Howard has 23 points and 20 rebounds, Hawks beat Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Dwight Howard had 23 points and 20 rebounds to help the Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 96-85 on Wednesday night.

Paul Millsap added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks.

Indiana rallied to cut Atlanta’s lead to a point with 3:42 left in the third quarter, but the Hawks pulled away with a 19-2 run. The Pacers failed to make a basket in the first 4 minutes of the fourth quarter.

Thaddeus Young led the Pacers with 24 points and had seven rebounds. Monta Ellis added 19 points, and Paul George had 18.

The Hawks led by as many as 17 points in the first half, and Indiana clawed back and pulled within five points at halftime. Atlanta led by 13 in the third quarter, but Indiana once again battled back, pulling within one point after Monta Ellis grabbed a rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup with 3:42 left in the third quarter.

The Hawks outrebounded Indiana 56 to 37, and outscored the Pacers 48 to 34 in the paint, and 19 to 11 in second chance points. Indiana had just seven offensive rebounds.