Cavaliers end Pacers' seven-game win streak
INDIANAPOLIS -- Kyrie Irving and Kyle Korver each scored 29 points to help propel the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 132-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
LeBron James added 25 points for the Cavaliers (36-15), who won their fourth game in a row. Korver hit 10 of 12 shots, including 8 of 9 3-point shots. Kevin Love chipped in with 14 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland.
The loss snapped a seven-game winning streak by the Pacers (29-23).
Trailing by six at halftime, the Cavaliers blew open the game by outscoring the Pacers 40-18 In the third quarter to take a 97-81 lead. Cleveland drilled 13 of 20 shots and all 10 free throws in the third quarter. In contrast, the Pacers were 8 of 23 from the field in the quarter.
The Pacers closed the deficit to 114-107 on a layup by Jeff Teague with 4:23 to go. But the Pacers could get no closer. Korver hit two 3-pointers as the Cavaliers rebuilt the lead to 124-109 with 2:22 to go.
C.J. Miles led the Pacers with 23 points, hitting 6 of 9 3-pointers. Paul George and Teague each had 22 points.
Miles scored 15 points in first half, hitting all four 3-pointers, to help the Pacers to a 63-57 halftime lead. George and Teague each added 12 points. Irving was high for the Cavaliers with 16 first-half points. James was limited to nine points in the first half.
For the half, the Pacers made 22 of 40 shots (55 percent) while Cleveland hit 20 of 42 shots (47.6 percent). Indiana held a 25-14 rebounding edge at halftime.
The Pacers sank 14 of 23 shots, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range, to take a 36-25 lead after the first quarter. Indiana led by as many as 15 (33-18) in the quarter.
NOTES: With his eight 3-pointers on Wednesday, Cleveland G Kyle Korver passed Jason Kidd for seventh all-time in 3-pointers made in NBA history. In the previous 12 games, Korver was shooting 46.4 percent from 3-point range, and he improved that by making 8 of 9 Wednesday. ... Cavaliers F Kevin Love is the only Eastern Conference player averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. ... Indiana F Thaddeus Young will miss his third consecutive game with a sprained left wrist. Lavoy Allen, who has started in Young's absence, scored 18 points in his first start against Detroit, the most he has scored in his four years with the Pacers. ... After sitting out for rest the last two visits to Indiana, Nov. 16 this season and last April, LeBron James opted to play Wednesday. ... The Pacers are the only team in the NBA this season to overcome a deficit of 20 or more points and come back to win more than once.