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Game Rewind: Pacers 94, 76ers 74

Game Recap

If the Pacers are going to emerge from a crowded pack of teams battling for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, they'll need to grind out wins against inferior competition.

Indiana (25-34) took care of business on Sunday evening at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, pushing past the lowly Philadelphia 76ers (13-46), 94-74. The Blue & Gold have now won eight of their last 10 games and are currently tied with Brooklyn and Charlotte for eighth place in the East, a half-game back of Miami.

"If we want to make the playoffs, we need to win these games and win tough games," said Pacers center Roy Hibbert, who recorded his 14th double-double of the season in the victory.

The Pacers jumped in front early on Sunday and led virtually the entire way, though the visitors managed to hang within striking distance until the final minutes. The home team surged ahead by 17 midway through the third quarter, but the guests responded with a 12-2 run and mostly stayed within single digits for the next period.

But Indiana did what it needed to do in winning time, holding the Sixers scoreless over the final 6:49 and scoring the final 13 points in the contest.

"We knew they were a dangerous team," Pacers forward David West said. "They play hard. I just thought we did a good job of setting the tone early. They made a run but we controlled the game."

Hibbert was a force in the paint. The Big Dawg collected 14 points and 15 rebounds and also swatted five shots. It was Hibbert's first double-double since Feb. 4 against Detroit and the first time he had five or more blocks since he blocked six shots on Jan. 17 in Charlotte.

"I thought he was as active as he has been in weeks," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said.

Added Hibbert: "I tried to make smart plays and just tried to be aggressive, just tried to make some plays on the ball after the shots, keep it alive. I think that helped out a little bit."

Hibbert was the headliner on Sunday night, but the Pacers prevailed thanks to a balanced effort.

Fresh off his first career triple-double in Friday's win over Cleveland, point guard George Hill had another strong outing. Hill scored a game-high 17 points on 8-of-16 shooting and also tallied nine rebounds and four assists.

Luis Scola and Rodney Stuckey combined for 27 points off the bench. Scola finished with 15 points and six rebounds, while Stuckey added 12 points, all of them coming in the first half.

Robert Covington led Philadelphia with 12 points but exited the game in the second half with a right elbow contusion. Ish Smith scored a season-high 11 points off the bench, while Nerlens Noel recorded a double-double (10 points and 12 rebounds).

The Pacers return to the court on Wednesday, when they host the New York Knicks at 7:00 PM.

Inside the Numbers

Indiana limited Philadelphia to 74 points, the fewest by a Pacers opponent this season (Miami scored 75 points on Nov. 12).

The Pacers have now won five of their last six games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to improve to 14-14 at home this season. The Blue & Gold have had a winning record on their home court in each of the past 25 seasons – the longest active streak in the NBA.

Philadelphia has now lost 12 consecutive road games. The Sixers haven't won outside of the state of Pennsylvania since Jan. 9 at Brooklyn.

The Pacers are 4-0 when George Hill leads the team in scoring and 9-5 when Roy Hibbert records a double-double. More importantly, they are 5-1 in games played on a Sunday, the only day of the week that they have a winning record.

You Can Quote Me On That

"I just thought we made them get to their second and third action. I thought we were locked in. As the game wore on, we got better defensively." -West

"Since we got healthy, I think everyone is just playing well together. We’re gelling and we’re finding that rhythm." -Pacers guard C.J. Watson

"We're playing well, we're winning games, and we're back in a playoff spot. That's all we wanted two months ago...Now, we're there, so we've got to continue to build on it." -Scola

"You appreciate when you have to play against Hibbert, the size of the man." -76ers head coach Brett Brown

"It is a challenge. They’re big bodies and they’re physical players, so you’ve got to work that much harder to keep them off the boards. They’re very active and great players, so hats off to them." -76ers rookie Nerlens Noel on matching up with Hibbert and West

"Indiana does a great job of over playing and we weren’t being aggressive and were not attacking. We just didn’t knock down shots." -76ers guard Jason Richardson

Stat of the Game

The Sixers made just 4-of-22 shots and managed just 10 points in the fourth quarter, the fewest by a Pacers opponent in any quarter this season.

Noteworthy

  • Pacers rookie Damjan Rudez started at shooting guard, the first career start for the Croatian sensation. Rudez did so because C.J. Miles was receiving treatment on his sore feet. Miles joined the bench shortly after tip off and played 29:21, scoring seven points and collecting two steals. Rudez scored three points in 13:46.
  • The Pacers have won four straight regular season home games over Philadelphia. The Sixers last won at The Fieldhouse on April 17, 2013.
  • The 76ers still lead the overall series with the Pacers, 95-70.

Up Next

The Pacers host the New York Knicks on Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM. Find Tickets »