Pacers topple Pistons for 2nd straight game

2/24/2013

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — David West scored 16 points, and Paul George added a double-double to help the Indiana Pacers easily beat the Pistons for the second time in as many nights with a 90-72 victory Saturday.

The Pacers won 114-82 Friday night in Indianapolis and led by as many as 21 in the return leg. George finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds for Indiana, which had five players in double figures and got Danny Granger on the floor for the first time this season.

After trailing by as many as 43 in Indiana on Friday, the Pistons started the second game of the home-and-home set by missing 16 of their first 17 shots. Will Bynum led Detroit with 15 points before getting ejected for striking Tyler Hansbrough in the groin in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers struggled to take advantage, turning the ball over seven times in the first nine minutes of the game. That's when Granger checked in for the first time this season.

Detroit's second unit — including three rookies — took a 21-20 lead midway through the second quarter, but the Pacers finished strong to take a 39-28 lead at the break. Bynum had 13 points for the Pistons, but Detroit's five starters combined for only 11 on 4-of-22 shooting in the opening half.

Indiana pulled away in the third quarter and, for the second night in a row, both teams emptied their benches down the stretch.

NOTES: Granger, who sat out the first 55 games of the season with a knee injury, missed his first eight shots before hitting one in the fourth quarter. He finished with two points on 1-for-10 shooting in 18 minutes. ... Detroit's starters had one assist and eight turnovers in the first half. ... Charlie Villanueva and West picked up technical fouls for confrontations on back-to-back possessions in the second quarter.