Pacers hit all right notes in victory over road-weary Jazz
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Jeff Teague scored 21 points, Paul George added 19 and the Indiana Pacers beat the Utah Jazz 107-100 on Monday night.
Indiana continued its trend of following a loss with a win - failing to do either in consecutive games since Feb. 16. The win helped the Pacers maintain the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
Former Butler star Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with a career-high 38 points. Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 14 rebounds on the final stop of a four-game trip.
Utah looked sluggish all night, and the Pacers took advantage.
While they struggled to put away the win, the Pacers seized control with an early 8-0 run and never trailed after the 6:42 mark of the first quarter.
Every time the Jazz tried to charge back, the Pacers had an answer.
Utah cut the lead to 30-28 early in the second quarter, but then Indiana scored seven straight.
When the Jazz got within two late in the first half, Glenn Robinson III banked in a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to make it 51-46.
Utah closed to 55-54 early in the third quarter, but then the Pacers scored five consecutive points before closing the third quarter on a 10-2 spurt to make it 80-70.
And when George Hill's three-point play cut the Pacers' lead to 103-100 with 1:45 left, Indiana's defense came up big on consecutive possessions to set up George's 20-foot jumper with 18.9 seconds left.
It was that kind of night - all night - for the weary Jazz.
George scored Indiana's last seven points.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Hayward and Hill, the former Pacers guard, both received ovations during pregame introductions. ... Hill finished with 16 points in his first game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse since being traded last summer. ... Hayward scored 20 of Utah's 46 first-half points and wound up 16 of 24 from the field. ... Utah drew two defensive three-second calls in the first 16 minutes and was called for another in the fourth quarter.
Pacers: Indiana earned a split in the season series by snapping a three-game losing streak to the Jazz. ... Robinson's shot at a second buzzer-beating 3 to end the third quarter was just long. ... George didn't make a basket until there was 8:41 left in the third quarter. He was 0 for 8 from the field with two points in the first half and finished 6 of 20 with eight rebounds and five assists. ... Myles Turner had 16 points, six rebounds and four blocks.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Will return home Wednesday with a chance to pull off their first season sweep of New York Knicks since 2009-10.
Pacers: Need to win at Boston on Wednesday to avoid a three-game season sweep.