Field Level Media
Dec 31, 2018
Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis combined for 62 points to help the Indiana Pacers to their fifth straight win, a 116-108 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks.
The Pacers improved to a season-best 13 games over .500. Indiana has won 12 of its last 14 games dating to Dec. 4. It is the only team in the NBA to avoid a three-game losing streak this season.
Oladipo led the way with 22 points on 9-for-19 shooting and had seven assists and four steals. Turner and Sabonis each totaled 20 points and eight rebounds.
Turner was 7-for-9 from the field before leaving with a broken nose. Sabonis came off the bench to go 7-for-12 from the floor. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 16 points as the Pacers had six players score in double figures.
Indiana swept the three-game season series against Atlanta and has won five straight against the Hawks.
Atlanta forward John Collins had 22 points and 16 rebounds, the 11th time in 12 games that he has posted a double-double. Rookie Kevin Huerter scored a career-high 22 points on 6-for-9 shooting on 3-pointers. Alex Len added 19 points and seven rebounds, and rookie Trae Young had 16 points and seven assists.
The Pacers led by as many as 11 points in the first half, when they shot 52.3 percent from the field, and led 63-60 at the break. Indiana outscored Atlanta 34-21 to take a commanding 97-81 lead after three quarters.
The Hawks were playing short-handed. Guard Kent Bazemore hurt his right ankle on Saturday and is expected to miss two weeks, and Dewayne Dedmon was held out with left knee soreness. Already missing was Taurean Prince with an ankle injury.
The Hawks started Daniel Hamilton in Bazemore's place. The UConn grad was recalled from the G-League's Erie BayHawks. He played seven games earlier this season for Atlanta. He scored eight points.
Atlanta begins a two-game road trip at Washington on Jan. 2. Indiana is off until Jan. 4, when it begins a five-game road trip in Chicago.
--Field Level Media