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Pacers top Celtics in Bynum's debut

Mar 12, 2014 - 3:43 AM Indianapolis, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - Andrew Bynum had a successful Pacers debut and helped Indiana snap a season-long four-game slide with a 94-83 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

Bynum, signed by Indiana as a free agent on Feb. 1, totaled eight points and 10 rebounds in just under 16 minutes off the bench.

"It's a different location, a different time in my life. I'm looking forward to just going out and playing. Obviously, the atmosphere is a lot better from the standpoint that we are winning," Bynum said.

David West checked in with 24 points while Paul George and George Hill netted 12 apiece for the Pacers, who bounced back after losing their previous three contests by an average of nearly 20 points per game.

Jared Sullinger and Kris Humphries paced Boston with 17 and 15 points, respectively, but the Celtics folded late in dropping their fifth straight road test.

The biggest lead for Indiana was 15 late in the third quarter, but Boston stayed close behind a 16-4 run that stretched into the final stanza, as Sullinger's 3-pointer cut the Celtics' deficit to 69-66.

A Sullinger putback got Boston within 77-76 near the midway point, and Indiana answered with the next six points to keep the visitors at bay.

West's three-point play within under two minutes to go made it a 91-81 game, and the Pacers held on for their first season sweep of Boston since the 1998-99 campaign.

"It was a pretty good effort by our guys," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said. "Everything went great except the ball going in the basket. That's OK. I feel like we're getting better, I really do, and I think you can see it."

Bynum, traded away from Cleveland and dumped by Chicago in January, entered the game with 4:22 remaining in the first quarter to a rousing ovation and made an impact on his second possession with a two-handed slam.

The Pacers began pulling away late in the second quarter as another midseason addition, Evan Turner, scored seven points on a 13-2 run that extended Indiana's lead to 47-33.

Game Notes

Bynum, who recorded eight or more rebounds four times in his 24 games with the Cavaliers, pulled down eight boards in just over eight minutes in the first half ... Indiana shot 54.8 percent from the field, compared to 35.2 percent for the Celtics ... Rajon Rondo played through a sore knee and totaled eight points and eight assists in nearly 41 minutes for Boston.