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Hawks' reserves fuel Game 5 win over Pacers

Apr 29, 2014 - 5:04 AM Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Shelvin Mack and Mike Scott both poured in playoff career-highs off the bench and the Atlanta Hawks stole back home-court advantage with a 107-97 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of this Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

Mack scored a team-high 20 points and Scott hit five triples -- all during a 41-point second quarter -- en route to 17 points for Atlanta, which outscored Indiana by 22 points in the second and led by as many as 30 before the Pacers made the final score respectable with a dominant, albeit meaningless, fourth.

Paul Millsap added 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks for the Hawks, who return home for Thursday's Game 6 with a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven series. Kyle Korver also made five 3-pointers to help Atlanta set a franchise playoff record with 15 makes from behind the arc.

"We haven't shot the ball all that well this series," said Korver. "Last game we went 35 percent from the field. The law of averages, you feel like eventually you're going to start hitting some shots. Our bench came in, especially Mike and Shelvin, and lit it up."

Paul George registered 26 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and six steals in Indiana's second home defeat of the series. David West, Lance Stephenson and George Hill all scored 16 points.

The top-seeded Pacers, who will need to win the next two games to salvage their season, have only won consecutive games once since a four-game winning streak against all non-playoff teams from Mar. 11-17. Indiana is 8-12 during that stretch.

The Pacers are 0-10 all-time in a series in which they trailed 3-2.

After an uneventful opening 12 minutes, the Hawks began to distance themselves early in the second quarter. Atlanta trailed 21-20 after one, but Mack knotted the score with a free throw to set the stage for the Mike Scott Show.

The Virginia product hit 3-pointers on four straight possessions to sandwich a Pacers timeout, and less than three minutes into the second it was 33-21. Mack assisted on three of those triples.

"Give them credit, man. Scott has worked his way into a good series," said West. "That was the difference in the game, that 4-to-6 minute stretch in the second."

Hill finally got a putback layup to go and Luis Scola hit a short jumper to cut the deficit to eight, but Mack canned a jumper and Korver sank a 3- ball. Scott's putback layup then gave the Hawks a 15-point advantage.

West bullied his way to the stripe on the next Indiana touch but missed both foul shots, leading to another Korver trey. Mack's free throws following two straight George misses had the advantage to 20 at 45-25.

Atlanta's reserves won the bench battle in the first half, 34-2, and the underdog Hawks took a commanding 61-40 lead into the locker rooms.

The Hawks pushed the spread to 30 points, 80-50, following DeMarre Carroll's personal 6-0 run early in the third. Carroll finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

Indiana showed signs of life with a 10-0 run during the final stages of the third, pulling to within 87-67 heading into the fourth.

The Pacers continued their strong play into the final frame. Chris Copeland hit a pair of early 3-pointers, C.J. Watson added two triples and a layup and after West swished in two mid-range jumpers, Watson's driving layup had the margin into single digits, 96-87, with 4:04 remaining.

"You have to tip your hat to every guy in this locker room for really fighting to get back in the game," said Hill.

Desperate for a bucket after seeing the lead shrinking away, Korver saved Atlanta with a 27-foot 3-ball with the shot clock winding down. Mack made four free throws in the final minute to seal the outcome.

Game Notes

Atlanta's nine 3-pointers in the second quarter matched an NBA playoffs record. Only the Celtics in 2002 and the Magic in 2008 previously accomplished the feat ... The Hawks outscored the Pacers 17-8 in transition ... Indiana's starting center Roy Hibbert finished with zero points and zero rebounds in 12:13 on the floor.