Trail Blazers: Portland commits more fouls per game than all but two teams.
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Indiana Pacers center Jordan Hill (27) drives against Portland Trail Blazers center Ed Davis (17) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. Out of a timeout Lillard drove for a score with 18.8 seconds left to seal the game. After last season the Pacers declined Hill’s 2016-17 option meaning that he will become a free agent at the end of this season. “We did a lot of good things down the stretch”.
George had led the Pacers in scoring in 12 of the last 13 games, during which he averaged 30.5 points.
“It’s 18 games into Karl’s career, guys”.
Guard Stephen Curry scored 44 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Toronto Raptors 112-109 on Saturday for their 25th straight regular-season victory dating to last season. The visiting Pacers are coming off an impressive 103-91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center on Wednesday night.
The Blazers were at their best in the third quarter after trailing 59-56 at intermission, scoring 41 points on 14-of-24 shooting, including 6 for 12 from downtown. Lillard and Allen Crabbe hit consecutive 3s for Portland, but Miles hit his own to close the gap to 111-107.
Plumlee’s dunk extended Portland’s lead to 120-111 and Al-Farouq Aminu hit a 3 for the final margin.
“It was just one of those nights”, said George, who was 4-for-17 from the field – including 0-for-9 from 3-point range – and committed five turnovers in 34 minutes.
Towns hasn’t been seeing much playing time in the fourth quarters of recent games.
Earlier in the day, George won the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award.
“It felt good, not for myself in a sense but for my teammates”, Aminu said. The Pacers still look like a team with the potential to get better and the talent to do so.
Solomon Hill appeared to have a bright future with the Indiana Pacers but could not work himself back into the rotation after the roster overhaul in the summer. He had 15 points in the first half, but just two on 1-for-9 shooting the rest of the way.
Forward Meyers Leonard’s hook shot upped the Blazers’ advantage to 105-95, but the Pacers used an 8-0 run to slice the difference to 105-103.
The Pacers got a scare late in the quarter when George crumpled to the court after a collision with Aminu.
The Pelicans could be looking to strengthen the small forward spot because Quincy Pondexter remains sidelined in his recovery from knee surgery and there remains no timetable on his return although he was expected to return by November. The Pacers later said he got kneed in the back. “We have great confidence in Joe”, Coach Frank Vogel said.
The Raptors, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the first quarter and by 10 points at halftime, took the lead at 85-84 in the fourth quarter. He certainly appears to be more comfortable asserting himself as the focal point of Minnesota’s attack, something he had at times lacked during his rookie season. “We’ve got to figure out some ways to get going”.
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Controlling George was a big part of the Portland game plan.
