Pacers handle Magic, former coach
INDIANAPOLIS -- Former Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel returned to Bankers Life Fieldhouse Monday night and his old team marked the occasion by playing some stingy defense in a 88-69 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The points allowed were easily a season low for the Pacers (5-6), who were known to have one of the league's better defenses during the Vogel era from 2011 to 2016. But Pacers president Larry Bird became convinced players had tuned out Vogel and he wasn't given a new contract despite a 250-181 record (.580).
Assistant Nate McMillan was promoted and Vogel landed the Orlando job.
What Vogel brought with him was a Magic squad that ranked last in NBA scoring and was playing for a second consecutive night on the road. That said, Indiana entered 29th in scoring defense. Orlando was outscored 47-32 in the second half.
Neither team shot the ball well, but the Pacers gradually pulled away in the second half thanks in large part to the energy of reserve forward Kevin Seraphin, who had six points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Reserve guard Aaron Brooks also had seven points and four assists.
"I've just been waiting for my chance," Seraphin said in a TV interview on court. "You've just got to stay ready and keep working."
Pacers reserve guard-forward C.J. Miles scored 10 of his team-high 16 points in the first half. All-Star forward Paul George, who returned to the lineup after missing one game with a sprained left ankle, and shooting guard had 13 points each. Point guard Jeff Teague added 11.
One night after scoring a career-high 31 points in a win at Oklahoma City, the Magic's Serge Ibaka managed just six points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. Guard Evan Fournier led the visitors with 14 points on 4-of-15 shooting from the field.
The Pacers built their first double-digit lead at 60-50 midway through the third quarter as Teague sank two foul shots and threw down a dunk with 4:13 remaining.
That advantage later grew to 12 after George made a couple of foul shots 1:19 before the quarter ended. An Aaron Brooks 3-pointer put Indiana ahead 71-57 entering the final quarter.
Miles contributed 10 early points off the bench as the home team turned a six-point deficit into a six-point lead in the second quarter. Neither team was able to crack 40 percent shooting from the field in the first 24 minutes, which made Miles stand out even more.
"Guys are playing hard and that's all you can ask for," Miles said during a halftime TV interview. "Everything else will take care of itself."
Vogel wasn't the only former Pacer on the other bench. His first five off the bench included three former Pacers in guard D.J. Augustin, guard C.J. Watson and forward Damjan Rudez. A Rudez 3-pointer gave the Magic a 30-26 lead with 3:58 elapsed in the second quarter.
Despite playing the night before, Orlando took a 19-16 lead after a sluggish first quarter. Both teams seemed content to settle for jump shots and combined to go 2 of 13 from 3-point range.
NOTES: Pacers three-time All-Star F Paul George (left ankle sprain) was listed as questionable but cleared to return after missing Saturday's home loss to Boston. Indiana reserve G Rodney Stuckey (right hamstring strain) missed his ninth consecutive game. ... Magic G Jodie Meeks (fractured right foot) was ruled out. The seventh-year pro has yet to play for his new team this season but is listed as day to day. ... While the Pacers had a day off between home games, the Magic were playing on back-to-back nights away from home. Orlando enjoyed its most impressive win of the young season on Sunday, a 119-117 victory at Oklahoma City, as Serge Ibaka scored a career-high 31 points, including the deciding 9-foot jumper with 0.4 of a second remaining. ... The Pacers are scoring six more points per game than a year ago with a 108.4-point average that's tied for sixth in the league. But an obvious issue has been defense. Indiana is allowing 112 points per game, which ranks 29th in the 30-team NBA. The Magic have averaged a league-low 95 points scored and are 16th in points allowed at 104.1 per game. ... The Magic snapped a seven-game series losing streak with a 114-94 win on March 31 at Indianapolis.