NBA Basketball Scores 2013: Indiana Pacers Now 5-0 After Beating Chicago Bulls At Home, Are They A Championship Caliber Team?

NBA basketball scores 2013: The Indiana Pacers gets their best start since 1971-72 by defeating the Chicago Bulls in a 97-80 win at home.

Lance Stephenson led the Pacers to victory by scoring 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter including the dagger-three in the last minutes of the game after a Luis Scola miss.

Stephenson missed 11 of his 12 shots in the first quarter but fought back late in the game which made everyone in the arena including his teammates be proud of him.

"No hesitation," the Pacers guard said. "You've just got to keep shooting. That's what my shooting coach told me."

"That's him being a professional," teammate Paul George said. "That's him growing up and maturing in this league, stepping up when you need it the most."

Defense is what gave the Indiana squad to beat the Bulls after outscoring them in almost all the aspects of the game including rebounds, assists and blocks.

"I just thought our defense ultimately came through," Indiana big man David West said. "We pride ourselves on being able to compete defensively and play every single possession."

Chicago coach also believed that his team lacked the effort for them coming short from a victory.

"We got beat in every facet of the game -- the rebounding, the defensive transition, turned it over," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We have to play 48 minutes against a good team."

The Pacers had their best start since 1971 where they eventually became the ABA championship after defeating the Utah Star in 6 games to bag the trophy.

"This is the team," Stephenson said. "I think we have all the pieces that can get us to that championship. We've just got to stay focused and go game by game. When we play as a unit and everybody's on the same page, no one can mess with us."