George, Pacers use late surge to topple Bulls
INDIANAPOLIS - Paul George scored nine of his 32 points during the final 4:07, and the Indiana Pacers recorded 14 of the game's last 18 points and defeated the Chicago Bulls 111-101 on Friday in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
A Jimmy Butler basket tied the contest at 97, but George was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer at the 4:07 mark. His three free throws gave Indiana the lead. Thaddeus Young, who added 17 points, scored the Pacers' other five points during the game-closing run.
Myles Turner had 15 points for Indiana, Glenn Robinson III scored 12 and added 10 rebounds and Jeff Teague finished with seven points and a career-best 17 assists.
Butler led the Bulls (16-17) with 25 points, Dwyane Wade had 20, Michael Carter-Williams contributed 12, as did Cristiano Felicio.
Indiana shot 48.1 percent, and Chicago shot 41.7 percent.
Chicago chipped away at a game-long deficit, pulling to within 90-85 with 9:02 left. Carter-Williams' three-point play with 6:03 to play tied the game at 95.
A Wade dunk with 6:25 remaining in the third quarter cut the Pacers' lead to 71-63 and prompted Indiana coach Nate McMillan to call a timeout. The Pacers countered with a 10-7 burst, capped by a 3-pointer from C.J, Miles with 2:52 to go in the period, for an 81-70 lead. The Pacers led 84-73 through 36 minutes.
George had 16 first-half points and Young added 12, helping Indiana lead 62-50 through the first 24 minutes. The Pacers shot 51.1 percent during the first half (23 of 45) and 92.3 percent from the free throw line (12 of 13).
Butler had 15 first-half points to lead the Bulls, and Wade and Doug McDermott each added 10. Chicago was plagued by nine turnovers that produced 13 Pacers' points during the first two quarters.
The Bulls shot 46.2 percent (18 of 39) before halftime but only 3 of 10 from beyond the arc.
Indiana scored the game's first seven points and led by as many as 14 in the opening half. The 62 first-half points equal the most Indiana has scored this season.
NOTES: The Pacers were without G Rodney Stuckey (sore left hamstring). ... Chicago came in with a two-game winning streak, including a Monday night victory against the Pacers in the United Center. ... Indiana entered with a four-game losing streak, allowing at least 109 points in three of those four defeats. ... The Pacers are 4-13 away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ... The Bulls are the NBA's best rebounding team, averaging 48 a game, and are fourth in free throw percentage at 80.3. ... Indiana is the league's second-best free throw shooting team at 80.9 percent and is third in opponents' 3-point shooting percentage at 33.8. ... The Pacers came in 14-4 when leading through three quarters but 1-14 when trailing after three periods. ... In its two most recent losses -- at Chicago and at Washington -- Indiana was outrebounded 101-75. ... Before Friday's game, the Bulls' Dwyane Wade was averaging 23.8 points in 44 career contests against the Pacers.