Pacers

In what might be the first step in removing Billy Hunter as boss of the NBA players union, the executive committee has put the executive director on indefinite leave. The action was announced in a statement Friday, two weeks after a report commissioned by the committee criticized Hunter's decisions and business practices. Hunter's attorney, Thomas Ashley, said his client will fight the allegations. "I am deeply troubled by the lack of fundamental fairness shown my client by a group whose authority to take such action is highly questionable," Ashley said in a statement.

The Historic Stakes, some of the oldest and most prestigious races on the Grand Circuit, conducted for more than 80 years, have a new venue for 2-year-old pacers and trotters. In 2013 the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association and Harrah's Philadelphia will host the quartet of events on the following dates. Wednesday, Aug. 7 -- $60,000 est. -- The E.H. Harriman Cup for 2-year-old male trotters. Wednesday, Aug. 14 -- $66,000 est. -- The Acorn for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

Paul George had 29 points and 11 rebounds, and the Pacers held Miami to a season-low point total in an 87-77 win over the Heat on Tuesday night in Indianapolis. George made four three-pointers to get the best of his matchup with LeBron James, David West added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Lance Stephenson chipped in with 13 points for the Pacers (21-14), who have won 11 of their last 13 games. It was the first time the teams had met since Miami beat the Pacers in six games in the conference semifinals last year.

Captaintreacherous, who won eight of 10 races and earned $918,253, on Wednesday became the first 2-year-old pacer in 25 years to be named Pacer of the Year, earning the nod over 3-year-olds Michael's Power and American Jewel and defending champion Foiled Again in a wide-open contest. A 2-year-old male pacer, Captaintreacherous received 48 of 146 votes in Dan Patch Awards balloting by the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Michael's Power was next with 24, followed by American Jewel with 21 and Foiled Again with 20. Ten horses received at least one vote for Pacer of the Year, with seven getting at least eight.

INDIANAPOLIS - For most of four quarters, the 76ers - minus their best player - played better than expected against the bigger and more physical Indiana Pacers, who like to strangle their opponents' offense and pound them relentlessly on the boards with their size and physicality. But the NBA is a game where the best players often decide outcomes, and with Jrue Holiday not on the floor, Indiana's players made the big shots when they had to in the waning moments, sending the Sixers to a 95-85 loss at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday night.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points; Kevin Martin added 24; and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers, 104-93, in Oklahoma City on Sunday night for their eighth straight win. A meeting of the NBA's highest-scoring offense and the league's stingiest defense went the way of the Thunder, who topped 100 points for the 12th straight game. Oklahoma City boasts the NBA's second-best defense to go with all its offensive firepower. Russell Westbrook added 21 points and came up with a big block against 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert - who is 11 inches taller - during a late 8-0 burst by the Thunder that put the game away after the Pacers had pulled within three.

There were boos early and at the end for the Washington Wizards, who dropped to a franchise-worst 0-9 with a 96-89 home loss to the Indiana Pacers (5-7) on Monday night. Indiana's David West scored a season-best 30 points, and Roy Hibbert broke out of a slump with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Still without injured point guard John Wall and starting center Nene, the Wizards are the only team in the NBA without a victory. They started 0-8 a year ago, the club's previous worst opening to a season.

David West and George Hill each scored 15 points to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Dallas Mavericks, 103-83, in Indianapolis on Friday night. Roy Hibbert and Sam Young added 14 points apiece for the Pacers, who had lost two straight before beating the Mavs and their former coach, Rick Carlisle. Elsewhere: Kevin Durant and Kevin Martin each scored 27 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to their sixth victory in seven games, 110-95, over the host New Orleans Hornets.

THE CHARLOTTE Bobcats acquired forward Hakim Warrick from the New Orleans Hornets for guard Matt Carroll on Tuesday. In 499 games over eight NBA seasons with five teams, the 6-9 Warrick has averaged 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds with a .494 field goal percentage. "We are very excited to add a player of Hakim's ability and overall NBA experience," Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said. Warrick, who starred at Friends' Central and Syracuse, played in only one game this season after being acquired by the Hornets in July.

This story has been corrected. The original version mistakenly identified the $350,000 Valley Forge race as the Betsy Ross race. Owner Richard Gutnick was happy to see his trotter Chapter Seven win Sunday's $150,000 Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational at Harrah's Philadelphia for more reasons than simply getting to visit the winner's circle. Chapter Seven, driven by Tim Tetrick and trained by Linda Toscano, won the Maxie Lee for older trotters by six lengths over Anders Bluestone in a stakes-record 1 minute, 52.1 seconds as the 1-5 favorite.