Pacers celebrate Turner’s big birthday by beating Pelicans
Indiana Pacers guard Ty Lawson (10) makes pass in front of New Orleans Pelicans center Kendrick Perkins (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana— Myles Turner scored 24 points and had a career-high 16 rebounds on his 20th birthday, and C.J. Miles added 19 points in the Indiana Pacers’ 92-84 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night.
The Pacers have won two straight but lost Paul George in the third quarter with what was initially described as a bruised right leg. The three-time All-Star did not return.
Alexis Ajinca led New Orleans with 22 points, and Tim Frazier had a career-high 18. The Pelicans have lost seven of nine, this one coming with only eight players available.
But the Pelicans still made it tough on Indiana.
They didn’t allow the Pacers to take control until late in the first half when Turner scored eight straight points to start a 13-2 spurt. That made it 49-37.
New Orleans couldn’t get closer than four the rest of the night.
Turner delivered the best overall game of his rookie season. He was 11 of 17 from the field, had three blocks, his third double-double and drew a roar from the crowd with a one-handed windmill dunk in the first half.
The Pacers needed everything he could give them on a night they looked uninspired – even before losing George, who had 15 points and four rebounds.
Eight Pelicans missed the game with injuries which created an unusual sight on the bench, more people dressed in suits than players in uniform.
Indiana coach Frank Vogel appreciates the effort his team is making defensively. He’d just like to see it show up more on offense. After coasting to a 91-75 victory over Philadelphia on Monday night, Vogel took the rare step of challenging his team publicly before Thursday’s game. “I don’t think we’ve played hard enough offensively,” he said.
“We’ve played really hard defensively, but not hard enough offensively. When asked to expand on what he meant, Vogel said. “Running lanes, cutting hard enough, working hard enough to get open, physicality.”
Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday, Norris Cole, Ryan Anderson, Bryce Dejean-Jones, Tyreke Evans and Quincy Poindexter all sat out with injuries.
The Pacers have swept New Orleans five straight seasons and their 10-game winning streak in the series is Indiana’s longest active streak against an NBA team.
