Trail Blazers 92 - 99 Pacers
Final
  for this game

Pacers play host to Trail Blazers

Dec 5, 2012 - 3:47 PM (Sports Network) - The Indiana Pacers are back home for two straight games and will open the brief residency with Wednesday's showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Indiana, which will play four of its next five games at home, went 3-1 on a recent road trip and registered an 80-76 win over the Chicago Bulls Tuesday night behind a game-high 34 points and nine rebounds from Paul George.

"It was a dog fight," George said. "It's was a fun game."

Roy Hibbert had 10 points and 11 boards, while David West delivered 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists for the Pacers, who have won five of their last seven games and sit atop the Central Division standings.

The Pacers will host Denver on Friday before heading to Oklahoma City two days later. Cleveland and Philadelphia will visit Indiana next week.

Portland has played back-to-back overtime games and registered a 118-112 OT victory at Charlotte on Monday. Luke Babbitt made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 102 apiece, forcing overtime. The Blazers rallied from 18 points down and outscored the Bobcats 16-10 in the extra period.

"I looked up and saw we were down 18, but I've watched teams while I was in college just fall apart and give away games," Blazers rookie guard Damian Lillard said. "I wasn't discouraged by being down, but I knew we had to start getting it turned around immediately."

Lillard poured in 24 points and LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Nicolas Batum chipped in 17 points and 13 boards for Portland, which received 19 points from Wesley Matthews and improved to 2-4 on a seven- game road trip.

The Blazers are 4-7 away from the Rose Garden and 4-0 in overtime games this season. The last time Portland won its first four OT games was back in the 1986-87 campaign.

Aldridge became the first NBA player this season to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a game. He is averaging 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.33 blocks in his last three games.

Portland will return to the Rose Garden Wednesday night for six straight games versus the Kings, Raptors, Spurs, Hornets, Nuggets and Suns.

The Blazers lost their only meeting with the Pacers last season, dropping a 92-75 decision on the road March 13. Portland, though, has prevailed in five of the last seven encounters with Indiana.






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