Pacers starts in style to beat Nets

new york city — The Indiana Pacers stretched their NBA season-opening winning streak to a franchise-best 7-0 on Saturday with a 96-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Pacers forward Paul George led all scorers with 24 points as Indiana handed Brooklyn their first home defeat of the season.

David West added 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists and Roy Hibbert and Lance Stephenson finished with 15 points apiece for the Pacers.

The franchise’s previous best start to a season was a 6-0 opening in 1970-71, when they were in the old American Basketball Association.

The Nets, too, had four players score in double figures.

Deron Williams had 17 points and 10 assists and Joe Johnson added 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Brook Lopez chipped in 16 and Paul Pierce scored 15 for the Nets, who trimmed a 10-point Pacers lead to three with less than three minutes remaining.

After a foul by Williams, Indiana’s George Hill sank two free throws and George drained a fade away jump shot to stretch the lead back to seven.

Brooklyn responded with baskets from Lopez and Williams to again close the gap to three with a minute and a half to play.

Neither team scored again until West’s two free throws in the waning seconds sealed it for the Pacers.

Jeff Green hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and Boston beat Miami for its third straight win.

Gerald Wallace’s pass found Green in the right corner, where he unleashed a shot over the outstretched hands of LeBron James. The shot was confirmed after a video review. Wallace hit a layup with 1.6 seconds. —