(The Sports Xchange) – – -Indiana forwards Paul George and David West combined for 40 points and sparked a third-quarter uprising that enabled the Pacers to beat the Atlanta Hawks 89-85 for their third straight win Tuesday night.
George scored nine of his 18 points and West had eight of his 22 points in the third quarter when the Pacers erased a one-point halftime deficit.
The Pacers (38-10) rallied for eight straight points to break open a 47-47 tie in the third quarter. Indiana guard Lance Stephenson was shaken up in the third where he fell awkwardly on his back and did not return.
Atlanta’s (25-22) top two scorers came off the bench. Forward Mike Scott scored 15 points after he was re-signed to a 10-day contract on Feb. 1.
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Bobcats 91, Warriors 75
Al Jefferson dominated the middle with 30 points and 13 rebounds as the Charlotte Bobcats beat Golden State to finish off their Western Conference road trip on a positive note.
Charlotte outscored the Warriors 26-13 in the first quarter and did not look back as they completed their four-game stint away from home with a record of 3-1.
The Bobcats (22-28) have a 1 1/2-game lead on the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Stephen Curry led Golden State (29-20) with 17 points and 11 assists but the home team shot just 31 percent from the field including just 4 of 20 from the three-point line.
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Bulls 101, Suns 92
The Chicago Bulls slowed things down against fast-breaking Suns, shutting down the Phoenix 3-point game in the process while forcing 21 turnovers in a win.
Carlos Boozer led the Bulls (24-24) with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Jimmy Butler and D.J. Augustin, who hit two late, clutch 3-pointers, each added 18 points.
The Suns (29-19) had their five-game win streak broken.
They were led by guard Goran Dragic, who had 24 points and seven rebounds.
The Bulls held the Suns to season lows of 13 points in the first quarter and 33 points in the first half.
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Timberwolves 109, Lakers 99
A Minnesota Timberwolves team that had not defeated the Los Angeles Lakers since 2007 until this season now has beaten them twice in three meetings after their latest victory.
Leading by 25 points in the second quarter, the Timberwolves (24-24) held off a hurting Lakers team that lost seven consecutive games and 13 of 15.
Wolves shooting guard Kevin Martin scored 32 points and Kevin Love had 31 points and 17 rebounds on a night when the Lakers pulled within seven points in the fourth quarter but could get no further.
Swingman Nick Young scored 24 points for the Lakers (16-32).
