INDIANAPOLIS — Guard Monta Ellis scored 25 points and rookie forward Myles Turner added 20 in his first career start to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 111-92 victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Indiana (24-22) finished the game on a 23-2 run during the final 5:32 after falling behind 90-88. The Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak and are 21-4 when leading after three quarters.
Guard George Hill added 18 and forward Paul George had 11 for Indiana despite making only 2 of 11 field goal attempts.
Forward Jeff Teague had 20 for Atlanta (27-21), and center Al Horford added 14.
Hawks forward Kent Bazemore’s two free throws with 6:32 remaining tied it at 88 and Horford’s dunk at the 5:52 mark gave Atlanta a 90-88 lead. Hill’s 3-pointer with5:32 to go put the Pacers back in front 91-90.
George made three free throws at the 5:04 mark, and Ellis sank two more with 4:46 remaining for a 96-90 Indiana lead. A dunk from Ian Mahinmi at 4:27 to go gave the Pacers a 98-90 lead. Another Ellis layup made it 100-90.
Hill opened the fourth quarter with consecutive baskets for an 86-75 Pacers’ lead. Atlanta bounced back with a 7-1 run capped by a Teague layup, slicing the Indiana lead to 87-82 with 9:06 remaining, prompting a Pacers’ timeout.
Back-to-back field goals from Turner pushed Indiana into a 70-65 lead with 4:36 remaining in the third quarter. Two Paul George free throws extended the advantage to 72-65. An Ellis 3-pointer with 52 seconds to go in the period gave Indiana an 82-73 lead before the Hawks got the quarter’s final basket to slice the deficit to 82-75.
The Pacers used a 13-3 second-quarter run as the springboard to a 51-44 halftime lead, led by 10 points from Turner and eight each from Ellis, George Hill and Jordan Hill. Indiana limited Atlanta to 40 percent first-half field goal shooting.
Indiana also outrebounded the Hawks 24-19 during the first 24 minutes, led by nine from Lavoy Allen. The Pacers had eight first-half turnovers, and George was held scoreless but still managed to lead by seven.
Indiana shot 45.2 percent during the opening half, including a combined 7 of 9 from George Hill and Jordan Hill. Teague, an Indianapolis native, had 11 first-half points for Atlanta, and Horford added eight during the first 24 minutes.
NOTES: Pacers rookie F/C Myles Turner made his first career start, replacing Lavoy Allen. Turner was averaging 19.6 points in his five most recent games. … Indiana again played without G Rodney Stuckey (right foot sprain, bone bruise). … The game was a homecoming for Atlanta G Shelvin Mack, who played college basketball at Butler, located several miles north of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. … The Hawks were playing the second game of a back-to-back, having lost 85-83 on Wednesday night to the Los Angeles Clippers in Atlanta. … The Pacers lost to the Clippers 91-89 on Tuesday in Indiana’s most recent game. … Beginning with a Jan. 4 loss at Miami, Indiana came into Thursday’s game having lost eight of its last 12, including consecutive home losses to Washington and the Clippers. … Indiana F Paul George ranks eighth in NBA scoring at 23.9 points per game. Atlanta ranks second in assists per game (25.5) and second in opponents’ turnovers per game (16.7). … Indiana also forces 16.7 turnovers per game, sharing that category’s No. 2 spot with the Hawks. … Indiana defeated Atlanta 93-87 on Dec. 28 in the first of four regular-season meetings between the teams.