Pacers ride balanced offense to win over 76ers
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored 21 points to lead seven Pacers in double figures as Indiana beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-94 on Sunday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Myles Tuner contributed 17 points and a team-high 16 rebounds. Also in double figures for the Pacers were Jeff Teague (16 points) and Al Jefferson (14). C.J. Miles, Monta Ellis and Aaron Brooks each scored 10 points.
Jefferson suffered a leg injury with 9:43 left in the fourth quarter. He was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.
Indiana (37-36) snapped a two-game losing streak and moved into a three-way tie with Atlanta and Milwaukee for the No. 5 spot in Eastern Conference.
Sergio Rodriguez led Philadelphia (27-46) with 16 points. Robert Covington and Shawn Long each scored 15.
The Pacers, who led 51-45 at halftime, led by as many as 19 points (68-49) in the third quarter before settling for an 81-69 lead after three quarters.
Despite shooting just 37 percent from the field (17 of 46) in the first half, the Pacers led by six points at halftime. Indiana finished at 42.7 percent (38 of 89).
The 76ers shot 36.7 percent from the field (18 of 49) in the first half. The Pacers had a 30-29 rebounding edge in the first half.
George hit a driving layup at the first-quarter buzzer to give the Pacers a 27-18 lead. Their largest first-half lead was 11 points. The 76ers led by as many as six points early at 13-7.
NOTES: Pacers F Glenn Robinson III missed his second consecutive game due to sore left calf. ... After scoring just 16 points in the previous four games, Indiana C Al Jefferson had 14 points before leaving with a leg injury in the fourth quarter. ... Pacers G Monta Ellis has now scored in double figures in 15 of the past 22 games. ... Philadelphia F Dario Saric (nine points) saw his string of scoring in doubles figures snapped at 22, which is the longest streak for a rookie in the NBA this season. ... The Pacers improved 26-11 at home with four regular-season home games left.