Pacers snap 2-game skid by routing Houston 114-81 (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gfhIY0NUS7EhhEEBpCTAN22PbnbCkkFZjAQn1gVHkdlziZW3vC8gTOAh9vdblEHnTC5RnJn4bSfZUPwJ9Jtx_Q3XnRHPqR8hkHUJ_44unY8KjQkZSt3szFffwSy8xaxogcO7JBhkT_s/s1600/111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gfhIY0NUS7EhhEEBpCTAN22PbnbCkkFZjAQn1gVHkdlziZW3vC8gTOAh9vdblEHnTC5RnJn4bSfZUPwJ9Jtx_Q3XnRHPqR8hkHUJ_44unY8KjQkZSt3szFffwSy8xaxogcO7JBhkT_s/s320/111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8639" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Pacers responded to Friday night's challenge like a champion.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8614" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''This team doesn't like losing,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''We talked about playing mad for four quarters.''After taking two big hits this week - losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season - Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="13" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4725" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8629" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Paul George</a> finished with 24 points and nine rebounds, Lance Stephenson added 16 points and six assists, and the defense completely shut down Houston in a 114-81 rout.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8668" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">By following Vogel's plan, the Pacers continued to add to an already strong resume.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8678" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">While some try to discount Indiana's quick start because they're playing in the struggling Eastern Conference, the Pacers still have a firm grip on the conference's best record (21-5) and have already beaten three of the Western Conference's top teams - the Clippers, Spurs and now the Rockets.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The way Indiana has been winning is just as impressive.</div><div class="body-slot-mod" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-width: 300px;"><div class="yom-remote"><div class="" id="mediasportsmatcharticlescore_container"><div class="yom-mod yom-app yom-scores yom-sports-match-score yom-sports-scorething js" id="mediasportsmatcharticlescore" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); color: #f0f0f0; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 10px; zoom: 1;"><div class="hd" style="color: black; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: capitalize; zoom: 1;"><h3 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 17px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Fri, Dec 20, 2013</h3></div><div class="bd" style="color: black; line-height: 13px; margin: 0px; min-width: 280px; padding: 0px; zoom: 1;"><div class="yom-sports-scorething-day"><table class="nba boxes" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px !important; margin: 0px auto; width: 280px;"><tbody class=" final game link" data-index="0" data-url="/nba/houston-rockets-indiana-pacers-2013122011/" style="background-color: inherit; border: none;"><tr class="team away " style="background-color: inherit; border: none;"><th class="" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; font-weight: normal; padding: 3px 8px 1px; width: 140px;"><span class="logo yom-logo-nba large hou" style="background-color: #cc1144; background-image: url(http://l.yimg.com/os/mit/media/m/sports/images/team-logos/sprites/nba-40-1550761.png); background-position: -1040px 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 40px; margin-right: 3px; vertical-align: middle; width: 40px;"></span><span style="color: #3f3f3f; display: inline-block; float: left; line-height: 20px; margin: 13px 0px 0px 5px; max-width: 92px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Houston</span></th><td class="score" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; padding: 3px 0px 0px; text-align: right; width: 1px;"><span style="border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; color: #3f3f3f; font-size: 22px; padding: 15px 10px 11px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">81</span></td><td class="links" colspan="1" rowspan="2" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; padding: 5px;"><span class="meta" style="color: #888888; display: block; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: center;"><a class="no-pjax" data-rapid_p="14" data-ylk="lt:s;sec:mod-sch;slk:game;itc:0;ltxt:;tar:sports.yahoo.com;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/houston-rockets-indiana-pacers-2013122011/" style="color: #888888; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Final</a></span></td></tr><tr class="team home winner" style="background-color: inherit; border: none;"><th class="" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; font-weight: normal; padding: 0px 8px 3px; width: 140px;"><span class="logo yom-logo-nba large ind" style="background-color: #1c365c; background-image: url(http://l.yimg.com/os/mit/media/m/sports/images/team-logos/sprites/nba-40-1550761.png); background-position: -320px 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 40px; margin-right: 3px; vertical-align: middle; width: 40px;"></span><span style="color: #3f3f3f; display: inline-block; float: left; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; margin: 13px 0px 0px 5px; max-width: 92px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis;">Indiana</span></th><td class="score" style="background-color: inherit; border: none; padding: 0px 0px 3px; text-align: right; width: 1px;"><span style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; color: #3f3f3f; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; padding: 15px 10px 11px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">114</span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div></div></div></div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8688" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Despite taking Dwight Howard's best shot Friday - Houston's center had 19 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks - Indiana still managed to manhandle the usually potent Rockets' offense. Houston (17-10) entered the game second in scoring average and third in field goal percentage. It left Indianapolis having shot 38.1 percent in the game, compiling a season-low in points and losing to Indiana for the fourth straight time.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8698" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Even James Harden, the league's No. 6 scorer, couldn't get started. He was just 3 of 14 from the field and scored only 12 points, primarily against George. It was a disturbing twist for Houston, which had won three of its previous five, had beaten Chicago by 25 points on Wednesday and was trying to keep pace with division-leading San Antonio.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Heck, it couldn't even figure out how to beat the Pacers' stout defense.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''We had no answers for them. They played way better than we did,'' coach Kevin McHale said. ''We weren't moving, we weren't attacking, they had us on our heels all night.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">But Indiana also had something else - motivation.</div><div class="body-slot-mod" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-width: 300px;"><div class="yom-remote"><div class="" id="mediasportsgameleaders_container"><div class="yom-mod yom-app yom-game-leaders" data-gid="nba.g.2013122011" id="mediasportsgameleaders" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); color: #f0f0f0; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1px; padding: 10px; zoom: 1;"><div class="hd" style="color: black; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 5px 0px 5px 5px; position: relative; text-transform: capitalize; zoom: 1;"><h3 style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Game Leaders</h3></div><div class="bd league-nba" style="color: black; margin: 0px; min-width: 280px; padding: 0px; zoom: 1;"><ul class="players" style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="clear: both; display: block; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 280px;"><a data-rapid_p="15" data-ylk="lt:s;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3818/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" title="Dwight Howard"><img alt="Dwight Howard" class="photo" height="66" src="http://l.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/PjOJVrb5lusNQaYIehQuUQ--/YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVvO2NoPTg2MDtjcj0xO2N3PTY2MDtkeD0xO2R5PTE7Zmk9dWxjcm9wO2g9MjE1O3E9MTAwO3c9MTY1/http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/i/us/sp/v/nba/players_l/20121217/3818.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 1px solid rgb(127, 127, 127); float: left; height: 66px; margin: 0px 8px 8px 0px; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important; width: 50px;" title="" width="50" /></a><div class="name" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><a data-rapid_p="16" data-ylk="lt:s;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3818/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" title="Dwight Howard">Dwight Howard</a></div><div class="number team" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;">#12, <a class="team" data-rapid_p="17" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/hou/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Houston</a></div><div class="stats" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px !important; margin: 0px; width: auto !important;"><tbody style="border: 0px;"><tr style="background-color: transparent;" title="Points Scored: 19"><th class="stat" scope="row" style="background-color: #e3e7ec; border: 0px; font-weight: normal; padding: 8px;">Pts:</th><td class="value" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">19</td></tr><tr style="background-color: transparent;" title="Total Rebounds: 12"><th class="stat" scope="row" style="background-color: #e3e7ec; border: 0px; font-weight: normal; padding: 8px;">Reb:</th><td class="value" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">12</td></tr><tr style="background-color: transparent;" title="Assists: 2"><th class="stat" scope="row" style="background-color: #e3e7ec; border: 0px; font-weight: normal; padding: 8px;">Ast:</th><td class="value" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">2</td></tr></tbody></table></div></li><li style="clear: both; display: block; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 280px;"><a data-rapid_p="18" data-ylk="lt:s;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4725/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" title="Paul George"><img alt="Paul George" class="photo" height="66" src="http://l.yimg.com/iu/api/res/1.2/fR7eilJJEvVNpVZd12iAOA--/YXBwaWQ9eXZpZGVvO2NoPTg2MDtjcj0xO2N3PTY2MDtkeD0xO2R5PTE7Zmk9dWxjcm9wO2g9MjE1O3E9MTAwO3c9MTY1/http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/i/us/sp/v/nba/players_l/20121217/4725.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 1px solid rgb(127, 127, 127); float: left; height: 66px; margin: 0px 8px 8px 0px; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important; width: 50px;" title="" width="50" /></a><div class="name" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><a data-rapid_p="19" data-ylk="lt:s;" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4725/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" title="Paul George">Paul George</a></div><div class="number team" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;">#24, <a class="team" data-rapid_p="20" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/ind/" style="color: #949494; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Indiana</a></div><div class="stats" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2px;"><table style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px !important; margin: 0px; width: auto !important;"><tbody style="border: 0px;"><tr style="background-color: transparent;" title="Points Scored: 24"><th class="stat" scope="row" style="background-color: #e3e7ec; border: 0px; font-weight: normal; padding: 8px;">Pts:</th><td class="value" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">24</td></tr><tr style="background-color: transparent;" title="Total Rebounds: 9"><th class="stat" scope="row" style="background-color: #e3e7ec; border: 0px; font-weight: normal; padding: 8px;">Reb:</th><td class="value" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">9</td></tr><tr style="background-color: transparent;" title="Assists: 4"><th class="stat" scope="row" style="background-color: #e3e7ec; border: 0px; font-weight: normal; padding: 8px;">Ast:</th><td class="value" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;">4</td></tr></tbody></table></div></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The Pacers were determined to make someone pay for this week's earlier stumbles, and they didn't care much about who showed up Friday.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Not only did the Pacers finish with a season high 12 3-pointers, but they also had a season high point total, their largest victory margin (33) of the season and their second best field goal percentage of the season (53.1).</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Six players scored in double figures and they did all that on a night Roy Hibbert finished with nine points, six rebounds and one block.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">How did they do it? The same way the Pacers usually win - with a balanced and a relentless defense.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''It's a good feeling because when we're at our best, we feel like we're unstoppable,'' George said. ''It was good to come out and play with high energy against a high-energy team.''</div><div class="body-related" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; position: relative;"><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="21" data-uuid="6d41b69e-c976-38ce-9368-6cd3eb42cf2f" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/pacers-snap-2-game-skid-photo-034932173--nba.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacers snap 2-game skid by routing Houston 114-81"></a><br /><div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"><div class="cta-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: background-color 0.24s linear; font-size: 13px; height: 451px; left: 0px; 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transition: opacity 0.24s linear;">View gallery</span><span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-xsmall" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.16s linear; background-color: #324fe1; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 4px; border-bottom-right-radius: 4px; border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; bottom: 5px; cursor: pointer; height: 23px; left: 5px; line-height: 0; opacity: 0; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-indent: -1000em; transition: opacity 0.16s linear; width: 32px; z-index: 1;"></span></a></div><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="21" data-uuid="6d41b69e-c976-38ce-9368-6cd3eb42cf2f" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/pacers-snap-2-game-skid-photo-034932173--nba.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacers snap 2-game skid by routing Houston 114-81"><img alt="Pacers snap 2-game skid by routing Houston 114-81" class="body-related-thumb" data-src-2x="" height="451" src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/KdT0IaEfnC7cEVdm6DCidQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQ1MTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/Sports/ap/201312202042745233552" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; opacity: 1 !important; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important;" width="300" /></a></div><a class="body-related-link body-related-image go-to-slideshow-lightbox rapid-noclick-resp portrait onesize get-lbdata-from-dom" data-rapid_p="21" data-uuid="6d41b69e-c976-38ce-9368-6cd3eb42cf2f" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/pacers-snap-2-game-skid-photo-034932173--nba.html" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 300px; position: relative; text-decoration: none;" title="Pacers snap 2-game skid by routing Houston 114-81"></a><br /><div class="body-related-title photo-caption" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: grey; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 5px 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; width: 300px;">INDIANAPOLIS - DECEMBER 20: <a class="yom-entity-link yom-entity-sports_player" data-rapid_p="22" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3943" style="color: #324fe1; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Danny Granger</a> #33 of the Indiana Pacers drives against the Houston Rocke …</div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">The Rockets never had a chance on a celebratory night for the Pacers.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8710" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Indiana fans gave former All-Star Danny Granger a standing ovation when he made his season debut in the first quarter and chanted his name when he finally made his first basket, a 3-pointer, early in the fourth. Granger missed all but five games last season because of a left knee injury and he was sidelined all of this season by a strained left calf. If he is healthy, and he looked rusty on offense in his first game back, he would give the Pacers even more scoring punch as they try to dethrone two-time defending champion Miami.</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8720" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">But by the time Granger made his entrance, Indiana was already taking control.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">Indiana went ahead 12-11 early in the first and spent the rest of the night pulling away.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">It led 25-20 after one, made it 41-29 early in the second and then fended off Houston's only real challenge, a 10-0 run that made it 41-39, by closing the half on a 17-6 burst to make it 56-45. Indiana quickly made it 64-49 in the third, sealed the game with a 17-4 spurt.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''They played harder than we did,'' Howard said. ''They brought a lot of extra energy at the beginning of the third quarter and that's what set us apart.''</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">And before it ended, the Pacers led by as many as 36.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">''We always say that good teams will bounce back,'' said George Hill, who had 12 points. ''That showed we're a good team.''</div><div id="yui_3_9_1_1_1387611333314_8734" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.1em;">NOTES: Reserve Luis Scola finished with 13 points and made his first 3-pointer since joining the Pacers during the offseason. ... Houston played without guard Jeremy Lin (back) and Omar Asik (thigh). Asik, who has been the subject of trade rumors, did not make the trip. ... The Rockets were just 13 of 24 from the free throw line.</div></div>

Pacers snap 2-game skid by routing Houston 114-81 (BLOG)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Pacers responded to Friday night's challenge like a champion.''This team doesn't like losing,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''We talked about playing mad for four quarters.''After taking two big hits this week - losing at home an…

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