jarrett Allen sidelined with a fractured finger, added 22 points, 12 rebounds and five steals.

Forward Lauri Markkanen tallied 21 points for the Cavs, who have won two in a row and completed a four-game season sweep of the Pacers.

Guard Tyrese Haliburton fired in 25 points and had nine assists for the Pacers, who have lost 12 of their last 15 games. Indiana had eight players in double figures. Goga Bitadze added 15 points and nine rebounds, and Jalen Smith and Duane Washington Jr. also scored 15 points each.

Mobley's tip-in with 33 seconds left tied the score at 124.

Indiana closed the third quarter on a 14-6 run to grab a 98-90 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Haliburton had 23 points through three quarters. Garland had 20 points and 12 assists after the third quarter.

Cleveland authored an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter to claw back in the game and assume a 99-98 lead after Garland's two free throws with 10:08 remaining.

Guard Duane Washington Jr. erupted for 14 of his game-high 15 points in the second quarter for Indiana, which outscored Cleveland, 39-31, in the period.

Haliburton's driving layup with 22.8 seconds remaining in the second quarter knotted the score at 63, which is the way the first half ended.

Seven-footers Mobley and Markkanen each had 14 points for the Cavs.

Love's layup with about 3 minutes left in the first quarter expanded the Cavs' lead to 24-12. That sparked a 10-2 run by the Pacers, capped by Bitadze's 3-pointer, to pull to within 26-22.

Cleveland recovered, though, and used Markkanen's 10 points for a 32-24 advantage after one quarter. Guard Chris Duarte had six points for the Pacers.

The Cavs were playing without Allen, who fractured his left middle finger and will be sidelined indefinitely. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he's not sure Allen will return by the end of the season.

The Cavs welcomed back veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who had missed five games with a sprained big toe. He tallied four assists and two rebounds in 11 minutes.

-reuters

NBA: Gilgeous-Alexander powers Thunder to OT win vs Pacers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted 36 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 129-125 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday in Indianapolis.

The Thunder won for just the 2nd time in 9 games while the Pacers have dropped 8 of their last 9.

After Indiana shot 53.9 percent in regulation, it cooled off in overtime, making just 1 of 11 from the floor as the Thunder pulled off the split in the season series.

Both games between the teams went to overtime.

Tre Mann added 22 points for the Thunder, while Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon scored 14 each, with Bazley adding 10 rebounds.

In the final minute of regulation, Gilgeous-Alexander missed a pair of free throws to keep Indiana alive.

After Mann's free throws put the Thunder up three with 8.9 seconds left, the Pacers had a chance to tie it. Buddy Hield's 3-pointer clanged off the front of the rim, setting off a scramble for the ball. Oshae Brissett, falling to the floor, pushed the ball out to Lance Stephenson in the corner, where he buried the 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to tie it.

Hield led the Pacers with 29 points, hitting five 3-pointers.

Isaiah Jackson added 17 points with 5 blocked shots and Jalen Smith 16 off the bench as 7 Pacers scored in double figures.

In Malcolm Brogdon's first appearance since Jan. 19, the Pacers' offense hummed along from the start. Brogdon, who missed the last 15 games with a sore right Achilles, returned to a remade lineup. It was the first game for Brogdon to play alongside Hield and Tyrese Haliburton, who were both acquired in a trade deadline deal with Sacramento.

The Pacers scored the game's first 10 points before the Thunder settled in.

By the final minute of the first half, Oklahoma City led by 10 points thanks to a 16-6 run and took an eight-point lead into the break.

Indiana led by eight with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

Mann's nine points the rest of the way in the fourth helped put the Thunder in position to win before Stephenson's 3-pointer.

Josh Giddey missed the game for Oklahoma City with right hip soreness.

-reuters

NBA: Domantas Sabonis scores career-high 42 as Pacers nip Jazz

Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 42 points on 18-of-22 shooting and Lance Stephenson contributed 16 points and 14 assists off the bench to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 125-113 win over the Utah Jazz in Indianapolis on Saturday night.

Sabonis scored 18 points in the first quarter as the Pacers established an early lead en route to snapping a six-game losing streak.

Stephenson went 7 for 12 and pulled in six rebounds, and Indiana shot 55 percent overall. Duane Washington Jr. added 16 points and Justin Holiday had 15.

Utah lost for the second straight night, although this game had more of a sense of normalcy than its setback in Toronto on Friday, when eight regular players missed the game due to injuries and COVID-19.

Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz in this one with 36 points on 13-for-27 shooting and chipped in nine assists after missing Friday's game with a back injury. Bojan Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson, both of whom sat out Friday, finished with 21 and 18, respectively.

The Jazz were without Rudy Gobert and Joe Ingles, both of whom are in the NBA's health and safety protocol.

The Pacers closed out the first quarter on an 18-7 run for a 33-27 lead. Sabonis established himself early by hitting all seven attempts in that period.

Indiana built its lead to 14 before the Jazz responded with a 9-0 run. Bolstered by 56.1 percent shooting, including 52.9 percent from 3-point range, the Pacers took a 61-52 lead into halftime.

Indiana held a 70-57 lead when Mike Conley hit a pull-up jumper to ignite the Jazz. Utah fired off 12 straight points, including 3-pointers by Mitchell and Bogdanovic.

Stephenson, playing for the second time in Indiana after signing a 10-day contract, made a couple of buckets to end Utah's surge. He received a loud ovation from the home crowd after scoring 30 points on Wednesday.

The Jazz pulled within one point of the Pacers on seven different occasions in the latter part of the third quarter, but Indiana never relinquished the lead.

Utah called a timeout after Sabonis dunked for a 101-95 lead with 6:50 remaining. Mitchell then cut the lead to four, but Holiday fueled an 8-0 Pacers run for a 109-97 advantage.

Utah never got closer than six the rest of the way.

-reuters

NBA: LeBron James fined for 'obscene gesture,' warned for swearing

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was slapped with a $15,000 fine for an "obscene gesture" and was warned for swearing during a news conference by the NBA's disciplinary officials on Friday.

"LeBron James has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture on the playing court and warned for using profane language during media availability," said league spokesman Byron Spruell in a news release.

This is the second time this week that league has disciplined James for an on-court incident. 

James was hit with a one-game suspension for a bloody altercation with Detroit Pistons' Isaiah Stewart in a game last Sunday. It was the first suspension of James' career.

The ban meant James missed the Lakers 106-100 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

He returned Wednesday to face the Indiana Pacers and scored 39 points in a 124-116 overtime win. Late in the fourth quarter James drew the ire of league officials for making an obscene gesture after sinking a three-point basket that extended the Lakers lead to six points. 

James slammed the one-game suspension after the Pacers game, describing the punishment to reporters as "some bull----".

The NBA on Friday also issued a warning to James against "using profane language during media availability."

In nine games this season, James is averaging 24.6 points, five rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Huge first half leads Pacers to rout of Spurs

Domantas Sabonis finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds and the Indiana Pacers rolled to a 22-point halftime lead while cruising to a 131-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday in Indianapolis.

After losing by seven and three points to the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors, respectively, in their past two games, the Pacers took any suspense out of Monday's game early on while snapping a four-game losing streak.

Indiana built a 25-point advantage midway through the third quarter and waltzed to the finish line, routing a San Antonio team that had allowed just 93 points to the defending league champ Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.

Myles Turner added 19 points for Indiana. Justin Holiday scored 17, Chris Duarte racked up 18, Caris LeVert tallied 16 and T.J. McConnell contributed 10 points and 10 assists. The Pacers sank a season-high 18 3-pointers in the win.

Dejounte Murray led the Spurs with 16 points. Devin Vassell added 15, Derrick White hit for 13, Jakob Poeltl scored 11 points, and Bryn Forbes, Jock Landale, Lonnie Walker IV and Keita Bates-Diop added 10 points each for San Antonio, which has lost five of its past six games.

In the first quarter, Indiana shot 68 percent from the floor and canned 8 of 10 3-point attempts and building a 43-33 lead. Murray kept the Spurs close, scoring 14 in the quarter, but San Antonio committed five turnovers in the period, leading to 11 points.

The Pacers kept rolling in the second quarter, ending up at 63.8 percent shooting and with 12 threes on the way to a 78-56 lead at halftime.

Indiana already had five players in double-figure scoring by halftime, led by Turner's 14 points (12 of which came in the first quarter) and 12 each from LeVert, Sabonis and Holiday.

Murray paced all scorers at the half with 16 points, but didn't score after the break while playing just 10 more minutes.

-reuters

NBA: Domantas Sabonis' triple-double guides Pacers to OT win over Wolves

Domantas Sabonis recorded 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Indiana Pacers rallied for a 134-128 overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

Malcolm Brogdon added 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Pacers, who won for the third time in four games.

After giving up 40 second-quarter points, Indiana trailed for most of the second half.

Malik Beasley came off Minnesota's bench to score a team-high 31 points. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds while Ricky Rubio added 20 points and 13 assists, but the Timberwolves still lost for the sixth time in seven games.

A 10-4 Minnesota run spanning 1:23 gave the Timberwolves a 121-116 lead with 58.9 seconds left after Towns put in a 3-pointer and a basket in the paint, both off Rubio assists. 

However, a Jeremy Lamb 3-pointer, a Sabonis rebound and then a pair of Sabonis free throws forced overtime.

Minnesota rookie Anthony Edwards had a look at the would-be game-winner but missed his 3-point attempt at the buzzer. Edwards finished with eight points on 3-of-15 shooting.

Brogdon and Sabonis scored the first five points of the extra frame, then Brogdon made the last of his six 3-pointers with 9.8 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Brogdon went 6-of-7 from beyond the arc to lead Indiana on a 13-of-26 night from long range. Lamb scored 18 points off the Pacers' bench, and reserve Aaron Holiday added 15 points.

Indiana's Justin Holiday contributed 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Timberwolves got 18 points from Naz Reid and 11 points from Jaden McDaniels.

The Pacers shot 50.5 percent from the floor while the Timberwolves hit just 42.1 percent of their field-goal attempts, and Indiana had a 51-44 edge in rebounding. Minnesota made just 15 of 40 attempts from 3-point range.

-reuters

Curry sizzles as Warriors rout Pacers

LOS ANGELES – Golden State star Stephen Curry scored 26 points on another milestone night on Monday (Tuesday Manila time), leading the defending champion Warriors in a 132-100 rout of the Indiana Pacers.

The Warriors stretched the longest winning streak in the league this season to 11 as they wrapped up a five-game road trip in style in Indianapolis.

Curry connected on 10 of 13 shots from the field, including six three-pointers and became the first player in NBA history to make 200 three-pointers in seven successive seasons.


He did most of the damage in the first half, when his 23 points included eight straight to break a 16-16 tie midway through the first quarter — a burst that put the Warriors on their way.

"Just a really good way to finish it," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of the convincing end to the road trip. "I was a little worried about this game. Everybody's anxious to get home, but we've finished off the trip the right way.


"We're in a groove, we're in a good place. We've just got to keep going."

DeMarcus Cousins added 22 points for the Warriors, shaking off a scary fall in the first quarter.

Cousins, playing just his fifth game for the Warriors after missing almost an entire year after a torn Achilles tendon, went down hard after Indiana's Myles Turner fouled him in transition in the first quarter.

"I wasn't actually hurt, I was more spooked from the fall," said Cousins, who was slow to rise but stayed in the game.

Kevin Durant added 16 points for the Warriors, who let "banged up" Draymond Green sit out for a bit of rest.

Turner scored led the Pacers with 16 points, but Indiana dropped their second straight since losing guard Victor Oladipo to a season-ending knee injury.

In Boston, the absence of Kyrie Irving was no problem for the Celtics as Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart scored 21 points apiece to lead the Celtics to a 112-104 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Aron Baynes added 16 points, Marcus Morris scored 15 and Al Horford and Terry Rozier chipped in 14 each for the Celtics, whose 16 blocked shots were a franchise record.

Irving sat out with a sore left hip — possibly the result of a fall in Saturday's loss to the Warriors.

"I don't think it'll be anything long-term," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said before the game. "We'll see after tonight how he feels tomorrow."

Stevens said it wasn't a tough decision to have Irving sit out a seventh game this season, even with a minor injury, as the team looks to preserve the long-term health of the All-Star point guard.

"Especially with a guy that we were going to sit him eight to 12 games anyway, so when he does have nicks and bruises, it makes sense to sit."

Nuggets rally

The Denver Nuggets, second in the Western Conference behind the Warriors, erased a 25-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Grizzlies in Memphis 95-92.

Nikola Jokic scored 24 points and drained a go-ahead hook shot with 28.9 seconds to play as the Nuggets became the first team in the league this season to win after trailing by 25 in the second half.

Down 17 heading into the final period, the Nuggets forced the Grizzlies into eight straight misses in the final 10 minutes.

Malik Beasley scored 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter.

"It's what we do," Beasley said. "We just stayed together, kept our heads up and kept playing hard. We're the best team in this league to me."

source: philstar.com

Pacers outduel Thunder, near top seed in Eastern Conference

INDIANAPOLIS – Lance Stephenson finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as Indiana beat Oklahoma City 102-97 to move a step closer to clinching home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Paul George hit the go-ahead three-pointer with just over two minutes left for the Pacers who climbed a half-game ahead of Miami, which was idle Sunday, for the top seed in the East.

“We’ve been steadily improving,” Indiana’s David West said. “We have to keep our focus and start the playoffs strong.”

The Pacers, who lost at Miami on Friday, finished with the NBA’s best home mark at 35-6 and will complete the regular season Wednesday at Orlando.

The Heat play in Washington on Monday and host Philadelphia on Wednesday, but it’s Indiana who own the tiebreaker and control their own destiny.

Stephenson posted his NBA-leading fifth triple-double of the year. George tallied 20 points and 12 rebounds, while West scored 21 as the Pacers won for just the third time in nine games.

Kevin Durant scored 38 while Russell Westbrook added 21 points, nine boards and seven assists for Oklahoma City, which had a three-game winning streak halted. Durant was just two-of-11 from three-point range.

“We gave up too many points,” Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said.

The Thunder will play at New Orleans Monday and host Detroit Wednesday to cap the regular season.

Oklahoma City is two games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the number two seed.

The Pacers led by as many as eight in the second and held a 47-45 edge at halftime.

George scored 10 in the third to help Indiana to a 74-66 lead heading into the fourth. The Pacers were up as many as 11 early in the fourth quarter.

source: interaksyon.com

Paul George, Roy Hibbert lead Pacers to rout of Celtics

INDIANAPOLIS – Paul George scored 24 points and Roy Hibbert added 15 points and 12 rebounds Sunday to power the Indiana Pacers to a 106-79 NBA rout of the Boston Celtics.

Indiana’s Lance Stephenson achieved his third triple double of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

No other NBA player has more than one game with double digits in three statistical categories this season.

The Pacers, with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 22-5, also has 12 points off the bench from Danny Granger, who made his season debut Friday against Houston due to patellar tendinosis that limited him to only five games last season.

The Celtics, who fell to 12-17, lost their third game in a row despite 13 points from Avery Bradley and 11 each from Jeff Green and Courtney Lee.

The Pacers broke open a deadlocked game with a 19-3 run midway into the second quarter for a 42-26 edge. Granger hit two 3-pointers in the spurt and the Celtics never came so close again.

source: interaksyon.com

Pacers still unbeaten after shutting down Grizzlies

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers say their unbeaten record doesn’t mean as much as how they’ve earned it.

The Pacers used the same formula that has worked so far to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night — a dominant defensive effort anchored by 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert, timely shooting from forward Paul George, improved play from guard Lance Stephenson and steady production from the bench. George scored 23 points and Stephenson had a triple-double as the Pacers beat the Grizzlies 95-79.

“I think the most important thing is the way we’re playing and the level of confidence we’re playing with,” Pacers reserve forward Luis Scola said. “We’re playing like we belong to be the No. 1 seed in the East, at least for these eight games. We know we’re going to lose games too, but we’re playing the right way, we’re playing with the right attitudes, right approach for the game.”

Stephenson’s triple-double was the first of his career. The guard had 13 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. The assist total was a career high, and the rebounding total matched his regular-season career high.

The Pacers knew Stephenson was getting close to the triple-double. He got it on an assist to George for a free-throw-line jumper with 10:56 remaining that gave Indiana a 78-55 lead.

“We were talking a little bit before he got his 10th assist, and we both celebrated on it,” George said.

Stephenson tried to downplay the significance of the accomplishment because he feels he has more great moments ahead.

“I’m just being aggressive, playing like I normally play,” he said. “We played good as a team and made smart plays and got the ‘W.’ We locked in together, everybody on the same page.”

Stephenson came to the Pacers with some baggage, but he has begun to mature under coach Frank Vogel.

“He’s come a long way,” Vogel said. “He had a lot to learn about professionalism and how to work. He’s playing within himself and playing with efficiency. Winning basketball games is about confidence, and he gives us an edge, a swagger.”

George had just four points at halftime, but the forward scored 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting in the second half.

Point guard George Hill scored 13 points and Scola added 12 for Indiana. The Pacers (8-0) improved on their franchise-best start and dominated a team that played in the Western Conference finals last season.

Center Marc Gasol scored 15 points and forward Zach Randolph added 12 points, and each grabbed six rebounds for the Grizzlies (3-4). Point guard Mike Conley, who entered the game averaging 20.2 points, was held to 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting. Memphis shot just 41 percent from the field and posted its lowest point total of the young season.

“They came out aggressive and outrebounded us and made shots from the start,” Memphis guard Tony Allen said. “They played harder than we did and were the aggressors. And when a team does that, they usually win. They imposed their will on us and hit us in the mouth from the start.”

The Pacers held the Grizzlies to 34 percent shooting in the first half to lead 46-39 at the break. Stephenson had eight points, nine rebounds and eight assists before the break. George, who entered the game as the league’s No. 3 scorer, made only two of eight shots in the opening two quarters.

The Pacers, as they often have, fixed their problems at halftime.

“We have open discussion at half,” Pacers forward David West said. “We watch video, we watch film of the mistakes we made in the first half and we demand that everybody comes out of this locker room with the intent to change, correct the mistakes we made in the first half.”

Two quick buckets by George gave the Pacers a 53-41 lead and caused the Grizzlies to call timeout three minutes into the second half.

The Pacers came up with the ball in a scramble, and West found Stephenson under the basket for a layup that pushed Indiana’s lead to 61-46 and led to another Grizzlies timeout.

Allen was called for a flagrant foul with 1:19 left in the third quarter. George made the first of two free throws, then made a tough up-and-under basket on the extra possession to put the Pacers up 70-52. Indiana led 72-55 at the end of the period.

George scored 13 points in the third quarter on 5-for-6 shooting from the field.

“Paul George is playing at an all-world level,” Memphis coach David Joerger said. “They’re an elite team, there’s no question.”

Stephenson left the game to a standing ovation with 4:11 remaining.

“He’s growing,” West said. “We still have to reel him in. He still has a ways to go in terms of his maturity, but everything he’s doing, he’s helping, contributing to this group.”

NOTES: Pacers coach Frank Vogel said F Danny Granger could return to practice this week. Granger has not played this season because of a strained left calf. Vogel did not say when he expected Granger to return to game action. … Pacers F Paul George was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday. … Grizzlies G Mike Conley and F Zach Randolph both played high school ball in Indiana. … Indiana entered the game leading the NBA in scoring defense (85.3 points per game), point differential (9.6 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (.389). … Pacers C Roy Hibbert, the league’s leading shot blocker, swatted four in the first quarter and finished with five on the night.

source: interaksyon.com

Pacers remain undefeated with win over Raptors

INDIANAPOLIS — Once Paul George stopped trying so hard, points came in bunches.

The Indiana Pacers forward, who has emerged as one of the league’s top scorers, scored just five points in the first half against the Toronto Raptors.

Then he found his rhythm. He scored 17 of his 23 points in the third quarter and the Pacers defeated the Raptors 91-84 on Friday night to remain the NBA’s only unbeaten team.

George made just 2 of 10 shots from the field in the first half but 5 of 9 in the third quarter.

“I think I was just pressing,” he said of his shaky first half. “I’ve just got to continue to let the game come to me and let the game flow. I feel like a lot of times I’m pressing, and that’s taking me out of my comfort zone.”

Once he found that zone, Indiana took control. The Pacers (6-0) matched their best start in franchise history. Every other team in the Eastern Conference has at least two losses.

“It feels good,” George said. “We’re just taking one game at a time. That’s the best thing we can do. It’s teamwork — relying on one another, the chemistry we have. It’s our whole DNA and makeup, everybody from the coaching staff on down to every guy on the roster. We’re all on the same page and we have all bought into what we want to get accomplished.”

Pacers center Roy Hibbert had 20 points and seven rebounds and guard George Hill, who missed the previous three games with soreness in his left hip, started and finished with 14 points.

Forward Rudy Gay led the Raptors with 30 points. He scored 22 in the first half, mostly on difficult shots against George, one of the league’s top perimeter defenders.

“Thank God he just stopped making those contested shots,” George said. “It was frustrating because he was hitting some tough ones, but he’s a guy that shoots jump shots, and as I know in this league, jump shots don’t always last. So I was just trying to pressure up and contest all his shots.”

Hibbert, the league’s top shot blocker, got into the act offensively by making 9 of 14 shots from the field.

“It just came together tonight,” he said. “I don’t expect to have 20-point nights all the time. I just want to be solid on defense and give the team as much as I can on offense. I try to be the backbone of the defense, and luckily, some of my shots went in tonight.”

Forward Amir Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds and guard Kyle Lowry added 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Raptors (2-4), who lost their third straight. Toronto scored 32 points in the first quarter and 52 the rest of the game. The Raptors made just 19 of 58 shots from the field after the first quarter.

“We have to be able to put together a full game,” Gay said. “There are spurts where we play as good as any team in the league. But we let up just a little bit, and they were able to come right back and take advantage of that.”

Toronto’s largest lead was 12 points in the second quarter. The Pacers whittled away at their deficit, and Hibbert’s jumper from near the free-throw line trimmed the Raptors’ lead to 46-44 at halftime.

Indiana guard Lance Stephenson, who had been off to a strong start this season, left the game in the first half with a sore left knee but returned to start the second half.

Indiana opened the second half on a 10-0 run. A 3-pointer by George caused Toronto to call a timeout just three minutes into the third quarter with Indiana leading 54-46. Gay made two free throws with 8:43 left in the third quarter for Toronto’s first points.

George made a 3-pointer over forward Landry Fields as time expired in the third quarter to push Indiana’s lead to 72-59. He helped Indiana outscore the Raptors 28-13 in the quarter.

Gay, who was unstoppable in the first half, was held to two points on 0-for-4 shooting from the field in the third quarter. Toronto made just 5 of 18 in the quarter.

The Pacers extended their lead to 78-62 on a jumper by forward Luis Scola early in the fourth quarter, and they led by at least six points the rest of the way.

The Pacers say they won’t let up. They travel to Brooklyn on Saturday.

“We have a young team and everybody’s locked in,” Hibbert said. “We’re laser focused.”

NOTES: Raptors F Tyler Hansbrough and G D.J. Augustin played for the Pacers last season. Hansbrough was booed when he entered the game late in the first quarter. … George entered the game ranked fourth in the NBA at 25.8 points per game. … Hibbert blocked at least five shots in four of his first five games. … Indiana was leading the NBA in scoring defense (84.4) and second in point differential (11.0). … The Pacers and Raptors split their series 2-2 last season. … The Raptors led 32-22 at the end of the first quarter. The 32 points were the most the Pacers had surrendered in a quarter this season. … The Raptors shot 57 percent from the field in the first quarter and the Pacers shot 50 percent.

source: interaksyon.com

KC Concepcion watches Chandler Parsons as Rockets rout Pacers

After confirming on Thursday morning that she and Houston Rockets power forward Chandler Parsons had gone on a dinner date Tuesday night, KC Concepcion watched him play with his team against the Indiana Pacers in an NBA pre-season game at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City Thursday night.

The 28-year-old actress and a friend had courtside seats courtesy of tickets provided by the NBA heartthrob with whom she had forged a Twitter friendship earlier this year.

“Great seats to a great game + my 1ST live basketball game EVER. Salamat, @chandlerparsons :) GO #Rockets,” she said on Twitter and Instagram. Her Instagram post came with a photo of herself and her unidentified female companion standing courtside.

“@kcconcepcion, your [sic] welcome. hope you enjoyed!!” Parsons, 24, replied early Friday.

The Rockets won the game, the first ever NBA match played on Philippine soil, 116-96. Parsons played 29 minutes and scored 15 points.

On Thursday, Concepcion posted on Instagram photos of their date, their first personal encounter since their Twitter correspondence stirred up speculation of a brewing romance. It was a group date at a sports bar with a few friends and Concepcion’s half-sisters Garie and Cloie.

“We had a mutual friend who put us in contact, and hopefully we can do some work together in the future here. She’s a great girl, and I had a good time last night,” Parsons said when he told local media about the date on Wednesday.

However, the NBA star reportedly has a girlfriend named Robyn Crowley.

source: interaksyon.com