Rockets blow lead, fall hard at home to Pacers

[February 28, 2017]  HOUSTON -- When it became obvious that the Pacers held distinct advantages on the glass and in the paint, all that remained for Indiana was to exploit those edges with a measure of relentless repetition that would pave a winning path.

With Paul George saddled by foul woes, Jeff Teague helped fill that void while Rodney Stuckey paced a strong bench effort as the Pacers rallied for a 117-108 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night at Toyota Center.

George was limited to 15 points in 29 minutes, but Teague posted 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists to supplement the offense. Stuckey (17 points and six boards) was one of three reserves to score in double figures as the Pacers (31-29) totaled 48 bench points and avoided dropping to .500, a winning percentage they last owned on Jan. 23.

Indiana completed a 31-point turnaround by dominating the boards and the interior, outrebounding Houston 55-39 while producing 50 points in the paint.

"That's the thing you have to do," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "They're switching their guards on our bigs, and you've got to go where the advantage is. You have to be patient and slow down. I thought we rushed a couple of those passes early. We started to settle down and allow those bigs to get position. They took their time and were able to finish."

After making 20-plus 3-pointers in consecutive games, the Rockets (42-19) hit just 10 of 45 from behind the arc, their lowest total of 3-pointers in a game in which they attempted at least 40 treys. Houston shot a season-low 36.4 percent overall.

Lou Williams scored 28 points off the bench for Houston. James Harden added 25 points, seven rebounds and 12 assists for his 38th points-assists double-double.

The Rockets trailed 108-94 when Teague drilled a 3-pointer with 4:23 to play, but when Williams drained a trey through a foul, the deficit stood at 110-108 with 63 seconds left. Williams missed the ensuring free throw, and C.J. Miles nailed a corner 3-pointer off an inbounds play to stretch the Indiana lead back to five with 40.8 seconds left.

"We started the game off well," said Rockets forward Ryan Anderson, who scored nine of his 12 points in the opening period. "I don't know. Once they made a run, we couldn't really answer. This is just one of those tough losses."

The Rockets blitzed the Pacers at the start, dashing to an 18-2 lead by attacking the Indiana defense, scoring twice at the rim while also adding seven free throws.

The Pacers weathered that storm and another rough patch early in the second quarter when the Rockets followed a three-point play from Williams with three successive 3-pointers for a 43-26 lead with 9:13 left in the first half.

Rockets guard James Harden (13) shoots the ball during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Suddenly Indiana turned the tide with its rebounding and began pounding Houston in the paint. The Pacers outrebounded the Rockets 17-4 in the second quarter and had 20 points in the paint in the period. The bench sparked the comeback in the first quarter, and by the intermission, Indiana reserves had totaled 27 points.

"Our second unit has really carried us through a lot of portions of games," said George, who had seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. "In our past couple of games they've been excellent."

But it was two starters, Teague and Myles Turner, who carried Indiana to a 59-58 halftime lead, combining to score the Pacers' final 14 points of the half.

Once Houston lost its early rebounding edge, it never reclaimed control of the game.

"Again, we just got to -- we have to have a little bit more fight," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "There's just not enough fight out there. There's just not enough."

NOTES: Pacers C Al Jefferson missed his third consecutive game due to a dental issue. ... Rockets G Isaiah Taylor was signed from NBA D-league partner Rio Grande Valley. In 12 games (seven starts) with the Vipers, Taylor averaged 21.1 points and 6.1 assists while shooting 49.7 percent from the floor. He played for Houston during the preseason, but he didn't play Monday night. ... Indiana posted its first season sweep of the Rockets since the 2012-13 campaign. ... Houston reached 100 points for a 47th consecutive game, matching the franchise record set during the 1969-70 season.

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