George Hill’s layup lifts Pacers over Wizards 103-101
WASHINGTON (AP) – George Hill’s driving layup with 2.7 seconds left lifted the Indiana Pacers over the Washington Wizards 103-101 on Wednesday night, snapping the Pacers’ six-game losing streak.
Hill scored 29 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter as Indiana rallied from a 10-point deficit.
Washington’s John Wall, who scored 17 of his season-high 34 points in the final quarter, had tied the game with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 11 seconds left.
C.J. Miles added 16 points for Indiana (31-40), which began the night in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
The Wizards (40-32), who have lost four straight, remained in fifth place.
Wall scored the Wizards’ first eight points of the fourth quarter and his jumper at the 6:46 mark increased the Wizards lead to 90-80, but the Pacers chipped away.
They took their first lead of the quarter, 95-94, on Hill’s driving layup with 2:28 left after a Wizards turnover. Wall followed with a jumper to make it 97-94.
Wall hit two free throws with 1:42 left, but after misses from each team, David West’s floater put Indiana up 99-96 with just under a minute left.
Rasual Butler’s two free throws with 20 seconds left pulled Washington to within one at 99-98. Miles was fouled and made both free throws.
Washington lost starting guard Bradley Beal to a sprained right ankle late in the first quarter.
Indiana, still awaiting Paul George’s return, was also minus second-leading scorer Rodney Stuckey (averaging 12.9 points), who missed his second game with a sore left calf.
Wall scored 10 points in the third quarter and the Wizards led 76-70 to start the fourth.
Washington led by 13 in the second quarter, but most of that was gone by halftime as Lavoy Allen’s turnaround bank shot ignited an 18-7 run by the Pacers over the final 4:28.
TIP INS
Pacers: Trail season series 2-1, with the fourth and final game April 14 at Indiana. . Roy Hibbert is 1-17 from the field in the three games against the Wizards. . Improved to 4-12 in games in games decided by three points or less, the most one-possession losses in the NBA.
Wizards: C-F DeJuan Blair (personal reasons) and Toure’ Murry (sprained left ankle) were out. . The team continues to be minus F Kris Humphries (strained left groin) and G Garrett Temple (right hamstring strain). . Soccer star Lionel Messi and Argentina’s national team were in attendance. The team is in Washington for a friendly versus El Salvador Saturday.
UP NEXT
Pacers: Visit Milwaukee on Thursday.
Wizards: Host Charlotte on Friday.