Indiana Pacers’ Lance Stephenson, middle, is hugged by Paul George, left, and Roy Hibbert during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in Indianapolis. Indiana defeated Boston 106-79. AP/Darron Cummings
INDIANAPOLIS – Paul George scored 24 points and Roy Hibbert added 15 points and 12 rebounds Sunday to power the Indiana Pacers to a 106-79 NBA rout of the Boston Celtics.
Indiana’s Lance Stephenson achieved his third “triple double” of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
No other NBA player has more than one game with double digits in three statistical categories this season.
The Pacers, with the best record in the Eastern Conference at 22-5, also has 12 points off the bench from Danny Granger, who made his season debut Friday against Houston due to patellar tendinosis that limited him to only five games last season.
The Celtics, who fell to 12-17, lost their third game in a row despite 13 points from Avery Bradley and 11 each from Jeff Green and Courtney Lee.
The Pacers broke open a deadlocked game with a 19-3 run midway into the second quarter for a 42-26 edge. Granger hit two 3-pointers in the spurt and the Celtics never came so close again.