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West lifts Pacers over Kings

Dec 1, 2012 - 7:15 AM Sacramento, CA (Sports Network) - David West scored a season-best 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting to help lead the Indiana Pacers past the Sacramento Kings, 97-92, on Friday.

West hauled in 11 rebounds and was nearly unstoppable in posting his second consecutive double-double. After hitting the game-winner on Tuesday against the Lakers, George Hill tallied 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the victory for Indiana.

"These last two wins our team has really followed the game plan literally in a couple of regards and it's paid off with two big road wins," Pacers coach Frank Vogel remarked.

Sam Young added 12 points off the bench for the Pacers.

Coming off a loss to Minnesota, DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Sacramento was without second-leading scorer Tyreke Evans, who sat due to a bruised knee.

Marcus Thornton started in his place and finished with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Jimmer Fredette and Francisco Garcia contributed 12 points apiece in defeat.

The Kings entered the final period trailing 72-67, but quickly fell behind by nine after Hill and Young buried back-to-back shots from beyond the arc.

However, Sacramento pulled to within 90-86 following a bank shot from Aaron Brooks late in the fourth. After a missed 3-pointer from Hill, the Kings appeared to have come within two, but Cousins was called for offensive goaltending, negating a layup from John Salmons.

On the ensuing possession, Young hit a long two from the corner to put the Pacers ahead 92-86 with 1:18 to play.

However, Thornton cut the deficit to four following a layup and then got fouled driving to the basket on the Kings' next touch. He converted both attempts from the line to make it a one-possession game with 11.5 ticks remaining.

Sacramento then fouled Hill, who only made 1-of-2 free throws, giving the Kings a chance to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining.

But after inbounding the ball to Thornton, he launched a deep three that clanked off the back rim before falling in the hands of Hill. Sacramento fouled him again, and this time he made both free throw attempts to secure the win.

"I just missed it," Thornton said of his final shot. "It felt good going up, I just missed the shot."

After falling behind early in the first, three's by Gerald Green and Young capped a 12-0 run for the Pacers, putting them on top 18-7. However, Fredette finished a three-point play before draining a trey to make it a three-point contest heading into the second stanza.

Garcia fueled the Kings' offense early in the period, connecting on a pair of long jumpers before knocking down a three from the corner to bring Sacramento within one at 31-30. He then penetrated the lane on the Kings' next touch and scored on a layup to put them ahead.

However, the Pacers rallied toward the end of the quarter, as Hill drained a triple before banking a long two at the buzzer to give Indiana a 43-40 edge heading into halftime.

Thornton and Brooks connected on back-to-back shots from long range to put the Kings in front by five in the third, but the Pacers rallied to take a 70-64 lead following Young's drive to the basket.

West, who scored 10 points in the third, knocked down a short fadeaway to put the Pacers on top 72-65 before Fredette's running jumper cut the Kings' deficit to five heading into the final period.

Game Notes

The Pacers scored 20 points off 13 Kings' turnovers ... Sacramento will travel to Los Angeles to play the Clippers on Saturday ... Indiana will visit Golden State on Saturday.