NBA PLAYOFFS ROUNDUP: Pacers take 2-0 series lead against Hawks

INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George had 27 points to help the Indiana Pacers defeat the Atlanta Hawks 113-98 on Wednesday night and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

George, who had been named the NBA’s most improved player on Tuesday, was coming off a triple-double with 23 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in Game 1 on Sunday.

He had plenty of help in Game 2. George Hill scored 22 points, Roy Hibbert had 15 points and nine rebounds and reserve Gerald Green added 15 points for the Pacers.

Devin Harris scored 17 points and Jeff Teague added 16 for the Hawks. Josh Smith scored 16 points, but he only played 20 minutes because of foul trouble.

The Pacers have won all 10 NBA playoff series in which they have taken a 2-0 lead, including five sweeps. Game 3 will be played Saturday in Atlanta.

The game followed a similar script to Game 1: Atlanta shot well but was outrebounded and outscored by a large margin at the free-throw line.

Pacers guard Lance Stephenson bruised his right hip in the first quarter and went to the locker room. He returned in the third quarter, and his basket early in the period gave Indiana a 71-57 lead.

Atlanta gained some momentum and cut Indiana’s lead to eight midway through the quarter, but Jeff Pendergraph made a jumper as the shot clock expired, then George made a layup to put the Pacers up 12 with 4:10 left in the third quarter.

The Pacers closed the quarter in style. With 1.2 seconds left, David West launched a full-court pass that Green caught and dunked before the buzzer to give Indiana an 88-76 lead at the end of the period, and Indiana maintained control from there.

The Pacers led 25-19 at the end of the first quarter. Green hit a 3-pointer to give the Pacers a 43-34 lead with about seven minutes left in the first half, but Atlanta hung tough. A 3-pointer by Kyle Korver cut the Hawks’ deficit to 45-40.

Indiana’s D.J. Augustin hit back-to-back 3-pointers to extend Indiana’s lead to 57-46 late in the second quarter, and the Pacers led 59-50 at halftime.

OKC blows big lead but holds on late vs. Rockets

OKLAHOMA CITY – Despite 36 points, 11 rebounds and six assists from James Harden, the Houston Rockets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 105-102 Wednesday in Game 2 of their first-round series at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 29 points on 10-for-25 shooting to go along with nine assists. Russell Westbrook also scored 29 points despite playing on a gimpy knee.

The Thunder lead the best-of-seven series 2-0.

After winning the opener in a blowout, the Thunder (2-0) expected a better effort from the Rockets (0-2), and they got it.

Oklahoma City built a 15-point fourth-quarter lead with eight minutes left in the game. But the Rockets went on a 21-2 run to take a 95-91 lead.

The Thunder looked like they were worn out and out of sync. But Durant wasn