March 07--INDIANAPOLIS -- Pacers coach Frank Vogel called the Bulls "one of the best 'next man up' teams in all of sports" before Friday's tipoff at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Playing without Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson again, they'll need to be, especially since the Pacers have won nine of 11.
The Pacers led 45-42 at halftime.
Doug McDermott's 12 points led the Bulls, just his third time in double figures this season and first since Nov. 4. Pau Gasol added 10.
Solomon Hill's nine points led the Pacers, who had 10 players score.
Tom Thibodeau, who again started Aaron Brooks, Tony Snell, Mike Dunleavy, Gasol and Joakim Noah, didn't disagree with Vogel's assessment.
"We got a bunch of fighters," he said. "The most important thing is their willingness to commit, to play for each other, to play for the team, to play to win, to stay ready. We have a lot of guys that work extremely hard."
The Pacers started George Hill, C.J. Miles, Hill, David West and Roy Hibbert.
"They're getting a little healthier," Thibodeau said. "And you know they've dealt with a lot of stuff too, and Frank's done a terrific job with them. But I think when you look at the commitment they've made as a team, and they're going to play hard, they're going to play unselfishly, their bench has played extremely well over this stretch. And they defend."
