Indiana at Detroit

[Real Deal]

TIME: 7:30 PM ET

TV: NBALP

[Built Ford Tough]

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- After losing center Roy Hibbert to an injury after the first half, the Indiana Pacers turned to their defense, Tyler Hansbrough and Jeff Pendergraph.

 

Those efforts led to an 88-77 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.

 

David West had 23 points and George Hill 18 points and seven assists for the Pacers.

 

The win put the Pacers two games over .500 for the first time this season.

 

Hibbert suffered a deep thigh bruise.

 

But Indiana held the Pistons scoreless for 6:05 in the fourth quarter while also getting big efforts from reserve big men Hansbrough and Pendergraph. Hansbrough had 11 points and six rebounds in almost 25 minutes and Pendergraph two points and three rebounds in just under eight minutes.

 

"Guys stepping up after we lost Roy to an injury," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "... Pendergraph and Hansbrough really stepped up."

 

Paul George added 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

 

Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 18 points and added eight rebounds and Rodney Stuckey had 15 points and seven assists. Brandon Knight added 14 points.

 

"It came down to a grind game in the last eight minutes of the game. They did what they do best and that's win grind games," Detroit rookie center Andre Drummond said. "They're a great team and David West hit a lot of tough shots today. It was a learning game for us today."

 

Kyle Singler's jumper brought Detroit within two at 68-66 with nine minutes left.

 

But that's when the Pacers defense put the clamps on the Pistons offense, which didn't score again until Stuckey's driving layup with 2:55 remaining.

 

"That's what we've been preaching all year long: The defense is going to get us the wins," Hill said.

 

West added: "We just try to make teams score through us or over us."

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121215_IND@DET