Miami's short bench comes up big in 114-106 win over Pacers

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Miami found out an eight-man rotation might be just as effective as a full bench.

Sometimes, it can even be better.

Goran Dragic scored 20 points and backup Wayne Ellington made the decisive 3-pointer with 25.5 seconds left Wednesday night to help the Heat fend off a late charge to hold on for a rare 114-106 victory at Indiana.

"None of these wins are going to come easy, but I think it just says a lot about how tough we are," Josh Richardson said after scoring 14 points and shooting 3 of 4 from 3-point range. "Every night, we have to scratch and claw for everything and it's paying off."

This game might have been their most impressive yet.

With four players sitting out because of injuries, Tyler Johnson not expected to dress and James Johnson suspended by the league for throwing punches in a victory over Toronto, the Heat showed up at Bankers Life Fieldhouse expecting only seven players to be available for their second road game in two nights.

Tyler Johnson, it turns out, managed to play through a sprained left shoulder giving coach Erik Spoelstra one more body to divvy up the minutes.

And he needed every one.

Ellington, Johnson and Bam Adebayo all played more than 30 minutes, all scored 15 points off the bench and all made key plays throughout the game as Miami won its sixth in a row and snapped a 10-game road losing streak against the Pacers.

Hassan Whiteside added 16 points and 15 rebounds.

"We knew it was going to be tough here. (Indiana) plays extremely well at home," Spoelstra said. "They're athletic. They have great team speed. It wasn't a perfect game by any means, but it was probably a little bit more to our pace and our liking."

It was good enough to fend off the hard-charging Pacers, who had won their previous two games.

Victor Oladipo had 26 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Lance Stephenson gave Indiana a late boost of energy that nearly led Indiana back from a 10-point deficit in the final 9:57. Stephenson wound up with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Miami showed no sign of fatigue early, shooting better than 60 percent for most of the first two quarters and took a 58-47 lead at halftime.

And when Indiana used a 14-2 run to get within 65-63, the Heat fought through the weariness again.

Indiana blew its first chance to tie the score, or take the lead, when Al Jefferson drew an offensive foul late in the third. The Heat then retook an 84-78 lead after three and extended the margin to 90-80 early in the fourth on a basket by Adebayo.

That's when the Pacers turned it on. They scored six straight to make it 92-89 and used another 6-0 spurt to finally tie it at 97 on Stephenson's 18-footer with 5:09 left.

But Miami broke the tie on Johnson's 3 and put it away when Ellington's shot dropped in for to make it 109-103.

"They hit some tough shots," Oladipo said. "They've been hitting tough shots every win, the last three or four wins, down to wire and they executed again. Credit them, they did a great job."

TIP-INS

Heat: Dragic also finished with nine assists. ... Miami has won 13 consecutive games in January including last season, the longest active streak in the league. ... The home team had won 18 of the previous 20 regular-season games in this series.

Pacers: Missed their first 10 3s and wound up 1 of 18 from beyond the arc. Indiana also went 19 of 29 from the free-throw line. ... Thaddeus Young had 12 points and nine rebounds. ... Domantas Sabonis had 18 points and seven rebounds after replacing Myles Turner in the starting lineup.

TURNER OUT

Turner injured his right elbow Monday night after making a dunk in the victory over Milwaukee.

The team announced he wouldn't play Wednesday morning and said he would miss at least one more game as he continues to be evaluated. He showed up in street clothes and wore a protective brace over his sport coat on the bench. Turner was averaging 2.24 blocks per game, second in the league.

"We'll get more information after Friday's game," coach Nate McMillan said.

UP NEXT

Heat: Return home to face Milwaukee on Sunday.

Pacers: Are seeking their third straight win against Cleveland this season when the Cavaliers come to town Friday.

Adams pushes Thunder past Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS -- On a night when Oklahoma City's big three of Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook all struggled from the field, the Thunder's Steven Adams was on target.

"He was great," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "He kept fighting for offensive rebounds and kept so many plays alive. He rim-protected and rolled to the basket. Those guys have confidence throwing the ball to him. Steven has gotten better finishing, but he's also gotten better at passing the ball out."

The 7-foot Adams scored 23 points on 11-of-16 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass, to lead the Thunder to a 100-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

"They were just falling my way," Adams said of his offensive rebounds.

Oklahoma City (13-14) registered its first two-game season sweep of Indiana since 2012-13 and snapped the Pacers' four-game winning streak.

In his return to Indiana, George was booed loudly when introduced and every time he touched the ball throughout the game.

George, a four-time All-Star, was traded to Oklahoma City in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis after he told the Pacers he didn't plan to re-sign with the team following the 2017-18 season. George was limited to 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting Wednesday.

"He had incredible poise," Donovan said. "He didn't shoot well, but I thought his defense was critical."

George knew the environment would be tough.

"I'm glad the circus is over with, now everybody can move on," George said. "I'm not sure what they (fans) wanted me to be, a circus act or some kind of show. I played my hardest. I played everything. I thought I took what the city is about and that's being blue collar."

Despite shooting 3 of 17 from the field, Thunder guard Russell Westbrook delivered his ninth triple-double of the season with 10 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists.

"Russell was terrific in the first half," Donovan said. "He only took five shots and had nine assists."

Anthony scored 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Thunder shot 36 of 88 from the floor, 40.9 percent.

Oladipo led the Pacers (16-12) with 19 points, but had a rough shooting night, 9 of 26 from the floor.

"I know he did a good job on me defensively," Oladipo said of matching up with George. "It was the first time I've had a defender like that guard me since I've been on this team. They were just trying to deny me."

Bojan Bogdanovic added 15 for the Pacers and Darren Collison 14. Thaddeus Young had 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals. The Pacers shot 40 of 89 on field-goal attempts, 44.9 percent.

Oladipo's driving layup sliced Indiana's deficit to 96-94 with 1:07 to go. Following a miss by Carmelo Anthony, Young was first ruled for an offensive foul but it was overturned. Young then hit the first for two throws to make it 96-95. A put-back by Alex Abrines gave the Thunder a 98-95 edge with 15.2 seconds remaining.

"I was just in the right place and the right time," said Abrines, who had 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

George came up with a steal and hit both free throws to make it 100-95 with 10.7 seconds left.

The Thunder held a 52-42 rebounding edge

"We've got to get stronger," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "We've got to get more physical. I thought they really got into us defensively."

McMillian said the Thunder did a much better job of drawing fouls as well. The Thunder were 15 of 24 from the foul line while the Pacers were 4 of 6.

The Thunder sank 12 of 23 shots in the second quarter to produce a 29-19 edge in the period en route to a 51-46 lead at halftime. The Pacers regained the lead at the start of the third quarter before ending up trailing 73-69 entering the fourth.

Lance Stephenson sank a jumper at the first quarter buzzer to give the Pacers a 27-22 lead.

NOTES: Pacers G Darren Collison returned to the starting lineup after missing the Sunday game with a sore left knee. ... Pacers F Thaddeus Young has scored in double figures in 23 games, including seven straight and 12 of 13. ... NBA commissioner Adam Silver attended the game. Silver announced earlier in the day that Indianapolis will host 2021 All-Star Game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ... Entering the game, Oklahoma City led the NBA in steals per game (10.0) and opponents' turnovers per game (18.0). The Thunder had 10 steals and the Pacers 13 turnovers on Wednesday night.

Pacers romp over Knicks

INDIANAPOLIS -- For Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, it didn't matter that the New York Knicks were without their two top scorers.

"At the end of the day, it didn't matter who was out there we had to come ready to play," Oladipo said. "No matter who is out there, they are a great team that plays hard and plays together. So we had to be ready to play."

The Pacers definitely were. Indiana shot a sizzling 63.4 percent in the first half to take a 26-point halftime lead en route to a 115-97 romp over the Knicks on Monday night

The Knicks (11-12) played without top scorers, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., for the second consecutive game, both losses.

Porzingis is out with sprained right ankle and an illness. Hardaway is sidelined with lower left leg injury. Michael Beasley started in Portzingis' spot, and Damyean Dotson replaced Hardaway in the starting lineup.

Thaddeus Young led the Pacers (13-11) with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting.

"I was just taking advantage of mismatches," Young said. "The team put me in good position to score and we found open guys."

Bojan Bogdanovic added 19 points, hitting 7 of 11 shots. Oladipo made 3 of 5 3-pointers, finishing with 16.

Seven players scored in double figures for Indiana. Domantas Sabonis contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Darren Collison had 10 points and 10 assists.

"When you are sharing the ball and moving the ball, everybody gets involved and that's very difficult to defend good ball movement like that," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said.

Willy Hernangomez led the Knicks with 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Beasley scored 13 points, all in the first half.

"I don't think we scored very well (Monday night), that's what really got us in the hole," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We weren't getting any threes, weren't getting any penetration to kick-outs. We scored a lot of points in the latter part of the game when it was over."

The Pacers, who made 11 of 26 3-pointers for 42.3 percent, are 11-1 when it shoots 40 percent or better from the 3-point line. Indiana had a season-high 31 fast-break points.

The contest was the opener of a six-game homestand for the Pacers, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Overall, Indiana shot 53.5 percent from the field. Indiana led 66-40 at the half and scored the first 12 points of the third quarter to push the margin to 78-40, its largest lead. The Pacers led 95-65 after three quarters.

"When you are missing two of your top scorers, you have to deal with defense and we can't afford to give up 64 percent in the first half."

The Knicks hit 42.9 percent (18 of 42) from the field in the opening half. For the game, the Knicks made 40 of 91 shots (44 percent).

The Knicks never led, but the game was tied three times early. After the score was 13-13, the Pacers went on an 18-6 run to take a 31-19 lead after one quarter.

"We just weren't in the right spots," Beasley said. "Our rotations were pretty bad. We have to do better spacing the floor, move the ball side to side, penetrate and kick. We couldn't get anything going on the defensive side and they really got anything they wanted.

NOTES: Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said G Tim Hardaway Jr. is still being evaluated and there is no update on his lower left leg injury. Hornacek said he hopes rest will help F Kristaps Porzingis be able to play soon. New York hosts Memphis on Wednesday night. ... New York F Courtney Lee was under the weather, according to Hornacek, but he still started and scored eight points. Lee played at Pike High School in Indianapolis. ... The Pacers lost to host New York 108-101 on Nov. 5. The teams meet for the final time this season at Indiana on Feb. 11. ... Pacers G Darren Collison has led the Pacers in assists 18 times this season. ... Knicks F Joakim Noah played in just his second game all season, finishing with three points and four rebounds. He missed the first 12 games, finishing a 20-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy.

Oladipo, Bogdanovic lead Pacers over Magic 105-97

By DICK SCANLON
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — It might have been Victor Oladipo’s best all-around game at the arena where he played his first three NBA seasons.

Oladipo had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven steals to lead the Indiana Pacers to their fourth straight win, 105-97 over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

The venue and the opponent had very little to do with it, according to the Pacers guard.

“Honestly, this year every night fuels me,” Oladipo said. “We’ve got to go out and compete in the NBA against the best of the best. That competitive juice, that competitive edge is already running through my veins.”

Oladipo and Bojan Bogdanovic combined for 40 points in the second half, 14 of them during a 16-3 third-quarter run that put the Pacers in command.

Oladipo’s seven steals were a season-high and he also had five assists.

“He’s taking that leader role,” teammate Lance Stephenson said. “He’s bringing it every night and being that guy that we need him to be.”

Bogdanovic scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half, making five of six 3-pointers.

“He was red-hot for us,” said coach Nate McMillan. “Part of the reason we’ve gone to an eight-man rotation is to try to get him minutes at the four position.”

Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic, who lost their fifth straight.

The Magic finished with 22 turnovers and shot 33 percent in the second half to fall below .500 for the first time this season.

After a dunk by Aaron Gordon late in the first quarter, the Magic were down 23-22 despite making nine of their first 12 shots, including four of five 3-pointers. They never regained their shooting touch.

“Somewhere in the third quarter we lost our rhythm, started over-dribbling, got stagnant,” Vucevic said. “I don’t know why because it was working so well for us (in the first half). Then we started forcing stuff.”

Two straight Orlando turnovers helped Indiana take a six-point lead before the Magic closed the first half with 11 straight points for a 55-50 advantage.

Oladipo and Bogdanovic scored 22 points in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by Bogdanovic gave Indiana its first double-digit lead with 4:11 left in the game.

A couple of 3-pointers by Evan Fournier and a 12-foot bank by Gordon pulled the Magic to within three in the final minute, but Oladipo set up Bogdanovic for a 3-pointer that put the Pacers up by six with 16.8 seconds left.

DOWNWARD TREND

The Magic’s five straight losses have been by an average of 16 points.

“We’re trying,” coach Frank Vogel said. “Nobody’s happy with how we’re playing, and we know we’ve got to dig ourselves a little bit out of a rut here.”

TIP-INS

Pacers: After making 11 of 23 attempts at Miami on Sunday, Indiana came into the game as the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team (.404). They made 8 of 20 Monday night.

Magic: Rookie forward Jonathan Isaac missed a fourth straight game with a sprained right ankle. ... The Magic outrebounded the Pacers 50-48 after coming into the game with the NBA’s worst rebounding percentage.

UP NEXT

Pacers: After a three-day break, the Pacers will play Toronto Friday night in the first of three straight home games.

Magic: Wednesday night’s game at Minnesota will open a four-game trip.

Oladipo’s late 3 gives Pacers rare 97-94 win over Spurs

By MICHAEL MAROT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Victor Oladipo took a big step toward stamping Indianapolis as his town Sunday.

All it took was one clutch shot.

The Pacers’ new starting guard knocked down a step-back 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to complete a late rally and give Indiana a rare 97-94 victory over San Antonio.

“It was a little deep, a little too deep,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t really want to shoot it that far but the move felt good and I just made my follow through. I like shooting at the end of the game. That’s stuff you dream about.”

In Indiana, game-winners have been hard to find lately.

Four-time All-Star Paul George had 15 go-ahead shots in the final 20 seconds of games during his career with the Pacers — and missed all 15.

Oladipo had no trouble making the first with his new team.

In fact, the two guys Indiana acquired from Oklahoma City in last summer’s widely-panned deal for George, became the catalysts in only the Pacers’ third win over the Spurs since 2007.

Oladipo finished with 23 points and five assists and led the Pacers in scoring for the sixth time in six games. Domantas Sabonis added 22 points and 12 rebounds, both career highs, while going 9 of 9 from the field.

It wasn’t by happenstance.

“We try to come in every night and prove that we’re not just those players who were in the Paul George trade and that we actually mean something,” Sabonis said after again replacing the injured Myles Turner in the starting lineup.

They helped offset LaMarcus Aldridge, who finished with 26 points and eight rebounds, and Pau Gasol, who had 17 points, seven rebounds, five blocks and five assists.

San Antonio’s second straight loss will force coach Gregg Popovich to wait at least one more day to tie Phil Jackson for No. 6 on the NBA’s career victory list, too.

But when the Spurs opened the fourth quarter on an 18-5 run to take an 82-73 lead with 6:44 left, it looked like the Spurs might run away.

Instead Sabonis and Oladipo spurred a 16-3 spurt that gave Indiana an 89-85 lead with 3:06 left and a couple of possessions later, Oladipo broke an 89-89 tie with a three-point play.

Danny Green answered with five straight to give the Spurs a 94-92 lead, but Oladipo hit the long jumper to put Indiana ahead for good.

“It was well-contested,” Popovich said. “He was deep and he was off balance. But give him credit, he knocked it down. It was well-contested and it doesn’t bother me at all.”

Aldridge’s 19-footer with 5 seconds left bounced off the rim, Cory Joseph grabbed the rebound and drew a foul and made two free throws.

Patty Mills’ 3 from the corner at the buzzer was way off the mark.

TIP-INS

Spurs: Shot 40 percent after making a season low 33.7 percent Friday at Orlando. ... Aldridge has led San Antonio in scoring in all six games this season. ... Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker continue to miss games with quad injuries. ... Manu Ginobili was 0 for 6 from the field and 0 for 2 on 3s and had three points.

Pacers: Turner missed his fifth consecutive game with a concussion. It’s not clear when he’ll return. ... Indiana and San Antonio each finished with 44 rebounds. ... Sabonis has had 11 or more rebounds in four straight games.

HALL OF FAME TRIBUTE

The Indiana Pacers honored their newest Hall of Fame member, George McGinnis, at halftime.

“To have three guys, three players from the same team and a coach in the Hall of Fame, I think that tells you how good our team was,” McGinnis said.

He was referring to former teammates Mel Daniels and Roger Brown, both of whom have died, and coach Bobby “Slick” Leonard, who is the team’s color analyst on radio broadcasts.

BACK HOME AGAIN

Popovich seems to enjoy reliving his past when he gets back to Indiana.

The longtime Spurs coach played high school basketball in Merrillville, Indiana, which is located in the northwest corner of the state. Before the game, Popovich was shown a photo from his prep days and was asked about his career.

“They should have made me a high school All-American,” he said with a laugh. “They screwed me. I was a 6-foot-2 center, come on.”

UP NEXT

Spurs: Visit the Celtics on Monday, looking for their 11th straight win in the series and seventh straight in Boston.

Pacers: Will seek a straight win in the Sacramento series Tuesday at home.

George held to 10 vs. former team; Thunder still beat Pacers

By CLIFF BRUNT
Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Paul George scored just 10 points against his former team, and it was the kind of game he had longed for.

Russell Westbrook’s triple-double picked up the slack and helped the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 114-96 on Wednesday night.

The Pacers traded George to Oklahoma City after it became public knowledge that he didn’t plan on staying with the team long-term. George, a four-time All-Star while he was with the Pacers, savored being able to have an off night while his team still won comfortably. Westbrook finished with 28 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds and Carmelo Anthony had 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder to take the pressure off George.

“That hasn’t happened often in my career,” George said. “Fortunate to have those guys carry me. They know how big this game was for me, and they went out and got it for me.”

George rarely fouls out, but he committed his sixth with 6:15 remaining after playing just 19 minutes.

“It’s a coincidence, right?” George said. “I don’t know what was the cause. It was an agenda tonight.”

Steven Adams added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who snapped a two-game skid.

Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, who were sent from Oklahoma City to Indiana as part of the George deal, both started against their former team. Oladipo scored 35 points on 11 for 18 shooting.

Oladipo downplayed facing the Thunder.

“Yeah, just another game, man,” Oladipo said. “We have to go out and try to win. Unfortunately we came up short.”

Oladipo increased his scoring average to 26 points per game. He has thrived in coach Nate McMillan’s up-tempo offense.

“Vic’s been playing really well for us,” said Pacers guard Darren Collison, who scored 18 points. “He has a good flow. It’s good to have a player like that, that can get it going the way he’s been getting it going. Hopefully we get some wins with that and make us productive.”

The Thunder led 54-48 at halftime behind 15 points from Anthony and 11 points and 10 assists from Westbrook. Oladipo scored 21 points before the break.

Oklahoma City got it going early in the second half. A 3-pointer by Josh Huestis put the Thunder ahead 70-57. A driving layup by Westbrook expanded the lead to 82-66 with about three minutes left in the period.

Westbrook had eight rebounds when he sat down to rest late in the third. He returned in the fourth period and grabbed his 10th rebound with just under five minutes remaining.

“He was great tonight,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “Overall, I felt like he surveyed and managed the game and the floor, moving guys around. He did an exceptional job.”

TIP-INS

Pacers: The Oklahoma City crowd greeted Oladipo and Sabonis warmly during pregame introductions. ... Sabonis got his fourth straight start at center in place of Myles Turner, who was out again with a concussion and a sore neck. Sabonis finished with four points. ... Indiana was coming off a 130-107 win at Minnesota on Tuesday night. ... McMillan was issued a technical foul early in the fourth period.

Thunder: Anthony made a layup at the buzzer to end the first period. ... Rookie G Terrance Ferguson played in the fourth period. He sat out Sunday’s game against Minnesota with a sprained left ankle.

QUOTABLE

Oladipo, when asked if he was comfortable at Chesapeake Energy Arena: “I’m comfortable on this team.”

STAT LINES

Adams has made 24 of 36 shots this season after having ranked among the league leaders in field goal percentage last season. He is averaging 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.

UP NEXT

Pacers: Indiana hosts the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

Thunder: Visits the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins banked in a buzzer beater from near half-court to beat the Thunder 115-113 last Sunday.

Pacers, Bogdanovich agree to two-year deal

The Indiana Pacers agreed to terms with swingman Bojan Bogdanovic on Friday, according to multiple reports.

ESPN reported Bogdanovic received a two-year, $21 million contract.

The agreement came shortly after the Washington Wizards renounced Bogdanovic's rights, making him an unrestricted free agent. Bogdanovic averaged a career-best 13.7 points last season while splitting time with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington.

Bogdanovic is averaging 11.3 points over three NBA seasons.

The Pacers also officially announced the signing of point guard Darren Collison. Published reports from earlier this week stated Collison received a two-year, $20 million deal.

Collison averaged 13.2 points and 4.6 assists for the Sacramento Kings last season. He previously played two seasons for the Pacers (2010-12) and averaged 11.9 points and 5.0 assists during that stint.

"Having had Darren here in the past, we obviously knew what we were getting, both on the floor and in the locker room," Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. "When you bring in a player like Darren, you know you're not only getting a point guard, you're adding a veteran presence to your team."

Indiana also released forward Rakeem Christmas on Friday. He averaged 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 30 games over two seasons with the Pacers.

Pacers reportedly talking with Lakers on George deal

The Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers have begun discussing the possibilities of a Paul George trade, according to multiple reports.

George recently relayed to the Pacers that he won't re-sign with the club after the 2017-18 season and added that he hopes to sign with the Lakers as a free agent.

With Thursday's NBA draft approaching, Indiana is investigating whether it can trade the four-time All-Star forward to the Lakers either before the draft or on draft night.

The Pacers are apparently asking for the No. 2 overall pick in the draft that belongs to the Lakers, as well as forward Brandon Ingram, who was the No. 2 overall pick in last season's draft.

The Lakers aren't interested in that scenario as they have the knowledge that George could be had on the free-agent market 13 months from now.

Indiana also has engaged in talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Other teams reported to have interest are the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards.

George, who averaged a career-best 23.7 points last season, has a major preference in joining the Lakers as he grew up in Southern California.

The 27-year-old George is from Palmdale, Calif., a desert town about 60 miles north of Los Angeles.

If George hits free agency, he will be eligible to sign a four-year, $130 million contract.

If George remained with the Pacers, he could receive a five-year, $177 million extension.

George has an 18.1 scoring average in parts of seven NBA seasons. He recovered from a serious compound fracture of his right leg in the summer of 2014 while playing for USA Basketball to regain his star status.

James helps Cavs hold off Pacers, earn sweep into 2nd round

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- LeBron James stuck to the old script Sunday.

Again, he bailed out the Cleveland Cavaliers. And again, he sent the Indiana Pacers home for vacation.

On yet another milestone day for basketball's king, James' crowning achievement was making the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:08 to play and helping the defending champions hold on for a series-clinching 106-102 victory at Indiana.

"You have to mentally challenge yourself every year and go out and try to do what's right - putting your body on the line, putting your team on the line and trying to be successful," James said. "It's very hard."

But the four-time MVP makes it look easy. He finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.

By winning his 21st consecutive first-round game, James broke a tie with Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson and James Worthy for the longest streak under the NBA's current playoff format. By sweeping a series for the 10th time, James broke a tie with Tim Duncan for the most in a career, according to Elias Sports Bureau. By going 13 of 25 from the field, he pulled into a tie with Kobe Bryant for the fourth highest postseason field goal total with 2,014.

And by holding on for the win, James improved to 52-0 in the playoffs when his team takes a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter.

James considered the milestones a footnote on a day the Cavs blew a 13-point lead and allowed the Pacers to come all the way back and take a 102-100 lead with 1:31 to go.

"They were giving it all they had," James said. "Obviously, a loss would have ended their season. We just had to weather the storm once again."

Of course that's when James took the cue and came to the rescue.

He made the long 3 to give Cleveland the lead, poked the ball away from Young on the next possession, grabbed the rebound when Paul George missed a 3 with 1.9 seconds to go that could have forced overtime and, of course, made 1 of 2 free throws to seal the win.

Now Cleveland takes a seven-game winning streak into the conference semifinals against either Milwaukee or Toronto.

For Indiana, it will go down as yet another tormenting chapter in their rivalry with James.

James' teams have eliminated the Pacers four times in six years and completed the first-four game sweep in Indiana's NBA history. Cleveland finished the season 7-1 against the Pacers, winning the last four with a defensive stand, a rare 25-point game from three players, the largest second-half comeback in playoff history and now James' knockout punch.

Lance Stephenson led the Pacers with 22 points. George had a series-low 15.

"It's real frustrating to continue on losing to the same team or same person," George said. "Ultimately, he (James) is who I'm always going to have to see and face."

The Pacers sure didn't make it easy, though.


They charged back from a 96-83 deficit with a 7-0 spurt early in the in the fourth quarter. Then they methodically continued chipping away until Young tied the score at 100 and then gave them the lead.

But James answered with the go-ahead 3.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Improved to 8-0 when taking a 3-0 series lead. ... Kyrie Irving added 28 points, Deron Williams added 14 and Kevin Love had 16 rebounds. ... Tristan Thompson grabbed 11 rebounds, giving at least 10 in all four games.

Pacers: Have lost five straight postseason games and six of their last eight. ... Indiana lost the four games by a total of 16 points, tying the smallest margin in a four-game sweep in league history. ... Teague scored 15 points and was the catalyst in the final spurt, including blocking one of James' shots. ...Myles Turner had 20 points and nine rebounds, while Young had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

UNCERTAIN FUTURE

Now the Pacers' attention turns to the future of George, the 26-year-old All-Star who can become a free agent in 2018. He didn't drop any hints about which way he's leaning after the game and there has been rampant speculation he could be traded this summer.

"I'm not at that point yet. Next question," George said.

GETTING PHYSICAL

Things got physical and painful Sunday.

James stayed down on one knee after taking a shot to the head in the first half. George was writing in pain after taking a knee to the groin. Teague also remained on the ground briefly when he got hit in the head, too.
All three finished the game.


UP NEXT

Cleveland gets some extra rest before finding out who it will play in the second round. Indiana embarks on a crucial offseason that could dictate the franchise's future.

---

More AP NBA: apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

James, Cavs come from 26 down, beat Pacers to take 3-0 lead

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) LeBron James celebrated another milestone with the greatest second-half comeback in playoff history.

Win one more at Indiana, the four-time MVP will be crowned king of the first round.

James scored 41 points while padding his postseason resume with yet another triple-double, leading defending champion Cleveland back from a 25-point halftime deficit to a 119-114 victory over the Pacers on Thursday night.

"We knew we had to take (some) punches, but it was a flurry, more than we expected," James said. "At halftime, I was just looking at the guys and telling them `Let's get a couple stops.'"

Officially, it will go down as the third-largest comeback in playoff history. But the largest halftime deficit overcome previously was 21 points, by Baltimore against Philadelphia in 1948.

As for James, he keeps moving up in the record books, too.

He scored 28 in the second half and finished with 13 rebounds and 12 assists, moving past Kobe Bryant and into third on the NBA's playoff scoring list. Bryant had 5,640 points; James now has 5,669.

James also won his 20th consecutive first-round game, matching a feat achieved by three other former Lakers - Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson and James Worthy. Win Sunday, and he'll have the longest first-round winning streak under the current playoff format, which began in 1984.

Cleveland has won 11 straight first-round games since James returned to his hometown team.

And this time, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irvin got a firsthand glimpse of James' mastery as they watched the entire fourth quarter from the bench.

Of course, none of that matters to James right now. All he wants to do is chase a fourth title.

"I just try to put myself in position to help my teammates win - no matter who's on the floor with me," James said. "I just don't settle for being not as great as I can be. The only thing that matters is (winning) - that's what I'm here for."

Paul George did everything he could to get Indiana back in the series. He scored 36 points, grabbed a playoff career-high 15 rebounds and finishing with nine assists, one short of his second postseason triple-double. He even held James in check in the first half.

And it still wasn't enough.

Now the Pacers are one loss away from being eliminated by James' team for the fourth time in six years.

"Early on in the third (quarter), I saw it getting out of hand. I trust the guys on that floor, but I just thought - you know, I watched it kind of unravel - that's when I should have stepped in and demanded the ball a little bit more," he said.

After trailing 74-49 at halftime, James helped spur a rally that cut the deficit to 77-62. Indiana extended the lead to 20 on back-to-back 3-pointers from Jeff Teague and Lance Stephenson, and then it was all Cavs.

Cleveland finally tied the score at 98 and took its first lead since the first quarter when James scored on a dunk with 6:27 to go. The teams traded leads on each of the next four baskets, but after George's 3 with 5:15 to go gave Indiana a 104-103 lead, James scored on a layup that started a 12-5 run to seal it.

"We just never quit," coach Tyronn Lue said. "We knew the importance of this game. To go up 3-0, makes things a lot more difficult for those guys."

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Irving, Love, J.R. Smith, Channing Frye all scored 13 points. ... Cleveland has won six straight over Indiana. ... After scoring 49 points in the first half, the Cavs scored 35 in each of the final two quarters. ... Kyle Korver scored more points in two quarters (six) than he did in the first two games (four). He finished with 12.

Pacers: Jeff Teague finished with 15 points and seven assists. Lance Stephenson had 13 points. ... George had 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the first half. ... Indiana scored 37 points in the first quarter, falling just short of a season high (39), then matched that 37 in the second quarter for its highest first-half total of the season.

NEW TERRITORY

Indiana has only been down 3-0 in one other seven-game series since it joined the NBA. The Pacers have never endured a four-game sweep in the NBA.

And it didn't have to happen.

"I thought we came out kind of passive," coach Nate McMillan said. "You knew they were going to be more aggressive."

UP NEXT

On Sunday, Indiana will try to stave off elimination when it hosts Cleveland for Game 4.

Close call: Irving scores 37, Cavs hold on to beat Pacers

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Blown big leads. Defensive breakdowns. Bad shots. None of it means anything to LeBron James.

The only score that matters is 2-0.

Kyrie Irving scored 37 points, Kevin Love added 27, James had 25 and the Cleveland Cavaliers avoided another fourth-quarter collapse in Game 2, beating the Indiana Pacers 117-111 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

After giving up a late lead and squeaking out the opener by just a point, James and Co. showed more intensity on defense, more swagger in general and held on to win their 10th straight first-round game over the past three seasons.

However, the defending champions, following a pattern that began late in the regular season, nearly gave away an 18-point lead in the fourth as the Pacers crawled within four in the final minute before Cleveland closed it out at the foul line.

Still, James came away encouraged. The Cavs are finding their groove.

"We're right there of what we know can become," James said. "We'll figure it out. I'd much rather have an 18-point lead than not have a lead at all. We're right there on turning the switch on what we really can become."

James added 10 rebounds and seven assists while winning his 19th straight game in the first round. He did have eight of Cleveland's 19 turnovers, miscues that allowed the Pacers to hang around.

Game 3 is Thursday night at Indianapolis.

Paul George scored 32 and Jeff Teague 23 for Indiana, which showed more fight, but now has a steep hill to climb to get back in the series. Cleveland is 12-0 when starting 2-0 in the postseason.

Teague injured his right wrist in the second half and coach Nate McMillan said the starting guard will undergo X-rays.

The Cavs vowed they would play better after their near-disaster in Game 1 and they mostly backed up their talk, delivering the kind of performance that was routine last season but rare in 2017.

In the third quarter, Cleveland took advantage of a mismatch underneath and pounded the ball inside to Love, who scored 10 straight and drew a charging foul on Lance Stephenson in a span of two minutes as the Cavs opened an 89-70 lead.

Irving ended the period by draining a 3-pointer over Stephenson and the All-Star made sure Indiana's antagonizing guard knew about it, yapping in his direction long after the horn sounded.

"I thought we lost our composure and got frantic out there," McMillan said of his team's third-quarter meltdown. "We lost our poise and wasn't calm during that third quarter. And that was big."

The Pacers regrouped, ripped off 13 straight points and were within 113-109 when George hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left.

Now, they're heading home in a hole they still believe they can climb from.

"We know what's at stake," C.J. Miles said. "We're going to go out there, keep trying to give them hell, keep competing and we'll get ourselves a win."

SMITH INJURED

The other hitch for Cleveland was that starting guard J.R. Smith didn't play in the second half because of a left hamstring injury. Iman Shumpert, who sat out the opener, replaced Smith and played 20 solid minutes.

"Shump was unbelievable," coach Tyronn Lue said. "He came in and made it tough on Paul George and made a couple shots for us also. We needed that spark."

TEMPER, TEMPER

George was upset that the fiery Stephenson briefly lost his composure.

"He's got to learn to control himself," said George, who was critical of Miles for taking the final shot in Game 1. "He's got to learn to just be in the moment. In our locker room Lance is looked at as one of our leaders. His body language has to improve, just for the team.

"We all know that Lance is an emotional guy. A lot of it is his heart and his competitiveness, that emotion comes out on him. He's just got to channel that and put it towards making effort plays on the court and do whatever he needs for us to succeed."

TIP-INS

Pacers: Glenn Robinson III returned after missing the past 12 games with a strained left calf. He scored four in nine minutes. ... C Al Jefferson was active, but didn't play. He's been out since March 26 with a sprained left ankle. ... George has made at least one 3-pointer in 19 consecutive playoff games. ... Indiana is 0-9 when dropping the first two games in a series.

Cavaliers: James (357) jumped Magic Johnson (358) for third place in career playoff steals and hopped Robert Parish for eighth in rebounds. ... A moment of silence was observed for Robert Godwin Sr., the 73-year-old tragically killed Sunday in Cleveland by a suspect who shot him and posted the killing on Facebook. ... Stephenson had a strong workout with Cleveland in January before latching on with Indiana, but coach Tyronn Lue said his recent injuries dissuaded the Cavs from signing him.

UP NEXT

The Pacers went 29-19 at home.

Pacers encouraged for Game 2 vs. Cavaliers

Stats, LLC

CLEVELAND – The Cavaliers have never lost a playoff series they led 2-0. When winning the first game of any series, Cleveland has advanced 15 out of 16 times.

Tack on the fact that LeBron James has never lost a first-round series, is 45-7 lifetime in opening-round games and has won the last 18. Yes, it would seem the Indiana Pacers are in trouble in their Eastern Conference first-round matchup against the Cavaliers.

But they were inches from being in a decidedly different position.

"When you are down one with ball, you have to execute the play and hit the shot. We didn't do that," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said, looking back at the Cavs' 109-108 win in Game 1 on Saturday.

Game 2 is at Monday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

"I do feel like we let one slip away," McMillan said.

The Pacers lost when C.J. Miles missed an open 14-footer at the buzzer. But they also went scoreless for nearly three minutes toward the end of the fourth quarter after Jeff Teague's 3-pointer put Indiana ahead 105-103 with 3:31 left.

The Cavs say they made the play they wanted to make at the end, forcing Pacers star Paul George to give the ball up to Miles, who was initially covered before shaking free from Richard Jefferson just before releasing the ball.

Nevertheless, Cleveland was dangerously close to losing its fifth consecutive game, dating back to the regular season. The Cavs also nearly dropped another game in which they held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, and they almost coughed up home-court advantage in the series.

"He missed, we won," James said.

James was mostly brilliant in Game 1, posting 32 points, 13 assists and six rebounds in 43 minutes. He needs 37 points to pass Kobe Bryant (5,640 points) for third place in NBA playoff scoring history, and needs two more rebounds to pass Robert Parish (1,765 rebounds) for eighth in postseason history.

The Cavs have areas of concern, however. Kyrie Irving scored 23 points to go with six assists but shot 11 of 27 from the field. Kevin Love scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half and finished with just four rebounds.

Cleveland shot just 14 of 27 from the foul line. Kyle Korver, the league's top 3-point shooter this season, made the only shot he took on Saturday -- and it wasn't even a 3-pointer. The Pacers scored 19 points on the Cavs' 11 turnovers, and Indiana won the rebounding battle 41-34.

"I thought defensively we were pretty good outside the loose balls they got, the offensive rebounds and put-backs, the 50/50 balls we didn't get to they scored on," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "Just clean those things up and it'd have been a different game. Eleven turnovers for 19 points and then missing 13 free throws wasn't good for us, either. But we found a way to pull the game out, and we'll be better."

The Cavs led by 12 late in the third quarter Saturday and by 10 with 9:06 to go. An adjustment the Pacers made was moving Lance Stephenson, who has a history against James in the playoffs, to a prime spot in Indiana's offense. Stephenson, a reserve for the Pacers since signing as a free agent late in March, played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter and scored eight of his 16 points.

It's time for the Cavs to make an adjustment there, too.

"We were just trying to keep them in front of us and I think that worked," McMillan said. "They had to shoot contested twos. LeBron was able to get into the paint and score on some of those occasions, but it allowed us to get back into this game and eventually have a chance to win."

Escape act: LeBron, Cavs edge Pacers 109-108 in Game 1

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) – Their regular-season issues followed the Cavaliers into the playoffs. They didn't win their postseason opener as much as survive it.

The champions remain puzzling.

LeBron James scored 32 points and Cleveland, looking to flip a switch after a shaky-and-streaky regular season, began the postseason by escaping with a 109-108 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

C.J. Miles could have won it for Indiana, but a player whom Cleveland's players and coaches call a "Cavs killer," missed a 14-foot jumper just before the horn.

Following the game, Miles sat silently at his locker in full uniform for 30 minutes before Larry Bird, the team's president of basketball operations, came in and patted him on the shoulder.

James refused to acknowledge how different things would be if Miles' shot had dropped.

"He missed," James said. "We won."

Playing in his 200th playoff game, James added 13 assists and six rebounds while winning his 18th consecutive first-round game.

However, it was anything but easy as the Cavs, who had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, had to withstand a strong comeback by the Pacers.

After a foul, Indiana inbounded with 10 seconds left and tried to run a play for star Paul George. But James came over to help J.R. Smith and double-teamed George, who was forced to pass to Miles. His jumper was on line, but short and the Cavs avoided a disastrous loss.

George was adamant that he should have gotten the ball back.

"I talked to C.J. about it," George said. "In situations like that, I gotta get the last shot. C.J. took it upon himself. I'm confident with all of my guys taking shots. That's not the issue. In that situation, I need the ball."

Miles didn't make any excuses.

"Obviously, we wanted to get the ball to Paul to be able to get the shot to win the game," he said. "I got the ball at four (seconds), so I had to take it myself. I got a good shot. I just didn't make it."

James said the Cavs' plan on the final play was not to let George beat them.

"We wanted to get the ball out of his hands, make somebody else try to beat us and live with the results," he said.

Kyrie Irving added 23 points and Kevin Love had 17 for Cleveland, which has won 12 straight playoff games at home.

George scored 29 points and Lance Stephenson had 16 for the seventh-seeded Pacers, who will try to even the series on Monday night.

Cleveland had several bad offensive possessions down the stretch and the Cavs went only 14 of 27 from the free-throw line.

After dropping their last four and going 10-14 since March 1, the Cavs entered the postseason appearing very vulnerable. It's too soon to say whether they have their act together, but for three quarters they looked more like a team capable of reaching its third straight Finals.

Irving dismissed the idea that Cavs feel vulnerable.

"Hell, no," he snapped. "Not going into the game with the group that we have."

Indiana played a solid all-around game, matching the Cavs at both ends and even out-rebounding them.

But, as usual, the Pacers couldn't contain James, who improved to 45-7 in the opening round and got the Cavs their first win - warts and all.

"I'm happy we go the victory," he said. "I'm happy how emotional we was. I'm happy with the energy and the effort. They made some big shots and some big plays, so I'm excited about that."

RIGHT DECISION

James has been on the receiving end of criticism for not taking the final shot, and was not about to criticize George for passing to Miles.

"If you're the best player on the floor, that doesn't mean you have to take the shot," James said. "I think he made the right play and you live with the results."

SUPER SUB

Stephenson was huge off the bench, providing points and attitude.

He rejoined the Pacers on March 30 and was pivotal in them going 5-1 to make the playoffs.

"I just try to be a guy who makes smart decisions in attack mode, and take some of the pressure off Paul," said Stephenson, who previously played with Indiana from 2010-2014. "I think I did that today."

McMillan said he has no immediate plans to move Stephenson into the starting lineup.

TIP-INS

Pacers: Indiana was knocked out in the first round by Toronto last season. ... This is G Jeff Teague's third straight postseason facing the Cavs. He was previously with Atlanta, which was swept by Cleveland in 2015 and 2016. ... Indiana has been in playoff mode for weeks and George carried the Pacers down the stretch go to get them into the postseason by averaging 32.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists during a 5-1 April.

Cavaliers: James (5,604) needs 37 points to pass Kobe Bryant (5,640) for third place in playoff points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5,762) is second and Michael Jordan (5,987) is first. ... James has scored more than 30 in 85 postseason games. ... Still just 25, Irving is now third in team playoff scoring. ...

UP NEXT

Game 2 is Monday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

Paul George scores 23 points, Pacers beat Bucks 104-89

By JEFF SKIRVIN
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) With the bottom half of the Eastern Conference playoff picture tightening up on a nightly basis, Paul George and the Indiana Pacers got a much-needed home win Thursday night to keep their postseason hopes alive.

George had 23 points and 10 rebounds to help the Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-89. The loss was Milwaukee's third straight after winning seven of its previous eight.

Just three games remain for the Pacers (39-40). And their team leader said he thinks the team is playing at the highest level all season. But the timing certainly could be better.

"I think that sense of urgency we've been talking about - I think it's finally starting to hit home," George said. "The frustrating part about it is, not taking care of the games we should have way earlier (in the season) and knowing playing at this level we're playing at is the team we should have been. It's tough. Here we are fighting for a spot when this all could have been avoided."

Point guard Jeff Teague scored 15 points and had seven assists for the Pacers, Thaddeus Young had 12 points, and Lance Stephenson nine in his third game back with Indiana.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He scored 16 points in the first half to help the Bucks keep pace, but Indiana kept him in check in the second half and pulled away. Mirza Teletovic added 15 points off the bench for the Bucks.

The Pacers had several key runs that thwarted Milwaukee's attempts to gain an edge.

With the game tied at 38 in the second quarter, Indiana used a 10-0 run to create its first cushion on its way to a 56-50 halftime lead. A 13-0 run in the third quarter allowed the Pacers to pull away from the Bucks after they'd pulled within 63-61 on an Antetokounmpo 3-point play.

The Pacers needed just 19 points in the fourth quarter to seal the win thanks to its defense that held the Bucks to 16 in the final period.

Indiana's second straight win, coupled with Milwaukee's third straight loss, creates a logjam in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings with less than a week to go.

Just 1 1/2 games separates fifth-place Atlanta from the ninth-place Heat (38-40), who had the night off. Seventh-place Chicago (39-40) defeated Philadelphia on Thursday. The Bulls hold the tiebreaker over the Pacers (39-40), who moved up a spot to eighth with Miami off. The Heat also hold the tiebreaker over Indiana, should there be a tie after the regular season finale Wednesday.

Bucks coach Jason Kidd acknowledged how important Thursday's game was for both teams.

"In March and April, everyone is trying to win," Kidd said. "Teams that aren't even in the playoffs are trying to win, too. You can't take anybody lightly and you can't exhale."

Although the Pacers remain in playoff contention - the moved up one spot to eighth with Miami off Thursday - their fate may not be completely in their control. Chicago and Miami both hold the season tiebreaker over the Pacers.

George said the Pacers are paying close attention to the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat as the race for the Eastern Conference Playoffs winds down.

"We've got to be mindful of what (Miami and Chicago) are doing. We don't really control our destiny, to an extent," George said. "We've got to, again, rely on a little help with those (teams) losing games. Only thing we can do is give ourselves a fighting chance."

Second-year center Myles Turner said the Pacers can take advantage of that fighting chance - if they get it.

"I get the sense that we're coming together at the right time," Turner said. "I just think we've been inconsistent all year and ... if we can get into the playoffs we'll take off."

TIP-INS

Bucks: Milwaukee had won the previous three matchups against Indiana. ... The Bucks fell to 18-21 on the road.

Pacers: The Pacers went 1-3 this season against the Bucks. ... Indiana improved to 28-12 at home, the fourth-best home record in the Eastern Conference.

UP NEXT

Bucks: At Philadelphia on Saturday.

Pacers: At Orlando on Saturday.

Fading Pacers try to revive playoff hopes against Raptors

Stats, LLC

TORONTO -- The Indiana Pacers have one more chance to figure out the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

It is a game the Pacers (37-40) need to win because they have slipped out of a playoff spot after losing four in a row and six of their past seven games. They have five games to play.

"The game tomorrow night is going to be a competitive dogfight," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said Monday after practice.

This will be the third meeting between the teams in 16 days after they had not met since the Raptors defeated the Pacers in seven games last season in a first-round playoff series.

The Raptors have won both meetings this season -- both in Toronto - including a 111-100 victory on Friday.

The Raptors beat the Pacers by turning up their level of play during the third quarter.

"That's the thing that we have seen from teams is (the) second half the level of play, you expect that to go up," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "Teams have done that and we haven't necessarily responded quick enough and long enough in these games and you have to do that. I think in any game, but certainly these games where we are playing against solid teams.

"You just can't give Toronto 16 offensive rebounds, 20 second-chance points, can't turn the ball over 14 times and you can't allow them to march to the free throw line 35 times. It's a good team and a good team is going to beat you every time."

The Pacers then lost 135-130 to the Cavaliers on Sunday in a double-overtime game to remain in ninth spot in the Eastern Conference. They have the same record as the Miami Heat, who have the tiebreaker and thus occupy the eighth and final playoff spot.

"If we play like that to finish this season out, I'll be happy with where we land and our results," said Paul George, who scored a season-best 43 points Sunday. "I think if we give this effort, we'll make the playoffs."

The Raptors (47-30) have won eight of their past nine games and are third in the Eastern Conference, one game ahead of the fourth-place Washington Wizards and three games behind the first-place Boston Celtics. The Raptors own the tiebreaker with the Wizards.

The Raptors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday and the Wizards lost to the Golden State Warriors.

DeMar DeRozan scored 40 points against the Pacers on Friday to tie Vince Carter's club record of 30 games in a season with at least 30 points in a game.

DeRozan took a different tack Sunday, scoring 17 points and adding nine assists. Eight of the assists came in the first half when he scored six points, going 2 of 4 from the field.

With DeRozan being the distributor, Serge Ibaka led the Raptors with 24 points. DeRozan and Ibaka were among the four Toronto starters who did not play in the fourth quarter.

"I think me being aggressive offensively just opens up so many options for me to create for other guys and get others guys easier shots," DeRozan said. "That is one thing I try to keep in mind and understanding that when I'm in the post a lot, I want the double teams to come, I want to get trapped and come off screen and rolls because it makes my job easier finding everyone else.

"It's something I look forward to and it's always on my mind when I go out there and play."

Reserve guard Lance Stephenson played his first game for the Pacers on Sunday since being signed Thursday. Stephenson, who played four seasons for the Pacers before leaving as a free agent in 2014, scored four points in 18 minutes and added three assists and three rebounds.

"I thought our chemistry was as if he was in the Pacers uniform all season," George said of Stephenson. "His energy and his impact and playing in the fast break and his ability to drive and pass, you saw what he brought instantly and we need that. It definitely fired me up. That's my hype man."

The Pacers again will be without Al Jefferson (sprained left ankle), who will miss his fifth consecutive game, and Glenn Robinson III (sore left calf), who will miss his eighth straight.

McMillan hopes for a carryover from the loss to the Cavaliers.

"If we play the way we played (Sunday) in our remaining games," he said, "we're going to be OK."

Pacers sign Lance Stephenson

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have signed free agent Lance Stephenson to a contract. Per team policy, no terms are released.

Stephenson, a 6-5 guard/forward, was drafted by the Pacers in the Second Round of the 2010 NBA Draft as the 40th overall pick. He played four seasons with the Pacers and averaged 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in the regular season. He played in 42 games in the playoffs with the Pacers, including twice in the Eastern Conference Finals, and in those 42 playoff games he averaged 10.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.

"We're very happy to have Lance back as part of our team," said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. "We always knew he wanted to come back here, and we feel now is the right time, not only for the rest of this season, but moving forward. We look forward to having a long relationship with him, because we know what he can bring to our franchise, both on and off the court."

After the Pacers, Stephenson played for Charlotte, the L.A. Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans and most recently with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has career averages of 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.

Stephenson will join the team in Cleveland for Sunday's game.

Conley scores 36 as Grizzlies rout Pacers 110-97

By CLAY BAILEY
Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Mike Conley wanted to set the tone for the Memphis Grizzlies.

He succeeded, in a big way.

Conley matched his career high with seven 3-pointers on his way to 36 points, helping the Grizzlies rout the Indiana Pacers 110-97 on Wednesday night.

Memphis (41-34) had lost four in a row, all on the road.

"It was a must-win," Conley said, "and I just wanted to make a statement, not only with my team, but to the coaches, the city that we're not playing the basketball we need to be playing right now, and we're better than this."

Vince Carter added 21 points and eight rebounds, and Zach Randolph finished with 17 points. Conley went 13 for 21 from the field.

Paul George led the Pacers with 22 points. Aaron Brooks, who provided an early spark from outside the arc, scored 18 points, and Thaddeus Young had 16 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.

Indiana lost for the fourth time in five games.

"We were supposed to come out here and make the game tough," George said, "but to start the game off, they kind of did what they wanted, and it showed."

Memphis played without All-Star center Marc Gasol, who missed his third straight game with a left foot strain. But Conley helped the Grizzlies get off the fast start, and Pacers were never able to catch up.

Memphis led by as many as 22 in the second quarter and carried a 72-53 advantage into the break. Conley scored 22 points in the first half, and the Grizzlies went 10 for 17 from beyond the arc in the first two periods.

Brooks made four 3-pointers and scored 14 in the first half for Indiana.

"They got off to a fast start," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "Conley was pushing the ball. ... We weren't able to keep up with him, and they just kept the pressure on us throughout the game."

The Grizzlies led 96-79 after three, and the sliding Pacers never threatened in the fourth.

Indiana (37-38) dropped into a tie with Miami for the last spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Both are two games behind Milwaukee and Atlanta.

The Heat, Bucks and Hawks all won Wednesday night.

TIP-INS

Pacers: Brooks made a 3-pointer in the first quarter to reach 800 for his career. ... Indiana dropped to 0-8 in road games on the second night of a back-to-back.

Grizzlies: JaMychal Green was out with left shoulder soreness. That caused Memphis to use its 22nd different starting lineup this season. ... Memphis has made at least 10 3-pointers in 36 games. ... In the third quarter, Carter passed Ray Allen (24,505) for 22nd in NBA history for career points scored. ... Reserve guard Andrew Harrison left in the third quarter with a right ankle injury.

PACERS HOMECOMINGS

Young played high school basketball in Memphis and still lives there. Pacers guard Monta Ellis has a home in the Eads community east of Memphis.

HOME STRETCH

Memphis, which sits seventh in the Western Conference playoff race, has a beneficial schedule down the stretch. Of its seven remaining games, five are at home, and five are against teams with losing records.

UP NEXT

Pacers: Visit Toronto on Friday.

Grizzlies: Host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.

Grizzlies look to end four-game skid vs. Pacers

Stats, LLC

The road trip was a disaster for the Memphis Grizzlies, but at least their playoff position is relatively secure. The same cannot be said for the Indiana Pacers.

The Grizzlies will look to snap a four-game losing streak -- all on the road over the past week -- when they host the Pacers on Wednesday.

The last few weeks can be best described as a roller coaster for the Grizzlies (40-34). They dropped five in a row from March 3-11 and then won four straight before averaging 89 points and shooting 40.7 percent in the last four games.

Memphis' fortunes seem to be tied to Marc Gasol, who is day-to-day with a strained left foot. He missed the past two games, and the Grizzlies are 1-4 in the five contests he has sat out this season.

Gasol is averaging a career-best 19.9 points while expanding his game to become an effective 3-point shooter. This month Gasol is averaging 15.7 points in 11 games after averaging at least 20 points in the previous three months.

The center scored a combined 23 points on 11 of 28 shooting in losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs. Then he went for tests that showed the strain and was kept out of Sunday's 12-point loss to the Golden State Warriors and Monday's 91-90 setback to the Sacramento Kings.

If there is a positive to the injury, the losses have not caused Memphis' grip on seventh place in the West to evaporate. The Grizzlies are 2 1/2 games behind the sixth-place Oklahoma City Thunder and a comfortable four games ahead of the eighth-place Portland Trail Blazers.

Even with the comfort of a playoff spot and being able to proceed with caution on Gasol, the Grizzlies are hoping to get their offense going again when they play six of their final eight games at home.

"The whole trip was a real disaster mentality for us," Memphis coach David Fizdale said. "It's really frustrating for me right now as a coach because it's not anything effort-wise. The last three games, I thought we really competed our tail off."

Mike Conley scored 22 points Monday and is averaging 22.3 points during this streak. Zach Randolph added 17, but missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer with a second remaining.

"We're frustrated obviously," Conley said. "Each game (on the road trip) has been different. We've had good and bad games, even in the losses. Tonight we felt like we should have won. We really needed it."

Seventh-place Indiana (37-37) resides one game up on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Pacers also are one behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks, who both play Wednesday.

The Pacers missed a chance to get consecutive wins for the first time since a seven-game winning streak Jan. 26-Feb. 6 when they were handed a 115-114 setback at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. The game was decided on three free throws with 3.4 seconds remaining by Minnesota's Ricky Rubio after he was fouled by Jeff Teague.

Rubio's free throws occurred after Teague missed a layup with 17.7 seconds remaining with plenty of time on the shot clock.

It was the latest in a stretch of frustrating inconsistency for the Pacers. Since their seven-game winning streak, they are 8-15.

"At this point in the season, you don't have a game like this being up four with under a minute (left) and let your opponent beat you, especially a young team," Indiana forward Paul George said. "It's a frustrating loss."

George scored 37 points Tuesday but instead of talking about a productive night in a win, he discussed the frustration of losing a game when the Pacers scored two points in the final 3:19.

"There's no urgency, no sense of urgency, no winning pride," George said. "This locker room is just not (ticked) off enough."

Indiana took the first meeting when it shot 51 percent, placed six players reached double figures and George was held to nine points in a 102-92 win on Feb. 24. The Grizzlies are 5-1 in the past six meetings and 7-1 in the past eight encounters in Memphis.

Rubio's late free throws help Minnesota end skid at Indiana

By MICHAEL MAROT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Ricky Rubio thought the refs made the right call Tuesday night.

Just about everyone else inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse disagreed.

Following the disputed foul call, Rubio made three free throws with 3.4 seconds left to give the Minnesota Timberwolves their only lead of the fourth quarter and an improbable 115-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

The foul was called on Jeff Teague, though it appeared Rubio ran into teammate Gorgui Dieng. Indiana fans booed the officials as they left the court, and even Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau declined to comment on the call.

"I don't know what you want me to say, it was a bad call," Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns said after finishing with 37 points and 12 rebounds.

When told about Thibodeau's reaction, Towns responded: "No comment? You ever seen those basketball commercials where it's like `I got to tell coach, it's on me?' We don't do that here. No, it was a great call."

Why would Minnesota complain?

The Timberwolves snapped a season-long six-game losing streak and earned their first road win since March 1 at Utah.

Yet for most of the final 15 minutes, it looked like this game would end the same way so many others have for Minnesota this season. This time, after giving away a nine-point third-quarter lead and finding themselves in a 104-95 deficit with 7:06 left to play, the Timberwolves continued to fight and finished the game on a 9-2 run.

"I got the ball, I tried to get the screen, I felt Teague on my arm and I tried to shoot it and the refs see what they call," Rubio said after scoring 21 points, dishing out 10 assists and going 13 of 13 from the free-throw line.

The Pacers had a chance to win it on Monta Ellis' 3-pointer at the buzzer, but his shot was off the mark.

Paul George finished with 37 points, seven rebounds and four steals, and Teague had 20 points and 10 assists. The Pacers still haven't won back-to-back games since early February and remain mired in a three-way tie for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After a listless 2 1/2 quarters, Indiana had a 12-0 spurt over the final 3:15 of the third quarter. They just couldn't close it out.

"You can't leave it up to the officials," Pacers coach Nate McMillan said. "These guys were calling close fouls, touch fouls, a number of different kinds of fouls and you've just got to be disciplined in that situation."

TIP-INS

Timberwolves: Won at Indianapolis for the first time since Jan. 23, 2015 and avoided a second straight season sweep. ... Towns was 10 of 10 from the free-throw line. ... Dieng had 19 points and Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and Dieng had 19.

Pacers: George had 25 points, six rebounds and two steals in the first half while going 8 of 12 from the field and 4 of 5 on 3s. He finished 12 of 21 from the field and didn't make another 3. ... Indiana was 29 of 35 from the free-throw line compared with Minnesota's 32 of 37. ... Ellis had 19 points.

INJURY UPDATE

Indiana played without three key backups, and they could be out for a while longer.

McMillan said Rodney Stuckey will miss four to six weeks with a strained left patellar tendon. Center Al Jefferson (sprained left ankle) and forward Glenn Robinson III (sore left calf) were also out, and McMillan said Jefferson could miss up to two weeks.

UP NEXT

Timberwolves: Begin a three-game homestand by hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Pacers: Will try to avoid a third straight season sweep when they visit Memphis on Wednesday night.

Turner leads Pacers to 107-94 victory over 76ers

By COREY ELLIOT
Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Myles Turner celebrated his 21st birthday this weekend, then delivered a performance that made it easy to forget how young he is.

Turner had 17 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds, Paul George scored 21 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-94 on Sunday night.

Indiana (37-36) moved into a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with Atlanta and Milwaukee. The Pacers will play both the Bucks and the Hawks during their final nine games of the regular season.

The Pacers are 8-4 when Turner records a double-double.

"That's the Myles we need," George said. "He's got to rebound the ball. He had that mindset and he had that motive to go get every ball tonight."

Jeff Teague added 16 points for the Pacers, who used a 30-point third quarter to turn a six-point halftime lead into a 12-point advantage and snapped a two-game skid.

Al Jefferson finished with 14 points before leaving in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. Monta Ellis, Aaron Brooks and CJ Miles all had 10 for Indiana.

Sergio Rodriguez scored 16 for the Sixers, while Richaun Holmes finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Philadelphia took 41 3-pointers, making 14.

"They show why they're tied for fifth in the East and about to go play on and play in a serious time in the season. I think defensively they were really good. I think that's where we felt them the most," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

Turner came in third in the league with 2.1 blocked shots per game and had two Sunday. The second-year forward had 20 points and four blocks Friday on his birthday, but grabbed just four rebounds in a 125-117 loss to Denver and was disappointed with his play. That might have motivated him Sunday, Pacers coach Nate McMillan said.

"I think Myles was a little upset with how we played in last game. He made an effort to go after (rebounds) tonight," McMillan said. "The attack was what we wanted."

The Pacers led by as many as 11 in the first half before the Sixers made a push late to close the deficit to six points by halftime.

George then scored nine points in the third quarter and Teague had eight as the Pacers led by as much as 19 in the period. They extended the advantage to 25 in the fourth.

TIP-INS

76ers: Jahlil Okafor was held out with soreness in his right knee and Jerryd Bayless did not play due to a left wrist injury. ... Philadelphia (27-46) is ahead of only Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference standings.

Pacers: Jefferson was wheeled off the court with 9:43 remaining. He was holding his left leg near the shin area before he landed from attempting a rebound underneath the Indiana basket.

MYLES AHEAD

Turner has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 12 games this season and scored 10 or more points in 54 of Indiana's 73 contests. On Oct. 26, Turner scored 30 points, blocked four shots and grabbed his career-high 16 rebounds in a win over Dallas. Turner joined Shaquille O'Neal and Anthony Davis as just the third player in NBA history to record at least 30 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks before the age of 21.

CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT

The Pacers have lost two-or-more consecutive games this season eight times, with their longest losing streak being six games. Indiana has only won two or more in a row seven times, with a season-best, six-game win streak.

UP NEXT

76ers: Visit Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Pacers: Host Minnesota on Tuesday.