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Pacers rebound with win over Nets

Jan 3, 2012 - 6:46 AM Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Paul George drained five three-pointers en route to 21 points as the Indiana Pacers downed the New Jersey Nets, 108-94, at Prudential Center.

Danny Granger finished with 15 points and six rebounds, while David West contributed 13 points and five rebounds for the Pacers, who improved to 4-1 on the young season. Tyler Hansbrough netted 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds off the bench and Dahntay Jones chipped in with 11 points.

"It's always good to get a [win] on the road," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "We're very pleased with our effort."

Deron Williams scored a game-high 22 points to go with eight assists and MarShon Brooks ended his night with 21 points and seven boards for the Nets, who have lost five straight since opening the season with a win. Damion James donated 10 points and five rebounds for New Jersey.

Indiana opened the contest with a 10-3 burst before a three-pointer by Williams stopped the run to make it a four-point game six-plus minutes in.

Indiana shot 52 percent from the floor and 4-of-5 from three-point range to take a 29-21 lead after the opening 12 minutes of play.

A three-pointer by Mehmet Okur with 6:46 left before the break pulled the Nets within two, but Indiana scored the next four points to increase the lead to 39-33 with 5:22 left. The Pacers ended the first half shooting 44 percent from the floor and held a 48-42 advantage.

Indiana led throughout the third quarter, and began to put some distance between themselves and the Nets late in the frame.

Leading 65-60 with 4:19 to go in the quarter, the Pacers went on a 12-2 run to push their lead to 77-62 with 29 seconds left, and they led 77-64 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Pacers kept the Nets at bay the rest of the way, leading by double-digits the entire final quarter, with a George three-pointer with 3:26 to play giving Indiana its largest margin of the night, 100-81.

New Jersey used an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 11 with 1:17 left, but that's as close as it got.

Game Notes

Nets' forward Kris Humphries missed the game due to a sore left shoulder...Indiana shot 53 percent from the floor and 62 percent (13-of-21) from three-point range, while New Jersey shot 37 percent from the floor and 7- of-28 from long distance...New Jersey never led in the game...Indiana outrebounded New Jersey, 42-40...Okur ended with eight points and six rebounds...Roy Hibbert and Darren Collison had nine points apiece for the Pacers.