NBA: Hibbert hits 24 as Pacers pummel Knicks

Published May 12, 2013 10:58am

Roy Hibbert had 24 points and 12 boards to power the Indiana Pacers past the New York Knicks in game three of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinals series, 82-71, at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time).

With the win, the Pacers now take a 2-1 series lead.

The Pacers started the first quarter shooting hot from the outside, with three straight treys from George Hill and Paul George giving the home team a 9-2 start. New York tried to counter with Carmelo Anthony's five, but it was baskets from Iman Shumpert and Tyson Chandler that tied the game at 11-all, at the 4:49 mark.

The Knicks grabbed the lead with a Chandler basket, but another three from Hill and a banker from Roy Hibbert re-established a four-point spread for Indiana, 16-13. A short jumper from Tyler Hansbrough canceled out an Anthony baseline hit, as Indiana ended the period with an 18-15 lead.

Baskets from Ian Mahinmi and Lance Stephenson early in the second gave Indiana a seven-point advantage, before the returning Amare Stoudemire and Anthony strung together five straight points to cut the deficit to two. Hibbert stopped the bleeding for the Pacers with a pair of shots to up the lead to eight, 30-22, with 5:16 left, before a jumper from West and a lay-up from George negated an Anthony conversion, 34-24.

The Knicks would go on to have a strong finish in the final 2:24, with J.R. Smith sparking a 10-2 run to end the period with New York only down three, 36-33.

The Pacers could not pull away at the start of the third, with Anthony and Shumpert finding their rhythm, 47-43. Hibbert and David West tried to extend Indiana's advantage halfway through the canto, 53-44, as Stephenson hit a corner three for a 12-point spread,56-44. Two more free throws from Hibbert at the 3:11 mark gave the home team a comfortable 14-point lead, before Stoudemire finished the period with a tip and a three, 62-51.

A D.J. Augustin triple and a Hibbert tip-in gave Indiana a 15-point lead at the 6:46 mark of the fourth. A pair of Raymond Felton free throws had New York creeping closer at 75-64, with 2:50 remaining, but a West dunk and another Hill triple killed New York's chances for a comeback.

Hill had 17 points through five treys and a pair of free throws, while Paul George had 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. David West added 11 points and 12 rebounds, as the Pacers starters outclassed New York, 74-44.

New York had only one player in double digits in Carmelo Anthony, who posted 21 points. - AMD, GMA News

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