Pacers 92 - 86 Knicks
Final
  for this game

Improving Pacers resume series with Knicks

Mar 7, 2015 - 3:13 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Indiana Pacers are making a run toward the postseason and will only get better when Paul George returns.

George is working diligently on his return from a broken leg for the Pacers, who shoot for a fifth straight win Saturday against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

"I'm coming along," George told the Indy Star. "It's always a matter of how sore I'll feel. That's the only thing giving me days (where) I'm not coming along. I get sore sometimes. But while I'm on the court, I don't feel any pain holding me back."

Indiana seems to have clicked lately without George as evidenced by a 10-2 record since Feb. 4 and sits eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat have an identical record with the Pacers, and both Boston and Brooklyn are coming up the rear.

The Pacers dispatched the Chicago Bulls, 98-84, Friday night and Solomon Hill scored a team-best 16 points. Ian Mahinmi recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds, and David West posted a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards for Indiana, which used a 32-18 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter and posted 20 points on 13 Chicago turnovers.

"I just keep growing in confidence in what this group can accomplish," said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. "We're showing some real positive signs."

Indiana went 4-0 on the homestand and will play four straight in Indy after this quick trip to the Big Apple.

The Pacers are 11-20 away from home.

New York has dropped two in a row and 10 of its last 12 games, including Wednesday's 105-82 road demolition at the hands of the Pacers. Indiana had a comfortable 30-19 lead after the first quarter and scored 65 points at the break.

George Hill scored 21 points to lead the Pacers, while Andrea Bargnani paced the Knicks with 25 points.

"They caused us some problems," Knicks head coach Derek Fisher said of Indiana. "We still have a number of guys that are trying to figure out how to be successful in this league in terms of playing against teams that are physical like this. You have to give the Pacers credit for the way they were able to get some things done out there on the defensive side tonight."

The Knicks gave up 23 points on 20 turnovers.

After hosting the Pacers, the Knicks, who are only 8-22 at MSG, will hit the road for five games against Denver, Utah, LA Lakers, Golden State and Phoenix.

New York is 0-2 against Indiana this season and the two teams will meet again April 8. The Pacers are 7-2 in the last nine games against the Knicks.






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