featured-image

Game Rewind: Pacers 111, Bulls 101

Game Recap

The Indiana Pacers rediscovered their winning form on Friday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana (16-18) never trailed in a 111-101 win over the Chicago Bulls (16-17), snapping a four-game losing streak.

The Pacers jumped in front shortly after the opening tipoff, and had a double-digit lead heading into the fourth quarter before Chicago rallied to tie the game midway through the period.

Paul George and Jimmy Butler then traded baskets before George drew a foul on a 3-point attempt and knocked down all three foul shots to give Indiana a 100-97 lead with 4:07 to play.

Dwyane Wade scored on the next possession, but George answered with a layup of his own with 2:52 to play.

Out of a timeout, Nikola Mirotić had an open look from the right corner to tie the game once again, but it rimmed out and the Pacers corralled the rebound.

On the other end, Jeff Teague connected with Thaddeus Young for an alley-oop dunk that made it a five-point game with 2:08 remaining and brought the capacity crowd to its feet.

The Bulls never got within one possession the rest of the way, as the Pacers held on to close out 2016 with a much-needed victory.

"We came out hard and we came out aggressive," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. "We were solid start to finish...Everybody contributed to the game tonight. This is a game you want to build off. We have to get consistent with it."

George, who scored just 14 points in 39 minutes on 6-of-14 shooting in Monday's narrow loss in Chicago, led all scorers with 32 points while going 10-for-20 from the field. The three-time All-Star scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Blue & Gold seal the victory.

George had said after Thursday's practice that he wanted to have "more fun" on the court, both individually and as a team. He felt that they did that against the Bulls.

"We have a great time in this locker room, we enjoy each other in this locker room," George said. "I (wanted) my team to show that on the court."

Point guard Jeff Teague was just as important offensively. Though he scored just seven points and went 2-for-13 from the field, Teague set a new career high with 17 assists, setting up his teammates early and often for open looks.

"I wasn't making shots, so I had to help somebody else get some," Teague said. "We were just playing as a team and moving the ball great. Guys were setting screens and when guys are open and set their feet, they knock down shots."

The Pacers couldn't miss in the opening minutes of Friday's contest. Indiana scored on its first eight possessions to open up an early 18-6 lead. George was especially good during that sequence, burying a pair of 3-pointers.

The Blue & Gold led by as many as 14 points in the opening quarter and their defense was arguably better than their offense. The Pacers forced Chicago into seven turnovers in the frame and turned those mistakes into 11 points on the other end.

The Bulls, however, found a rhythm late in the quarter, reeling off 10 unanswered points before Kevin Seraphin's tip-in with 0.8 seconds remaining made the score 28-22 heading into the second.

The Pacers maintained a moderate advantage for the whole second quarter and closed the half with an 8-2 run to take a 12-point lead into the intermission.

After collecting nine assists in the first half, Teague continued to fuel the Pacers offense after the break. Teague collected five more dimes in the third quarter and Indiana took an 84-73 lead into the fourth.

"We just know how good Jeff is when he's passing and getting people involved," George said. "Because you can't keep him out of the paint — he's so quick, so good at getting into the paint. We just want to be the weapons around him."

The Bulls managed to mount a charge in the final frame. With Mirotić knocking down threes and Jimmy Butler attacking the basket, Chicago quickly chipped away at the deficit and eventually tied the game at 95 after Michael Carter-Williams' three-point play with 6:03 remaining.

But the Pacers were able to make the plays that mattered down the stretch to come away with the win.

In addition to George and Teague, the rest of the Pacers' starters also put together strong performances. Young had 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and six boards. Myles Turner added 15 points and four blocks, while Glenn Robinson III (12 points and 10 rebounds) recorded his third double-double of the season.

Butler led the Bulls with 25 points and six rebounds. Wade added 20 points and Cristiano Felicio collected his first career double-double with 12 points and 12 boards.

Friday's contest was the fourth and final regular season meeting between the two Central Division rivals and their second game in five days. Both teams won a pair of games on their home court to split the season series.

The Pacers return to the court on New Year's Day, when they'll welcome former coach Frank Vogel and the Orlando Magic to The Fieldhouse at 6:00 PM ET.

Inside the Numbers

Teague's 17 assists were two more than his previous career high. He tallied 15 assists on four separate occasions while a member of the Atlanta Hawks. His previous best outing in a Pacers uniform came last week, when he had 12 dimes in a loss to the Knicks on Dec. 20.

Turner now has had at least one blocked shot in a 22 straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA.

The Pacers committed just 11 turnovers and forced Chicago into 13, improving to 13-5 on the year when committing fewer turnovers than their opponents.

The Bulls outscored the Pacers 22-8 on second chance points thanks to a 15-8 edge on the offensive glass. Felicio had six offensive rebounds, while Michael Carter-Williams added four.

Carter-Williams set new season highs with 12 points and eight assists. He started the second half at point guard in place of Rajon Rondo.

Rondo played just 10:50 in the first half and recorded a plus/minus of -20. He did not play after halftime.

You Can Quote Me On That

"That's the key. We can't start in the hole. We give ourselves a better chance if we come out with energy, we put them on their heels first instead of playing the whole game down and then in the fourth quarter we try to make a late push. Force the other team to do that." -George on getting off to a good start

"I've got great teammates all around me. They keep telling me all the time to stay aggressive. They need me now, so they give me a lot of confidence and I just went out there and played hard." -Robinson III

"We had a little more energy, just talking to each other and smacking each other on the back, letting each other know we're happy for our teammates when they score or make a great play. I feel like we had a lot of gelling out there tonight and we've just got to continue that." -Teague

"I'm just mad we lost. We didn't get stops early or late. Our play at the very end was frustrating because we came all the way back. Credit Paul George. He's a heck of a player and can definitely finish. He's a tough matchup for anybody." -Butler

"I thought Michael (Carter-Williams) gave us really good energy in the first half and we will evaluate next game's starting lineup." -Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg on benching Rondo

Stat of the Night

Teague's 17 assists matched Chicago's team total and were the most by a Pacers player in a single game since Jamaal Tinsley dished out 19 in a loss to the Mavericks on Feb. 5, 2002.

Noteworthy

  • The Pacers trail the overall series with Chicago 84-96, but are 60-31 against the Bulls at home.
  • Indiana has won both regular season home games with Chicago three times in the last five seasons and has won eight of its last 10 home games against the Bulls.
  • Monta Ellis came off the bench in his second game back from a groin injury, tallying two points and two steals in 13:22.

Up Next

The Pacers host the Orlando Magic on Sunday, Jan. 1 at 6:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »

Home Court Gift Shop Game Night Special

Lounge Pants - $12. Game Night Specials can be purchased in the Home Court Gift Shop or any of our souvenir stands located on all levels of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The special is also available online at PacersGear.com until midnight.