Indiana Pacers Pull Off 114-109 Win Over Pistons

Indianapolis, IN – The Indiana Pacers were hoping to get back to their winning ways tonight against the Detroit Pistons, and they were able to do just that by a final score of 114-109. Larry Bird talked about the Pacers still wanting to make the playoffs this year in a press conference yesterday, and the team certainly looked like they were more energized this evening.

Perhaps the news that Paul George could come back in March fired them up a bit more, but whatever it was, it was a welcome sign.

It seemed like the team played much more together than they have in recent weeks, and the Pistons simply couldn’t match them. The defense wasn’t quite where the Pacers wanted it to be, but their offense picked them up and got the job done. Wins are tough to come by in the NBA, and a win against the Pistons is even more valuable with how close the two teams are in the standings.

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George Hill finally returned to the starting lineup this evening, and scored 20 points on 8-12 shooting and dished out six assists. He could have had an even better game, but shot just 3-8 from the foul line. Roy Hibbert also put together a great double-double, scoring 16 points to go along with 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.

C.J. Miles started and scored 15 points on the night, including two huge three-point shots down the stretch in the fourth quarter. Both David West and C.J. Watson scored 14 points to round out the double digit scorers for Indiana.

Detroit was led by dominant big man Andre Drummond, who scored 18 points to go along with 16 rebounds. Greg Monroe scored 16 points on the night, while both Jodie Meeks and Caron Butler came off the bench to score 13 points each. Anthony  Tolliver and D.J. Augustin scored 12 points each, while John Lucas III had 10 points.

Next up for the Pacers is a Friday night matchup against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are on an 11-game winning streak, and it will truly be a test to see where the Pacers are at.