Oklahoma City Thunder Pull Away Late Against the Indiana Pacers

There were no miracle 3-pointers to save the Indiana Pacers this time as the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away late on Saturday night.

Oklahoma City had held the lead through the second and third quarters, but Rodney Stuckey came off the bench to put Indiana ahead early in the fourth quarter. Monta Ellis and Lavoy Allen helped the Pacers extend it a four-point margin briefly, but the Thunder went on an 18-4 run that effectively ended the game with 3:47 remaining.

Indiana cut the lead to 3 points, but it was too little, too late, as the Thunder won 115-111.

Though it was a loss and one that came in the fourth quarter, this was less of the Pacers blowing a lead as much as it was the Thunder getting hot and holding off an Indiana rally in the fourth.

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The real star of the game for the Pacers though was Paul George, who dropped 45 points, the second most points he’s scored in a game. He got those points thanks to shooting 14 of 29 from the field, 4 of 10 from beyond the arc, and a 13 of 15 performance from the foul line. After his usual midseason slump, we’re seeing plenty of All-Star level Paul George now. He had 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the game as well.

George Hill had 20 points thanks in part to a 4 of 5 shooting performance from beyond the arc while dishing out 9 assists.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 33 points and 13 rebounds while Russell Westbrook got his 14th triple-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists.

Data curated by PointAfter

It also looked like Frank Vogel was tinkering with the lineups as both Jordan Hill and C.J. Miles played less than 10 minutes in the game, so for the Pacers to get out of their comfort zone and keep it close is somewhat encouraging.

Myles Turner played more than he did against the Toronto Raptors and played better defense, making himself less of a liability for the Pacers in crunch time. That’s not a criticism, just an acknowledgment that the rookie still has plenty to learn as a starter in the NBA.

Next: Myles Turner Not Taking Texas Longhorns Loss Very Well

Indiana returns to action on Monday as they host the Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m.