NBA: Pacers steal game one from Knicks

Stingy defense by the Indiana Pacers in the second and third quarters held the New York Knicks to just 19 points in both periods, en route to a 102-95 victory, Sunday (Monday, PHL time) at Madison Square Garden in New York. The victory allowed the third-seeded Pacers to steal home court advantage from the second-ranked Knicks. The two teams had split their four regular season meetings with the home sides picking up the wins. New York actually led 27-22 after the first quarter, behind 12 markers from point guard Raymond Felton, who connected on 5-of-6 attempts from the field. The Pacers shot just 38.1 percent from the field, but managed to stick around due to a 7-0 edge in second-chance points. The Pacers found their groove in the second and third periods, shooting 58.33 percent over that span while holding New York to just 40.54 percent, conceding only 38 points. The suffocating defense took its toll on Knicks marquee player Carmelo Anthony, who was held to 6-of-17 shooting for 12 points. He was also whistled for four personal fouls entering the final period. On the other end of the floor, the entire starting five of Indiana, plus reserve guard DJ Augustin, were all in double-digit scoring, led by David West's 16 markers. Late in the third, a Felton jumper got the Knicks within 11, 73-62, 3:07 left, but the visiting side unloaded eight straight to close out the period, 81-65, with Augustin accounting for the final five. Looking to get back into the game, the Knicks turned to Anthony, who responded with six straight to begin the fourth quarter, getting their deficit to 10, 81-71. A Tyler Hansbrough put-back dunk of a Roy Hibbert miss snapped Indiana's silence, then on the next Knicks possession, Anthony was whistled for his fifth foul. After JR Smith charities made it a single-digit affair, 89-80, five from Paul George rebuilt Indiana's lead to 94-80 with 4:41 remaining in the game. Smith and Anthony however continued to go at it, scattering nine to a George Hill trey for a 97-89 count, still three-plus minutes in the game. A David West jumper gave him his 19th and 20th points of the game, but more importantly made it a 10-point buffer with a minute and a half left, 101-91, for the Pacers. Anthony and Smith scored from the foul line to make it 101-95 with just under a minute left, but they were unable to keep up the momentum. Smith missed what would have been a key three-pointer with 27.9 seconds left to play, forcing the Knicks to foul. Augustin earned just a split, 102-95, but West hauled in the offensive carom, sealing the game. David West led the Pacers with 20 markers. Augustin came off the bench for 16 points, with 12 coming from beyond the arc, on a 4-of-5 clip. George Hill and Roy Hibbert scored 14 apiece, and combined for 15 rebounds and 10 assists, while the team's All-Star Paul George poured in 19 points, with five boards and four dimes. The Knicks drew a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds from Carmelo Anthony, but the league's scoring leader needed 28 attempts from the field to get his points. Raymond Felton added 18 markers, JR Smith and Kenyon Martin poured in 29 points off the bench, while Iman Shumpert chipped in 11. The Pacers used their size to their full advantage. They out-scored the Knicks 46-32 in points in the paint, and doubled New York's second-chance points, 20-10. Indiana also out-assisted their foes, 21-15. - AMD, GMA News