Pacers 102, Knicks 86
NEW YORK -- Guard George Hill scored a game-high 20 points to spearhead the Indiana Pacers' 102-86 rout of the New York Knicks on Wednesday night in Madison Square Garden.
Hill, who also had six rebounds and five assists, was among six Pacers who scored in double figures. Guard C.J. Miles chipped in with 13 points. Forwards David West and Luis Scola and center Roy Hibbert finished with 11 each.
Indiana guard Paul George had 10 in his second game of the season following rehabilitation from a gruesome broken leg sustained during a Team USA scrimmage last summer.
The Pacers (35-43) remain one game back in the race for the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots. The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets are both 36-42, while the Miami Heat (35-43) are tied with Indiana. All four teams have four games remaining.
Indiana swept the four-game, season series with New York, which fell to 15-63 overall and 10-29 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks have four games remaining in what will be the worst single season in franchise history. New York has the worst record in the league, putting the team in line for the top odds to land the first pick in the draft.
The Pacers made no effort to disguise their modus operandi. From the opening tip, Indiana drove the lane and attacked the rim. The Pacers wound up scoring 50 points in the paint with a variety of dunks, layups, floaters and hook shots. The Knicks managed just 22 inside points.
Indiana never trailed and led by as much as 28.
The Pacers made 49.4 percent of their shots from the field, and limited New York to 34.5 percent shooting.
Guard Langston Galloway led New York with 19 points. Forward Andrea Bargnani had 15 points, and center Jason Smith, forward Quincy Acy and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 12 apiece.
NOTES: Indiana F Chris Copeland, his girlfriend and another woman were stabbed outside the New York City 1OAK nightclub late Tuesday night. The New York Times reported Wednesday that all three were in stable condition. According to the newspaper, the New York Police Department has a suspect in custody, and Atlanta Hawks PF Pero Antic and SF Thabo Sefolosha were arrested for interfering with the investigation. CNN reported Sefolosha faced an additional charge of resisting arrest. The Hawks beat the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Wednesday night. ... Before the game, Knicks president Phil Jackson announced that G Ricky Ledo signed for the remainder of the season. In his first eight games with the Knicks, Ledo averaged 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.1 minutes. He scored six points Wednesday.