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INDIANAPOLIS -- George Hill knew there was something different about the way he felt when he showed up to the arena Friday. Brian Quick Rams Jersey . He didnt know it was going to turn out to be a career night. "When I first walked in here today I was yelling at everybody, I dont know what it is, but I have a lot of energy," Hill said. "They said, Hopefully it carries to the court." It did in a big way. Hill had a career-high 37 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 118-113 overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Hill forced overtime with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 103 with 8 seconds left in regulation. Paul George, who finished with 17 points, missed a 3-pointer, Granger grabbed a rebound and found Hill for the tying basket. "Just trying to move to an open spot to get a shot up." Hill said. "I knew we needed a 3. The best way to do it is off an offensive rebound." David West scored a season-high 30 points and had 10 rebounds and Paul George added 17 points for the Pacers (39-10), who have won 5 of 6 games. Damian Lillard had 38 points and 11 assists and LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points for the Trail Blazers (35-15). George converted a steal into the go-ahead dunk with 3:48 left in overtime, putting the Pacers ahead 107-105. West dunked with 1:37 left to make it 111-107. West scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to keep Indiana in the game. He made a jumper to tie it at 91 with 3:54 left in regulation and later tied the game at 97. George made a 3 with 1:30 remaining to put the Pacers ahead 100-99, but then Wesley Matthews scored and Nicolas Batum made a pair of free throws to put the Trail Blazers ahead 103-100 before Hill tied the game. "I thought we played well against a championship-level team who found a way to get it done," Lillard said. "Thats what great teams do, find a way to get it done." Indianas 118 points was a season high, but its what was needed to beat the leagues best offensive team. More importantly, though, the Pacers just want to prove they can beat the leagues best teams. "Against the top teams, you have to get wins throughout the year," West said. "This is a good win for us and we talk about finishing strong before the All-Star break. I thought we prepared well for this and came in and had a good game." Indianas newest addition was inactive. Andrew Bynum joined the team on Friday, a week after signing with the Pacers and over a month after being suspended indefinitely by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played in 24 games for the Cavaliers this season, but hasnt played a game since Dec. 26. Pacers coach Frank Vogel doesnt expect the 7-foot centre to play for several more weeks and said he wants to make sure Bynum is comfortable before throwing him into Indianas rotations. But the Pacers could have used his rebounding. By halftime, the Trail Blazers had a 25-15 edge and held Indiana to no offensive boards. The Pacers went on a 10-2 run in the second quarter. C.J. Watson made a free throw and Granger converted a 3-point play before Dorell Wright made two free throws, Watson made pair, Granger scored on a jumper and Rasual Butler hit a 3-pointer to make it 30-27 with 8:10 left in the first half. Lillard scored to give the Trail Blazers 44-35 lead with 3:29 left in the second quarter. Then the Pacers went on 8-2 run capped off with a shot by Hibbert to make it 46-43. Aldridge answered with a basket and West scored for Indiana before Lillard scored a wide-open layup with 2 seconds left to give the Trail Blazers a five point halftime lead. Pacers forward Lance Stephenson was out with a sore lower back. He was injured during a fall in Indianas 89-85 win over Atlanta on Tuesday. Vogel said Stephenson bounces back from injuries quickly and doesnt expect him to miss many games. NOTES: Stephenson has started every game hes played in this year and has missed just one game. Granger, who finished with seven points and six rebounds, started for Stephenson in that game in January and started Friday nights game, too. Its the only two starts for Granger in nearly two years. ... The Trail Blazers were without guard Mo Williams, who missed the game because of personal reasons. . Portland outrebounded the Pacers 47-46. It was the first time the Pacers were outrebounded in seven games.Brian Quick Jersey .C. United on Saturday night and boost the Unions playoff hopes. Nick DeLeon scored in the 36th minute for United (3-23-6), which had ample opportunities to build on its lead but went its 10th straight match without a victory. E.J. Gaines Jersey . -- The new starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs is a former first-round draft pick on a one-year deal whose career thus far has been a disappointment.(SportsNetwork.com) - The LA Angels of Anaheim try to win their third straight series when they close out a three-game set with the Atlanta Braves Sunday night at Turner Field. Catch this game live on Sunday Night Baseball on TSN2 at 8pm et/5pm pt. The Angels dropped the opener of this series, 4-3, then rebounded with Saturdays 11-6 win in 13 innings to even the set. They scored five runs in the top of the 13th inning, as Mike Trout delivered a two-run double and Albert Pujols drove in two with a base hit. Kole Calhoun opened the scoring in the decisive frame with an RBI hit. Angels relief pitcher Cory Rasmus set the Braves down in order in the bottom of the 13th to preserve the win. Trout and Pujols both had big games and each ended with three hits, a home run and four RBI. Erick Aybar had four hits, two runs scored and knocked in a run for the Angels, who ended a two-game slide and won for the sixth time in eight tries. Garrett Richards started on the mound for Anaheim and struck out 10 batters across six shutout innings. After a shaky performance early on from the bullpen, Fernando Salas threw two scoreless innings of relief for the win. "We never quit, they never quit," said Trout. "Youve got to give them props. They scored four runs and put pressure on us. We kept battling, put ourselves in a good position and we won the game." Trout extended his hitting streak to nine games and 16 straight interleague contests. Angels manager Mike Scioscia was not with the team after attending the funeral of his former Dodger teammate and 1990 Cy Young winner Bob Welch. Bench coach Dino Ebel took his place. The Angels are 3 1/2 games behind Oakland for the AL West lead and will visit Cleveland next for four games. Hector Santiago gets the starting nod for the Angels Sunday and he is winless (0-6) in 10 games (8 starts) with a 4.15 EERA. Jacob McQuaide. Santiago pitched six shutout innings for a no-decision in a 2-1 win over Oakland on Tuesday and recorded eight strikeouts with one walk. Santiago, a left-hander, has never faced Atlanta and is 0-3 on the road. Atlanta has been inconsistent of late with defeats in seven of the last 11 games. David Hale was saddled with the loss for allowing five runs in 2 1/3 innings of relief and starting pitcher Gavin Floyd gave up four runs in the first 6 1/3 innings. The Braves were able to rally from a 5-0 hole and used a four-run bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game. Jason Heyward drove in a run, B.J. Upton plated two with a triple and Freddie Freeman stroked an RBI ground-rule double to the even the score. Josh Hamilton put the Angels back on top with a run- scoring hit in the 10th and Atlanta knotted the game at 6-6 on another RBI hit from Heyward, who showed no signs of a hand contusion suffered on Friday. Anaheim then exploded for five runs in the 13th. "We had our chances to get the win," said Braves catcher Gerald Laird. "It was an excellent effort coming back in the ninth inning. We battled tonight. Evan Gattis had three hits, including another home run, for the Braves, who are still tied with Washington atop the NL East standings. Gattis has homered in two straight games and has gone deep seven times since May 25. He is riding a career-best 14-game hitting streak. Atlanta will host Philadelphia next for three games. Set to take the mound for the Braves in Sundays rubber match will be Mike Minor, who is 2-4 with a 4.31 earned run average. Minor is winless (0-2) in his past four outings and was hammered at Colorado the last time out on Tuesday to the tune of eight runs and 11 hits in four innings. The left-handed Minor has never faced the Angels and is 1-4 in five starts at Turner Field. ' ' ' |
