Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?

The Indiana Pacers know it well. In fact, they seem to enjoy starring in it.

Down 21 points early in the third quarter, the Pacers kept chugging along until they finally caught the Atlanta Hawks at the wire Tuesday for a 106-102 victory at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"It's not a good storyline," Reggie Miller said.

"We just have to do a better job of coming out and getting into games quickly. You can't always dig a hole and think you're going to pull it out."

The Pacers did this time, however, overcoming a double-figure deficit for the fourth time this season. They had trailed Sacramento by 10 points, New York by 20 and Portland by 11.

It doesn't always work, though.

They had trailed Minnesota by nine points last Friday before making their comeback, but lost in double overtime.

All five starters scored in double figures for the Pacers, led by Jamaal Tinsley's career-high 29 points and 11 assists. Tinsley's total was the most for a Pacers rookie since Miller scored 31 in April 1988.

Miller had 22, hitting 4-of-7 3-pointers. Jalen Rose added 18, seven in the fourth quarter when he hit the game's two biggest shots. Jermaine O'Neal, who had missed two of the previous three games with a sore lower back, had 16 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. And Jeff Foster had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Jason Terry led Atlanta with 35 points but hit just 1-of-6 shots in the fourth quarter.

Terry wasn't alone in his mis-marksmanship, however. Atlanta his just 5-of-23 shots in the final period.

The Pacers, breaking a four-game losing streak, improved to 7-6.

Atlanta, which has lost 21 consecutive road games dating back to last season, and all seven this season, dropped to 3-8.