National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Indiana 98, Minnesota 84
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, November 25, 2013
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Officials: #73 Tre Maddox, #48 Scott Foster, #32 Eddie F. Rush
Attendance: 16426

Pacers 98, Timberwolves 84: George Hill had a season-high 26 points and Indiana's defense suffocated visiting Minnesota en route to its fourth straight win.

Hill shot 9-for-13 while adding seven assists and five steals as the Pacers improved to 8-0 at home. Paul George added 26 points while David West had 13.

Kevin Love's 20 points and 17 rebounds paced the Timberwolves, who shot just 32.6 percent from the field while converting 3-of-19 3-point attempts. Kevin Martin poured in 18 points while Nikola Pekovic added 18 points and 11 boards.

Hill's 18 points trumped Kevin Love's first-half double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) as the Pacers carried a 48-46 advantage into the break. No team led by more than six points until late in a tightly-contested third quarter that saw Minnesota make just two field goals in the final 5:48 and West convert a pair of short shots down the stretch to give the Pacers into a 73-68 lead entering the fourth.

The Indiana defense took over early in the final period, forcing nine straight Minnesota misses - including an emphatic block by Ian Mahinmi on Corey Brewer's layup attempt - as the Pacers opened up an 11-point advantage. Mahinmi converted a driving layup while being fouled by Pekovic and finished off the three-point play to make it 85-70 with just over seven minutes remaining, Lance Stephenson added a breakaway dunk on the next possession and Indiana cruised from there.

GAME NOTEBOOK: George has scored 20 or more points in 12 of his first 14 games. ... Pacers C Roy Hibbert, who spent most of the game in foul trouble, finished with four points and five rebounds in 27 minutes. ... Love has a league-leading 15 double-doubles through his first 16 games.
Top Game Performances
 
Minnesota   Indiana
Kevin Love 20 Scoring Paul George 26
Ricky Rubio 7 Assists George Hill 7
Kevin Love 17 Rebounds Paul George 8
Kevin Martin 8 Free Throws Made George Hill 5
Ricky Rubio 5 Steals George Hill 5
Corey Brewer 1 Blocks Ian Mahinmi 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Minnesota 84 32.6 3-19 23-28 15 47 1 9 19
Indiana 98 50.0 8-15 10-17 19 45 5 13 21
Upcoming Games
  • Indiana will play their next game on the road against Charlotte. The Pacers have a W/L % of .923 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.
  • Minnesota will play their next game at home against Denver. The Timberwolves have a W/L % of .375 after a win and .625 after a loss.