Game Rewind: Pacers 106, Nets 97

It wasn't pretty, but the Indiana Pacers picked up their fifth straight win on Friday night. The Brooklyn Nets rallied from an 18-point deficit in the second half to take the lead in the fourth quarter before the Pacers (27-22) righted the ship and came away with a 106-97 victory.

Owners of the NBA's worst record, the Nets (9-41) now have lost eight straight games.

"Our guys showed road toughness," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said after the win. "No road game is easy...They came out loose, played very aggressive, shot the ball well. But down the stretch, we made the plays that we needed to make on both ends of the floor."

The Pacers led throughout the first three quarters, but Brooklyn fought its way back and eventually took an 85-83 lead on Quincy Acy's 3-pointer with 8:37 to play.

Indiana, however, moved back in front on a three by C.J. Miles with 7:20 remaining. Paul George knocked down a couple key jumpers over the next several minutes to help push the lead back to five.

A pair of free throws by Acy made it 96-93 with 2:12 to play. Monta Ellis answered with a layup on the other end, but Sean Kilpatrick scored on a drive seconds later.

Joe Harris then stole the ball from George and Acy had a clear look at a layup to make it a one-point game, but bounced his shot too forcefully off the glass. Jeff Teague converted a basket on the other end and George added two free throws on the next possession to effectively seal the victory.

George and Teague each scored 24 points in the victory. George struggled with his shot for much of the night, going 9-for-22 from the field, but he pulled down 11 rebounds to register his fourth double-double of the season. Teague was an efficient 6-for-10 from the field and 10-for-13 from the free throw line while also dishing out seven assists.

"They made a run, they played well, they played hard and made some subs and got some off the bench and that gave them a spark. We continued to grind it out," Teague said.

Indiana jumped out to an early 12-4 lead thanks to nine quick points from Teague. The visitors extended their lead to as many as 12 points in the first quarter and were up 27-16 heading into the second.

The Pacers pushed their advantage to 14 points in the second quarter, but Brooklyn used a late 8-2 spurt to climb within seven before George's 3-pointer with 1:20 to play pushed the lead back to double digits heading into the break.

Early in the second half, the Pacers extended the margin once again and looked like they might be able to win the game on cruise control. Thaddeus Young's layup gave Indiana a 71-53 lead with 7:09 left in the third quarter.

But Brooklyn bounced back with a 14-2 run over the next four minutes. The Nets hung close the rest of the frame and the Pacers' lead heading into the fourth quarter was only 80-74.

The Nets continued their rally in the fourth, taking their first lead on Acy's three with 8:37 remaining, but the Pacers made enough plays down the stretch to come away with a win.

Myles Turner and Al Jefferson each added 11 points in the victory. Young had 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and four steals, but exited the game midway through the fourth quarter with a sprained left wrist.

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting and six rebounds. Kilpatrick (18 points) and Harris (15 points) both had strong performances off the bench.

The Pacers' five-game winning streak matches their longest streak of the season. They also won five straight from Dec. 30 - Jan. 7.

Teague has now had at least seven assists in 17 consecutive contests, a streak which began on Dec. 28 in Washington.

Indiana outscored Brooklyn 46-36 in the paint.

While Lopez scored 23 points, the other four Nets starters (Isaiah Whitehead, Randy Foye, Caris LeVert, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson) combined for just 11 points on 3-of-20 shooting.

Brooklyn managed to make it a close game thanks to 63 bench points, 10 shy of their season high. The Nets reserves were a combined 10-for-18 from 3-point range.

"We need to be road tough. That was a thing that we talked about at the beginning of the game. We knew Brooklyn would scrap and come out and play a 48-minute game." -McMillan

"We know going into the All-Star break, we wanted to be playing well, so we're just going to continue to keep working, keep trying to get wins, and tonight was the ultimate reverse for us. In the past, regular games on the road, we had leads, gave them away and we never recovered. Tonight we did a great job of staying the course and making some big plays" -Teague

"Jeff is just as scrappy and just as good defensively at sniffing plays out and getting his hands on the ball, making good plays defensively. It's winning time, as we like to call it and what Indiana's used to. So that's just what it comes down to. We need our leaders to step up in moments like that." -George on the importance of Teague's defense down the stretch

"I thought we just turned the ball over a couple of times. They came down and I thought we played good defense and PG (Paul George) hit some tough shots. I think we forced them into some contested looks, they just knocked them down." -Lopez on the difference in the closing minutes

George's double-double was his first since Dec. 7, when he had 25 points and 13 boards in a win at Phoenix.

The Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday, Feb. 4 to host Andre Drummond and the Detroit Pistons at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »

Ragged Wash Hat - $12. Game Night Specials can be purchased online the day of each away game from 10:00 AM - Midnight. Order Online »