Notebook: Pacers 97, Bulls 92

2013/03/04 05:52:12 @NBA.com: News

THE FACTS: The Indiana Pacers didn't win the Central Division, but took a giant step in that direction by surviving a 97-92 victory over the Chicago Bulls Sunday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The victory gave the Pacers (38-22) a four-game lead over Chicago (34-26) while also securing the season-series tiebreaker, so Indiana has a strangehold on what would be its first division title since 2003-04. The severely shorthanded Bulls put up a fight and had a chance to tie in the closing seconds, but a turnover with less than a second remaining snuffed their final flicker of hope. David West carried Indiana with 31 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. George Hill had 11 of his 21 in the final period, but went 1-for-4 on free throws in the final seconds to leave the door open. Marco Belinelli and Jimmy Butler scored 20 apiece to lead the Bulls, who lost for the eighth time in 13 games.
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