LDN - Sports

Balanced Pacers topple Clippers

[December 05, 2016] LOS ANGELES -- A second-half turnaround allowed the Indiana Pacers to bolt past the Los Angeles Clippers.

Thaddeus Young scored 17 points, and Paul George and Rodney Stuckey contributed 16 apiece, helping the Pacers earn a 111-102 victory over the Clippers on Sunday night at Staples Center.

George, who missed six of the previous seven games with an ankle injury, started slowly, but like his teammates, found a rhythm in the second half. Indiana also shut down Los Angeles late in the contest.

"I thought we slowed the game down for them, but we still made them make shots," said George, who also collected seven rebounds and five assists. "They couldn't come back and win it on free throws. That was the only way they were getting points."

George was expected to be have his minutes restricted, but he apparently convinced coach Nate McMillan otherwise.

"There was no sign of me favoring the ankle, so let me open it up," George said he told McMillan.

Jeff Teague added 15 points and Monta Ellis chipped in 14 for Indiana, which won for the third time in four games. The Pacers (10-10) bounced back after a 131-109 blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

All five Pacers starters and two reserves reached double figures.

Blake Griffin scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Clippers, who fell for the fourth time in six games. Chris Paul had 18 points and 11 assists for Los Angeles (16-6), while J.J. Redick scored 15 points on five first-half 3-pointers. Jamal Crawford added 14 points, while DeAndre Jordan compiled nine points and 15 rebounds.

"Indiana just got us," said Paul, who committed five of the Clippers' 20 turnovers (leading to 18 points). The Pacers' 11 giveaways led to 20 points. "We started off the game well, but we just didn't have it in the third quarter. They came out and were aggressive and caught us off guard."

The Pacers led 91-71 after a 3-pointer by C.J. Miles with 9:51 remaining. However, the Clippers answered with a 25-11 surge capped by Paul's trey with 2:24 left to cut the gap to 102-96. Two foul shots by Paul, who had 14 points in the final period, and a dunk by Jordan with 1:26 left pulled Los Angeles within 104-100.

However, George's 3-pointer with a minute remaining put the Pacers up by seven.

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"Our guys did a nice job of getting stops," McMillan said. "We knew they would come out aggressive. They jumped on us, but we stayed in there and continued to work together and were able to get back in the game."

An 11-0 run to open the third quarter sparked a second-half surge by Indiana. Young delivered eight points in the quarter as eight different Pacers scored. The visitors outscored Los Angeles 35-17 in the third for an 83-69 lead heading into the fourth.

The Pacers outshot the Clippers 61.9 percent to 26.3 percent in the third. Overall, Indiana made 49.4 percent to 44.4 percent for Los Angeles.

"I thought that six-minute stretch to begin the second quarter hurt us, and then I thought the first six minutes of the third quarter destroyed us," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.

The Clippers held a 52-48 edge at the break. They led by as much as 15 before the Pacers launched a rally in the second quarter. Indiana outscored Los Angeles 31-24 in the period.

Indiana enjoyed a huge advantage in points in the paint at 58-36.

The Pacers swept the season series. They earned a 91-70 win over the Clippers at Indiana on Nov. 27.

NOTES: Both Clippers coach Doc Rivers and Pacers coach Nate McMillan discussed their appreciation for biometrics, which analyzes players' performances and their physical characteristics and behavior throughout the season. Rivers said the Clippers added a staff of biometric experts before the season. "From a coaching point, you have to trust them. They clearly know more than me," said Rivers, adding that he believes the evaluations benefit the players. McMillan concurred. "It's something that we've talked about in the beginning of training camp, all the things that we want to provide our players to help them perform at their best," he said. ... The Pacers visit the Golden State Warriors on Monday. The Clippers have a showdown with the Warriors on Wednesday at Staples Center in a clash of two of the best teams in the Western Conference.

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