‘Desperate’ Pacers rally past Thunder

The Indiana Pacers showed the scrappy determination they’ll need to hold on to their playoff spot.

Monta Ellis scored 27 points to help the visiting Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 on Friday night.

Indiana, looking to improve its playoff position in the tight Eastern Conference, where it’s currently sixth, overcame a seven-point deficit in the final three minutes.

“It’s about us coming out of this All-Star break trying to play the right way, trying to get some wins and trying to turn our season around,” Pacers forward Paul George said.

George had 22 points and 10 assists, Ian Mahinmi matched a career high with 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Myles Turner had 16 points and a career-high six blocks for the Pacers.

Off a nine-day layoff over the All-Star break, the Kings played sloppily at times, committing 22 turnovers that led to 34 Denver points.

Tony Parker scored 25 points for visiting San Antonio in the final matchup between Kobe Bryant and longtime Western Conference adversary Tim Duncan.

Bryant had 25 points in 29 minutes, and Duncan finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds to help San Antonio complete a four-game sweep.

Derrick Favors had 23 points and 10 rebounds to help host Utah snap a two-game skid.

James Harden had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to help visiting Houston hand free-falling Phoenix its 10th straight loss and 25th in its past 27 games.

The Nets buried the Knicks under two big second-half runs and put six players in double figures in a strong showing in front of general manager Sean Marks, the former Cal forward who was hired Thursday.

Luol Deng scored 30 points and Josh McRoberts had 19 — season highs for each player — and visiting Miami won despite playing without All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Victor Oladipo had 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds and hit the three-pointer that put host Orlando ahead for good in overtime.

Dallas overcame an early 21-point deficit to lead by as many as 14 and broke a franchise record with 19 three-pointers, but lost for the fifth time in six games.

Kemba Walker scored 25 points and Cody Zeller added a season-high 23 for visiting Charlotte, which was without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and didn’t play Courtney Lee, the guard acquired in a three-way trade with the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.