After one half of play at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Pacers lead the Houston Rockets 57-43. The Rockets had taken Indiana's 18-point lead and winnowed it to just six points with under two minutes in the half, but the Pacers finished with strength, embarking on an 8-0 run to close the quarter and take a 14-point lead into the locker room.
At the start of the game, Myles Turner tied the game at seven apiece on an and-1 against his defender, Trevor Ariza. Following that bucket, Indiana went on an 8-2 run, getting a 3-pointer from Paul George and a stepback jumper from Thaddeus Young to force Houston to burn its first timeout with 5:34 left in the first quarter.
Out of the timeout, the Pacers offense refused to relent, using a series of electrifying plays to push their advantage to double digits. With 2:00 remaining in the quarter, Jeff Teague connected with Glenn Robinson III on a skywalking alley-oop. Moments later, following a Rockets turnover, Teague skated past the defense before throwing a lob to George, who hammered it in as the home crowd erupted.
By the end of the first quarter, the Pacers led 33-20 behind a stellar defensive effort from the Blue & Gold. Indiana allowed the Rockets, owners of the NBA's second best offense, to make just 6-of-22 (27.3 percent) field goals. James Harden, who averages 29.1 points per game, was held to just three points in the first quarter as George handled the bulk of the defensive assignment.
To begin the second quarter, Indiana's bench unit packed a punch, using a 3-pointer from Glenn Robinson III and a series of crafty moves in the paint from Al Jefferson to build a game-high 18 point lead. From there, however, Houston's bench retaliated, scoring eight unanswered points causing Pacers head coach Nate McMillan to call a timeout.
With Harden back in the game, the Rockets offense started to click, scoring seven unanswered in the closing minutes of the half to bring the score to a 47-41 Pacers advantage.
But with the Pacers leading by six, Indiana executed an 8-0 run to give themselves a 14-point lead at the break.
George led the way for the Pacers offensively, scoring 16 points while grabbing six rebounds. For the Rockets, it was Ryan Anderson who did the scoring, piling up 10 points while connecting on both of his two 3-point attempts. Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host) Radio: 93.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host) Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070. Home Court Gift Shop Game Night Special
50th Season Long Sleeve Tee – $16. Game Night Specials can be purchased in the Home Court Gift Shop or any of our souvenir stands located on all levels of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The special is also available online at PacersGear.com until midnight.
