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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Pacers outlast Cavs 104-98 in OT - WHIO Dayton

Danny Granger scored 23 points, five in overtime, and George Hill made a dagger 3-pointer in the extra session, lifting the Indiana Pacers to a 104-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

The Pacers, clinging to the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, outscored the Cavs 10-4 in OT.

David West added 19 points, Hill had 17 and Roy Hibbert finished with 11 rebounds, five assists and four blocks for Indiana, 6-1 in its last seven.

Antawn Jamison scored 21 and Lester Hudson 19 for the Cavs, a league-worst 0-5 in overtime games. The Cavs were just 2 of 9 in the extra five minutes.

The Pacers should have put the Cavs away in regulation but Hill, starting in place of the injured Darren Collison, missed three free throws in the last 21 seconds.

West opened overtime with a bucket for the Pacers, who went without a field goal for a 6:41 stretch of the fourth that allowed the Cavs to overcome a 10-point deficit and open a seven-point lead.

Granger then nailed a 3-pointer, and after Hudson scored for Cleveland, Indiana's leading scorer made an 18-foot jumper to put the Pacers ahead 101-96. After Jamison misfired, Hill put the Cavs away with his 3, making it 104-96 with 53 seconds left.

It was some vindication for Hill, whose three missed free throws gave the Cavs late life and they tied it when Hudson, the D-League castoff who came in averaging 24.7 points in his past three games, dropped a sweet floater in the lane over West with 1.2 seconds to go.

The Pacers had one last chance in regulation, and Hibbert nearly made an impossible shot, arching an attempt from behind the backboard that bounced off the front of the rim.

Indiana improved to 17-14 on the road, the club's first winning record outside Indiana in eight years.

With the loss, the Cavs were officially eliminated from the playoffs.

Cleveland played its fifth straight game without rookie Kyrie Irving, who has a sprained right shoulder.

The Cavs were down 78-68 after Dahntay Jones dropped a 3-pointer for Indiana.

But Hudson heated up and the Cavs responded with an 18-1 run, taking an 86-79 lead on Omri Casspi's 3-pointer from the left wing. Hudson scored six points during the improbable run, which the Pacers helped by making four turnovers and missing four shots.

Indiana ended up going nearly seven minutes between field goals, with Hill's 3-pointer with 4:19 pulling the Pacers within 88-85.

Hill then converted on two drives and after Hibbert dunked, the Pacers appeared on their way to a win, leading 93-89 with 30 seconds left.

Hill, though, failed to put the game away at the line and the Pacers had to work an extra five minutes to hold onto their playoff seed.

The Pacers began the third quarter looking to include Hibbert in their offense. The 7-foot-2 center, who scored just two points but had four assists in the first half, scored four quick ones as Indiana opened the third with an 11-2 spurt capped by Granger's three-point play to lead 57-48.

The Cavs didn't fold and closed within 59-58 after Jamison scored six points in a row. Granger and Leandro Barbosa then dropped 3-pointers in an 11-4 run and Barbosa added another 3 as the Pacers took a 73-66 lead in the fourth.

Notes: Collison was inactive, but sat on the bench in warmups because he forgot to bring a sport coat on the overnight trip. The league requires any players not dressing to wear a suit jacket. ... Irving worked out with a trainer on the floor before the game, and coach Byron Scott ruled his young star out through Friday's game at Indiana. There's still a possibility the Cavs will shut down Irving, a virtual lock to be named the NBA's Rookie of the Year, for the remainder of the season. ... Cavs C Anderson Varejao also remains sidelined after breaking his wrist on Feb. 10. There's also no clarity on when â€" or if â€" he'll be back. ... Cavs backup C Semih Erden had to be helped to the locker room after rolling his ankle in the first half.

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