Game Rewind: Pacers 97, Cavaliers 101

Paul George and Monta Ellis combined for 57 points on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, but the Cavaliers (6-1) held on for a narrow 101-97 win over the Pacers (3-4) at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs' victory snapped Indiana's three-game winning streak and was Cleveland's sixth straight victory since dropping their season opener in Chicago on Oct. 28.

Cleveland led by as many as 11 points in the second half and nine points in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers mounted an impressive rally.

After trailing 86-77 with 8:36 to play, Indiana reeled off a 13-2 run. Paul George and George Hill each scored twice over that sequence and Ellis buried a 3-pointer that capped the spurt and put Indiana ahead 90-88 with 4:12 remaining.

But the Pacers offense went cold from there, as the Blue & Gold failed to score for nearly the next 3:28. The Cavaliers retook the lead on Tristan Thompson's jumper with 3:17 remaining and stretched their advantage to as many as five.

Ellis knocked down two free throws with 44.3 seconds left to snap the Pacers' scoreless streak and pull Indiana back within one possession. But Indiana couldn't get the stop it needed, as LeBron James found a cutting Kevin Love for a backdoor layup with 27.3 seconds left.

George buried a triple on the other end to help the Pacers climb within two. The visitors then very nearly forced a turnover on the ensuing inbounds, but Cleveland broke the press just before picking up an eight-second violation and James connected with Love once again for an uncontested dunk that effectively sealed the victory.

"We were there down the stretch," Hill said after the loss. "It was just a matter of making shots (and) missing shots. We missed a couple. They made more. So I think it was a very positive game for us even though we lost. I think we learned a lot."

George was once again spectacular in the loss, recording his third straight double-double and fourth in seven games this season. The two-time All-Star finished with 32 points on 11-of-21 shooting, 11 rebounds, and six assists.

Ellis topped 20 points for the first time as a member of the Pacers, finishing with 25, while going 10-for-17 from the field. Hill was the only other Pacers player to reach double figures, amassing 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

James led Cleveland with 29 points, six boards, and four assists. Love added 22 points and 19 rebounds, while Thompson chipped in 16 points and eight boards off the bench.

"LeBron talked to me at halftime – just got me going, that’s all it was," Love said after the win. "I mentioned to him I kind of wanted to just free flow and get myself near the basket and that’s what I did. I got myself into a good rhythm rebounding the ball."

The Pacers will have barely more than 24 hours to rest before they take the floor once again on Monday night, when they host the Orlando Magic at 7:00 PM at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Despite Love's 19 rebounds, the Pacers were essentially even with the Cavs on the boards. Cleveland outrebounded them just 48-47 overall and 12-11 on the offensive glass. Jordan Hill, getting the start at power forward, had 11 rebounds (seven offensive) for Indiana.

The Pacers had a season-low seven turnovers in the loss, four of them by George. In fact, neither team committed many mistakes, as the Cavaliers only had 10 giveaways.

Cleveland's bench outscored Indiana's reserves, 26-13. Thompson alone had 16 points, while Myles Turner (six points), Chase Budinger (five), and Glenn Robinson III (two) were the only members of the Pacers' second unit to contribute a point.

"We just had too many breakdowns. We put LeBron (James) to the line too much in the fourth quarter and lost the man underneath on the out-of-bounds play. Just things that are the difference in winning and losing." -Pacers head coach Frank Vogel

"I think we match up well against this team. This team doesn’t really scare us. They had to come out and play a full game the same way we did. They’ve been together for some time now. We’re still just forming and still learning each other despite going on a three-game winning streak. This was a tough matchup for us with a team that’s well in sync, so I think this is definitely a positive for us going forward." -George

"Frank Vogel’s team – they’re always going to be well-coached and prepared for whatever type of game. They just had one just like that versus Miami (Heat) the other night in their home building. It was a good test for us, a good early test to see if we can continue to stay poised and get some stops and execute down the stretch." -James

"I don’t know if that’s the reputation that we’re building. I do know that we’re tough out here in The Q and the guys take pride in that." -Cavaliers head coach David Blatt on his team winning 24 of its last 25 home games

After scoring 36 points in Friday's win over Miami, George had 32 on Sunday, just the second time in his career he has topped 30 points in consecutive games. George also accomplished the feat on Feb. 19-22, 2014, when he scored 35 points at Minnesota and then 32 at Milwaukee.

The Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Victor Oladipo and the Orlando Magic. Good seats still remain. Find Tickets »