INDIANAPOLIS -- For 24 minutes Wednesday night, Indiana forward Paul George looked, at best, ordinary.

The All-Star, who made only 1 of 9 first-half field goal attempts, was extraordinary during the second half, scoring 25 of his game-best 27 points on 9 of 14 shooting in the Pacers' 108-105 victory against the New York Knicks in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

"I was trying to impose my will," said George, who ranks ninth in NBA scoring. "I got going in the second half, got to my sweet spot, which is pullup jumpers. I've just got to be more efficient in the paint. To close out a game like that gives us confidence."

Rookie forward Myles Turner finished with 24, helping the Pacers hold off the Knicks, who stayed close by making 13 of 26 shots from 3-point range and 22 of 25 free throws.

"In the fourth quarter, we finally got stops, and Paul carried is," said Indiana center Ian Mahinmi, who finished with eight points and seven rebounds while playing solid defense. "Definitely, our confidence is better in these close games. We have improved in those situations lately."

New York, which got 22 points from rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis and 20 from guard Jose Calderon, had an opportunity to take the lead with 11.1 seconds to play, but Porzingis missed a 3-pointer. Turner turned around and made 1 of 2 free throws free throws after grabbing the rebound and being fouled.

The Knicks (24-35) had one last chance to tie, but forward Carmelo Anthony missed a 3-pointer with less than a second to play.

"We got a lot of support from the guys off our bench," New York interim coach Kurt Rambis said. "We got a unit out there that brought a lot of energy to our game."

New York led 99-96 with 3:52 remaining, but Indiana (31-26) finished with a 12-6 run as George and Turner combined for 11 of the Pacers' final 12 points.

"It was a great finish for us, but I have to start making my free throws," said Turner, who could have iced the victory with 1.9 seconds to go but missed the first of two free throws with Indiana leading 107-105. "Coach wants me to be aggressive and take shots. I am not drawing back."

The Pacers are 3-1 since the All-Star break.

"In the second half, we were trying to attack the basket," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. "The difference with Paul was that he just made shots in the second half. He had good looks in the first half, too. I thought we got into a situation where a struggling team played up to our level tonight. The Knicks knew they weren't playing Golden State."

Two 3-pointers from guard Langston Galloway, who had 17 points, pushed New York into an 88-84 lead with 8:53remaining, but George scored eight of Indiana's next 10 for a 94-93 lead with 5:36 remaining, prompting a Knicks timeout.

Indiana led by as many as 11 during the third quarter, but New York responded with a 15-2 run to take a 76-74 lead before the Pacers pulled even at 80 after a 3-point shot by George.

Calderon, who had 11 first-half points, scored the final five points of the second quarter to push the Knicks into a 54-52 lead through 24 minutes.

Forward Kyle O'Quinn, who finished with 19 points and six rebounds, came off the bench for 10 first-half points for New York, which made 7 of 11 from 3-point range and 11 of 13 free throws in the first two quarters.

George and Turner made only 5 of 20 shots from the field and collected only two rebounds each in the first half.

The Pacers out-rebounded the Knicks 25-19 in first-half action, including six from guard Monta Ellis and five from center Ian Mahinmi.

Porzingis had 11 first-half points for New York.

"I thought tonight, we got back to the team that we are," Porzingis said. "That is a team that plays physical and doesn't let guys push us around. That is the team we have to be to turn this thing around. Still, it stinks that I missed a shot that could have won the game for us. Our guys off the bench played great."

NOTES: The Knicks were without F Cleanthony Early (right knee). ... Indiana played without G Rodney Stuckey (sprained and bruised right foot). ... The Knicks came in with a 10-18 road record and Pacers were 17-9 in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. ... Each team came in off a loss. ... Indiana is 1-6 in overtime games, including Monday's loss at Miami. ... New York leads the NBA in free throw shooting at 80.8 percent and is eighth in blocks at 5.6 per game. ... The Pacers are third in opponents' 3-point percentage at 32.5 and are fourth in steals per game at 9.2 ... Before Wednesday night's game, Indiana had beaten New York six consecutive times in Indianapolis, dating to a Knicks victory on March 17, 2012. ... The Pacers were 4-0 against New York last season ... This was the first of three games this season between the Pacers and the Knicks.