OAKLAND, Calif. Brandon Carr Elite Jersey . - When Paul George played at Golden State last season, he missed all seven shots he took and finished scoreless in Indianas loss. Instead of sulking, he went straight to the gym after the Pacers arrived back home in the wee hours of the morning. That work ethic has paid off. George scored 23 points to go with four rebounds and two assists, and the NBA-leading Pacers built a big lead before holding off the Warriors 102-94 Monday night for their fifth straight win. "That game changed everything, for our franchise and for him," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said, recalling the 103-92 loss at Golden State on Dec. 1, 2012. "It forced him to change his approach." George has emerged as an MVP candidate this season, and his Indiana teammates are improving just as rapidly. The Pacers (33-7) went ahead by 20 in the third quarter, watched the Warriors whittle the lead to two and then regrouped in the closing minutes to open the five-game West Coast trip with a victory. Roy Hibbert had 14 points and 13 rebounds, David West added 17 points and Lance Stephenson finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to help the Pacers pull away for good. "I felt good coming off screens, dribbling the ball and hitting some shots," said George, who made 9 of 20 from the floor. "Its just tough running around with those guys and still having legs to make shots at the end. Thats really what the toughness was." Stephen Curry had 24 points and nine assists, and David Lee had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the streaky Warriors, who have lost four of six since winning 10 in a row. Indiana outshot the Warriors 45.1 to 40.7 per cent and outrebounded them 52 to 45. Both teams committed 15 turnovers. "Were right there as a team that has the potential to do some great things this year if we can figure that last, little bit of consistency out," Curry said. "Weve shown in spots we have the talent to do it, we just have to find that last little piece of assertiveness against the best teams in the league." Golden State made the Pacers work for the win. After going down by 20 in the third quarter, Harrison Barnes hit a 3-pointer to slice Indianas lead to 79-77 early in the fourth. The Pacers pulled away by eight before the Warriors roared back within three on Lees free throws. Stephenson answered with a 3-pointer to put the Pacers up 94-87. Klay Thompson followed with swish from long range, then George Hill hit another from beyond the arc to keep Indiana in control. "It was like the movie Rocky II. Im not sure which guy was going to fall first. Both teams were completely exhausted," Vogel said. The Warriors final push ended almost as quickly as it started. Andre Iguodala made a fadeaway to trim Indianas lead to 98-94 with less than a minute left. After Iguodala stole the ball from Hill, Curry missed a contested 3-pointer short, and the Pacers put the game away on free throws. "Were close, but we still have work to do," said Warriors centre Andrew Bogut, who had 10 points and 13 rebounds. The Warriors entered the night having played an NBA-high 25 road games compared to 17 at home. The game began a string of five straight and nine of 11 at Oracle Arena, though Golden States home court provided little comfort against the NBAs best. Sparked by its defence and work-to-get-a-good-shot approach, Indiana opened a 35-21 lead at the end of the first quarter. Golden State switched to a smaller lineup to try and outrun the Pacers, who instead exploited their size inside. After going ahead by 16 points late in the second quarter, Indiana let the Warriors creep closer thanks to a series of turnovers. The Pacers led 53-40 at the half. Indiana came out of the break just like it did to start the game, scoring the first seven of the third quarter to take a 60-40 lead that silenced most of the announced sellout crowd of 19,596. But Curry and Co. quickly had fans on their feet and to a fever pitch after a timeout. Curry hit a jumper, then tossed an alley-oop to Bogut before Thompsons 3-pointer started a run that brought the Warriors within eight heading to the frantic fourth quarter. NOTES: Warriors coach Mark Jackson said it was an honour to play on the holiday honouring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "Im not sitting here if he didnt have a dream and he didnt fight for that dream the right way," Jackson said. ... The Warriors havent won a series against the Pacers since the 2000-01 season. ... Indiana hosts Golden State on March 4 in the teams only other meeting this season. Troy Aikman Womens Jersey . The Montreal Canadiens goaltenders dogs Motty ("short for Mozart") and Duke got loose overnight. Chris Jones Elite Jersey . Westbrook had a triple-double in 21 minutes to win the matchup of talented point guards and help the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the woeful Philadelphia 76ers 125-92 on Tuesday night.Dwayne De Rosarios return to Toronto FC is expected to be confirmed later this week after the former MLS MVP agreed to a contract with his hometown team. Canadas all-time leading goal scorer was selected by TFC in the MLS Re-Entry Draft before Christmas and I understand the two sides have now successfully negotiated a deal, although he hasnt yet put pen to paper. Whether or not this move is the right one for Toronto FC depends on how much they are paying, but with financially prudent general manager Tim Bezbatchenko at the helm, its a good bet the salary cap hit will be low, with the contract fully stocked with bonuses depending on the performances of De Rosario and the team. I was at Air Canada Centre in Toronto on the day De Rosario was first introduced as a Toronto FC player back in December 2008 following a highly successful spell with the Houston Dyamo. It was a heralded homecoming of a player who was one of the most decorated in Major League Soccer - a winner, coming to his hometown as a signature signing for a club heading into its third year of existence. For two seasons, De Ro lived up to the billing, but the club struggled through managerial instability and failed to qualify for the playoffs. However, his personal impact during his first spell with the club was overshadowed by the way in which he exited Toronto early in the 2011 season - a year when he went on to play for both the New York Red Bulls and DC United, and was then named MLS MVP. The infamous cheque signing and then the training spell at Celtic took the shine off his time in Toronto, but now there is a chance to put things right. De Rosario will now have the opportunity to finish a wonderful MLS career in his hometown. He could probably have earned more moneyy elsewhere, but if he can make the desired impact, he has the potential to heal the wounds felt by some fans following his 2011 departure. Brandon Carr Jersey. . Its not only a chance for De Rosario to make amends, but also for Toronto FC, under new management, to show the club has completely moved on from past failings. This time around, De Rosarios role will be much different. He wont necessarily be the focal point on the pitch, but more a member of the supporting cast for the already signed Brazilian forward Gilberto and the expected arrival of England international forward Jermain Defoe. For a player who turns 36 in May, it seems an ideal scenario. De Rosario is coming off a frustrating season in 2013. His DC United team finished bottom of the Eastern Conference and he scored an MLS career low of just three goals. So it is a much needed change of scenery with all of the financial benefits and home comforts that being in Toronto will bring. For the club, it is a gamble worth taking. It sends a positive message about the teams new management, while also providing them with a valuable piece of the puzzle currently being assembled by Bezbatchenko. De Rosario may be getting to the latter stages of his career, but hes been included in the MLS Best XI six times and still has plenty to offer. In his first spell with the club, he scored 27 goals in 57 MLS appearances during which time he was also named team captain. Its unlikely the Scarborough, Ontario native will produce those goal-scoring exploits this time around but he will more than adequately fit the role that will be asked of him. And in my opinion, the addition of the Canadian veteran is another shrewd addition by a club that appears to be moving in the right direction. ' ' '