LDN - Sports

Oladipo's deep 3-pointer lifts Pacers over Spurs

[October 30, 2017] INDIANAPOLIS -- After leading most of the game, the Indiana Pacers found themselves trailing the San Antonio Spurs by nine points in the fourth quarter Sunday.

"We just stayed poised," Pacers guard Victor Oladipo said. "It's a long game, there's a lot of ups and downs. It's a game of runs. You just got to lift each other up. We did a good job with that."

No one was more poised than Oladipo.

The Indiana University product scored 23 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer from 30 feet with 10.1 seconds to go, lifting the Pacers to a 97-94 victory over the Spurs on Sunday.

"It was a little deep, maybe too deep," said Oladipo, who has led the Pacers (3-3) in scoring all six games this season. "Honestly, I didn't really want to shoot it that far, but the move felt good and I just held my follow-through and it went in.

"I was always taught when you step back to shoot a little higher than normal. Praise the basketball gods for that."

Oladipo's 3-pointer gave Indiana a 95-94 advantage.

"We wanted to get Victor a pick-and-roll with their bigs, and they went with LaMarcus (Aldridge) on Thaddeus (Young)," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "We got the switch. Vic did a good job of getting space, taking time and attacking.

"It was good to see him shoot the ball with confidence. A 2 would have tied it, but I like (that) he felt comfortable enough to take the 3, and he nailed it."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said it was well-contested shot.

"He was deep and he was off-balance, but give him credit, he knocked it down," Popovich said.

Aldridge missed a jumper with 5.1 seconds to go. Indiana's Cory Joseph was fouled with 3.4 seconds left and hit both free throws to push the lead to 97-94.

San Antonio's Patty Mills missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Domantas Sabonis added a career-high 22 points and tied his career high with 12 rebounds for the Pacers.

Aldridge scored 26 points to lead the Spurs, who lost their second game in a row. Pau Gasol chipped in with a season-high 17 points for San Antonio (4-2).

Trailing 68-64 after three quarters, San Antonio scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to grab a 73-68 lead. The Spurs, who hadn't led since they were up by two in the first quarter, were on top for the next six-plus minutes.

Rudy Gay's two free throws gave the Spurs a 69-68 lead with 10:56 left in the fourth quarter.

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Spurs center Pau Gasol (16) is guarded by Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis (11) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Trailing 82-73, the Pacers turned in a 16-3 spurt to take an 89-85 lead.

With the score tied at 89, Oladipo converted a three-point play to put the Pacers up 92-89 with 1:53 to go. Danny Green's 3-pointer tied it with 1:23 left.

Green's reverse layup gave San Antonio a 94-92 lead with 1:02 to go, and that set the stage for the Pacers to score the last five points.

"We showed some toughness down the stretch of the fourth quarter being down nine after having control of the game for the most of the game," McMillan said. "We brought the starters back after giving them a break after playing much of the third quarter. They fought back after being down nine."

The Pacers, who led 53-48 at halftime, shot 46.8 percent from the field (36 of 77) overall. The Spurs shot 40 percent (36 of 90).

"Our (four) guards were 12 of 40 (from the field)," Popovich said. "That's going to make it tough. We've got to get guys making shots. And since we haven't been making shots the past couple of games, our defense has to be better."

NOTES: Pacers C Myles Turner missed his fifth consecutive game with a concussion. ... The Pacers honored George McGinnis at halftime. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September. McGinnis played for two ABA championship teams (1972, 1973) with Indiana. ... Spurs G/F Kyle Anderson, who finished with eight points, has scored in double figures in three of six games after scoring in double digits just four of 72 games he played last season. Anderson is starting in place of All-Star F Kawhi Leonard, who has been out with a right quadriceps injury. ... Spurs PG Tony Parker, sidelined after having left quadriceps tendon surgery, was assigned to the Austin Spurs of G League last week as he rehabs.

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