ATLANTA — Paul George and David West hit key 3-pointers down the stretch, and the top-seeded Indiana Pacers held off the Atlanta Hawks 91-88 Saturday to even the opening-round series at two wins apiece.
In a game they had to win, the Pacers finally showed grit. George put the Pacers ahead 86-85 with a jumper beyond the arc, and West hit another trey with 1:33 remaining.
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Atlanta had a chance after Kyle Korver was fouled in the corner and knocked down three free throws. But George pulled down an offensive rebound to set up George Hill's driving shot with 56 seconds left.
Pero Antic missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would've forced overtime.
Game 5 is Monday in Indianapolis.
George scored 24 points. Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 29.
Center Roy Hibbert remained in the starting lineup despite becoming the symbol of all that's wrong with the Pacers. He struggled in the first three games of the best-of-7 series.
Hibbert scored 18 points on 7-of-25 shooting, and he looked downright lost in Atlanta's 98-85 win in Game 3. Several times, his shots were so far off the mark he didn't really seem to know where he was on the court. He also has struggled at the defensive end, lured out of his comfort zone near the basket by the outside shooting of center Pero Antic and forward Paul Millsap.
"It's a difficult lineup for me," Hibbert said. "I'm not used to it. It takes me out of position to protect the paint and to get rebounds in the paint and contest shots."
The Pacers were more effective without a true center on the court. Luis Scola, a 6-9 forward, had 37 points in the second and third games, giving the Hawks fits with his mid-range shooting.
Contributing: Associated Press