Balanced Pacers topple Clippers
LOS ANGELES -- Thaddeus Young scored 17 points, and Paul George and Rodney Stuckey contributed 16 apiece, helping the Indiana Pacers earn an 111-102 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night at Staples Center.
George, who missed six of the previous seven games with an ankle injury, also collected seven rebounds and five assists. Jeff Teague added 15 points and Monta Ellis chipped in 14 for Indiana (10-10), which won for the third time in four games.
All five Pacers starters and two reserves reached double figures.
Blake Griffin scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Clippers (16-6), who fell for the fourth time in six games. Chris Paul had 18 points and 11 assists for Los Angeles, while J.J. Redick scored 15 points on five first-half 3-pointers. Jamal Crawford added 14 points, while DeAndre Jordan compiled nine points and 15 rebounds.
The Pacers led by 91-71 after a 3-pointer by C.J. Miles with 9:51 remaining. However, the Clippers answered with a 25-11 surge capped by Paul's trey with 2:24 left to cut the gap to 102-96. Two foul shots by Paul, who had 14 points in the final period, and a dunk by Jordan with 1:26 left pulled Los Angeles within 104-100.
However, George's 3-pointer with a minute remaining put the Pacers up by seven.
An 11-0 run to open the third quarter sparked a second-half surge by Indiana. Young delivered eight points in the quarter as eight different Pacers scored. The visitors outscored Los Angeles 35-17 in the third for an 83-69 lead heading into the fourth.
The Pacers outshot the Clippers 61.9 percent to 26.3 percent in the third. Overall, Indiana made 49.4 percent to 44.4 percent for Los Angeles.
The Clippers held a 52-48 edge at the break. They led by as much as 15 before the Pacers launched a rally in the second quarter. Indiana outscored Los Angeles 31-24 in the period.
The Clippers committed 20 turnovers (leading to 18 points) to 11 (20 points) for the Pacers. Indiana enjoyed a huge advantage in points in the paint at 58-36.
The Pacers swept the season series. They earned a 91-70 win over the Clippers at Indiana on Nov. 27.
NOTES: Both Clippers coach Doc Rivers and Pacers coach Nate McMillan discussed their appreciation for biometrics, which analyzes players' performances and their physical characteristics and behavior throughout the season. Rivers said the Clippers added a staff of biometric experts before the season. "From a coaching point, you have to trust them. They clearly know more than me," said Rivers, adding that he believes the evaluations benefit the players. McMillan concurred. "It's something that we've talked about in the beginning of training camp, all the things that we want to provide our players to help them perform at their best," he said. ... The Pacers visit the Golden State Warriors on Monday. The Clippers have a showdown with the Warriors on Wednesday at Staples Center in a clash of two of the best teams in the Western Conference.