West Leads Pacers Past Kings 97-92
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — David West had 31 points and 11 rebounds to help the Indiana Pacers edge the Sacramento Kings 97-92 on Friday night.
West was 13 for 20 from the field and 5 for 7 at the line in his season-best scoring performance. He is averaging 23 points over the last five games, four of them Indiana victories.
George Hill had 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Pacers, and reserve Sam Young scored 12.
DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Kings (4-11), who have dropped two in a row and own the worst record in the Western Conference. Marcus Thornton scored 15 points, and reserves Jimmer Fredette and Francisco Garcia each had 12.
Thornton missed a long 3-pointer that would have tied it with 5 seconds left. Hill secured the rebound and was fouled. He made both free throws with 2.9 seconds left, giving Indiana a 97-92 lead.
Sacramento used Thornton's two free throws to pull within two with 11.5 seconds left. After a timeout, Hill was fouled on the inbounds play and made one of two foul shots for a 95-92 lead.
The Kings played without Tyreke Evans, their leading scorer over the past five games. Evans, who leads the team in assists and is the second-leading scorer, missed his first game of the season due to a bruised left knee.
Cousins tried to rally Sacramento to a victory. He hit four straight free throws and John Salmons added two more, trimming Indiana's lead to 88-84 with 3:04 left.
The Pacers responded with six straight points. West scored, Young made a corner jumper, and West followed with a 15-footer to make it 94-88 with 56 seconds remaining.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.)
