Candace Buckner

IndyStar

Since the All-Star break, the Indiana Pacers have been locked in an endless stream of close games. The kind of games that can sharpen chemistry or soften character. They started with one of the best teams in the league, Oklahoma City, and continued this trend against one of the worst in the East, the New York Knicks. No matter the opponent, the Pacers can’t seem to shake the late-game drama, but handled the pressure on Wednesday and averted embarrassment for a 108-105 win.

With 3 minutes, 22 seconds remaining in the game, New York led 99-98 but Indiana responded with an 11-2 run that heavily featured Paul George.

"Especially on our home floor, this is a team that we should beat," George said. "This would've been one that probably would've put us in a slump."

BOX SCORE: Pacers 108, Knicks 105

George scored 15 of the Pacers’ final 21 points and finished with a game-high 27 points (on 10-of-23 shooting) while rookie Myles Turner contributed 24 points (10-of-20) and six rebounds, including the one after Kristaps Porzingis missed the potential go-ahead bucket with 3 seconds remaining in the game.

"I don't know why that is but these last four games have been a good test for us," Turner said. "So the fact that we're coming out pretty successful, minus the last game (in Miami), in these late-game situations, it's only good for us because we know that's how the playoffs will be like."

The Pacers (31-26) have won three of the past four games with each victory decided by three points. Monday night in Miami, the Pacers held a three-point lead with about 40 seconds remaining but lost the lead, then fell in overtime. Wednesday, they benefited from someone else making a boneheaded play.

With less than 90 seconds to play and the Pacers up 104-101, Carmelo Anthony extended a forearm into Turner’s chin. It was an easy call for officials who gave Anthony a technical foul, and George hit the free throw to increase the Pacers’ lead to two possessions. Though Anthony had a chance to atone for his mistake in the Knicks’ final possession, he air-balled the 3-point attempt as time expired and finished 5-of-20 for 14 points. The Knicks have lost 13 of their past 15 games and fell to 24-35 on the season.

Though Turner continues to grow with every start, no other rookie has enchanted the NBA as much as the 7-3 Porzingis. It helps playing in the New York market, with a fan base thirsting for someone to anoint as a savior, but Porzingis’ solid play has stoked the hype. Not only can Porzingis shoot from beyond the arc (66 3-pointers after making 2-of-7 vs. Indiana) but he also protects the glass (1.9 blocks per game). On a struggling Knicks team, Porzingis ranked fourth among rookies with 3.5 win shares entering Wednesday's play.

Last summer, Porzingis and Turner spent several weeks together training at the same Las Vegas facility. They were separated by a few spots in the NBA Draft and they'll both likely garner Rookie of the Year votes. So Wednesday represented their first regular-season matchup. However, as the game started, Porzingis (22 points) made the show look one-sided as he opened with three makes and drew a shooting foul against Turner. The first half moved slowly on offensive for Turner as he started 1-for-5 until Monta Ellis hit him, literally, with a pass in transition that first found his lips, then his hands for the dunk with 3:49 remaining. Turner followed that by scoring back-to-back buckets – not against Porzingis, but Anthony.

However, as the game progressed, the Porzingis-Turner matchup diminished in relevance as a pair of Knicks’ subs stepped into the forefront.

Holding Court with C.J. Miles returns Thursday

Kyle O’Quinn, a backup forward who had a season high of 15 points before the game, hit lucky shots that even made him laugh and finished with 19. Langston Galloway, who missed all three of his shot attempts in the Knicks’ previous loss against Toronto, had registered his third from downtown early into the fourth quarter to give New York an 88-84 lead. Galloway finished with 17 points and led New York's 3-point parade, hitting three of the team's 13. Conversely, the Pacers nearly missed that many, going 3-of-15 from beyond the arc, but still won the game.

"Some guys came out and made big shots," Pacers center Ian Mahinmi said. "This is the league. You never know. All you can do is stay the course and keep your focus and execute down the stretch. That's what we did and whether you win by 20 or you win by 2, it's a good win."

During the 11-2 fourth quarter run, George restored order by scoring the final eight points as Indiana leapt ahead 107-101 with 1:19 to go. Yet even with this seemingly comfortable cushion, the game came down to one last shot.

"We're growing as a basketball team but teams that are maybe a little bit ahead of us, we play up to them and teams that are a little bit behind us, they play up to us," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "(New York) played a good game. They shot the heck out of the basketball ... and made it close."

Follow IndyStar reporter Candace Buckner on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner.

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