Big lineup powers Pacers to win over Hawks

[January 29, 2016]  INDIANAPOLIS -- After losing eight of their previous 12 games, the Indiana Pacers were well aware that their offense was becoming one-dimensional -- all perimeter, very little interior.

Coach Frank Vogel decided Thursday night to give 6-foot-11 rookie Myles Turner his first career start, opening at power forward alongside 6-11 center Ian Mahinmi.

The strategy worked to perfection when Turner contributed 20 points and six rebounds in a 111-92 victory against the Atlanta Hawks in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

"That probably was the most nervous I have been all season," Turner said of his first NBA start. "My role is to bring energy, and that is what I did tonight. We were tired of losing. We needed a win tonight."

Guard Monta Ellis scored 25 points to lead Indiana, finishing 5-for-7 from 3-point range. The Pacers were 9-for-15 from beyond the arc and made 26 of 30 free throws (86.7 percent) while also outrebounding Atlanta 49-32. Forward Lavoy Allen led Indiana with 12 rebounds, tying his season high.

Indiana (24-22) finished the game on a 23-2 run during the final 5:32 after falling behind 90-88. The Pacers, who snapped a three-game losing streak, are 21-4 when leading after three quarters.

Guard George Hill added 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and forward Paul George had 11 for Indiana despite making only two of 11 field-goal attempts.

Guard Jeff Teague had 20 for Atlanta (27-21), and center Al Horford added 14. The Hawks shot only 39.8 percent (33-for-83), including only 7-for-28 from 3-point range. Indiana is 10-1 this season when the opponent shoots less than 40 percent.

Atlanta made only five of 16 fourth-quarter shots (31.3 percent).

"Myles did a lot of what I expected," Vogel said of Turner's first start. "He played a really good game and was just really solid. We all have to remember he is just 19 years old and has a lot to learn.

"But we have to have balance in scoring between the perimeter and the interior, and we saw more of that tonight. I also thought Monta was spectacular, and George Hill was really good."

Hawks forward Kent Bazemore's two free throws with 6:32 remaining tied it at 88, and Horford's dunk at the 5:52 mark gave Atlanta a 90-88 lead. Hill's 3-pointer with 5:32 to go put the Pacers back in front 91-90.

George made three free throws at the 5:04 mark, and Ellis sank two more with 4:46 remaining for a 96-90 Indiana lead. A dunk from Mahinmi at 4:27 to go gave the Pacers a 98-90 lead. Another Ellis layup made it 100-90.

"We were getting stops, and we were making shots at the other end," Ellis said of Indiana's game-closing run. "We really needed this win. For me, it was as simple as my shot was going in."

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said, "Obviously, we hit a wall at the four-minute mark. We were never able to regain our footing. I think we need to be smarter on both ends of the court. Ellis had a heck of a night for them, and George Hill is 3-of-4 from 3-point range. They made shots, and we just couldn't keep up down the stretch in the last four minutes."

Horford said Indiana's strong finish was all about getting stops.

"They really did a good job defensively and forced us into some turnovers," Horford said. "You have to give them credit, I think we ran out of gas. Our game Wednesday night (against the Los Angeles Clippers) was very competitive, and we lost it at the end. We knew the Pacers are a good team that had been going through a slump."

The Pacers used a 13-3 second-quarter run as the springboard to a 51-44 halftime lead, led by 10 points from Turner and eight each from Ellis, George Hill and Jordan Hill. Indiana limited Atlanta to 40 percent first-half field goal shooting.

Indiana also outrebounded the Hawks 24-19 during the first 24 minutes, led by nine from Allen. The Pacers had eight first-half turnovers, and George was held scoreless.

NOTES: Indiana again played without G Rodney Stuckey (right foot sprain, bone bruise). ... The game was a homecoming for Atlanta G Shelvin Mack, who played college basketball at Butler, located several miles north of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. He played two scoreless minutes Thursday. ... Indiana defeated Atlanta 93-87 on Dec. 28 in the first of four regular-season meetings between the teams.

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