Game Rewind: Pacers 118, Magic 86

Wearing their "Flo-Jo" throwback jerseys on Tuesday night, Rodney Stuckey and the Pacers put on a shooting show reminiscent of the days when Reggie Miller still roamed the court in Indianapolis. Stuckey scored 34 points and Indiana (29-34) tied a franchise record with 17 3-pointers in a 118-86 rout of the Orlando Magic (21-44).

With the win, the Pacers extended their longest winning streak of the season to six games.

Stuckey was feeling it from the moment he first checked into the game with 6:07 remaining in the first quarter. The 6-foot-5 guard buried a 3-pointer on his first offensive possession and never really cooled off.

He had 16 points by the end of the first quarter. He had 25 by halftime. When he checked out of the game to a standing ovation midway through the fourth quarter, Stuckey had 34 points — more than any Pacers player all season. He made 13-of-19 shots, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Before Tuesday, he'd never made more than four 3-pointers in a single game in his eight-year NBA career.

"I knew I was cooking, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter if we didn’t get that W," Stuckey said. "I give all the credit to my teammates. If they weren’t out there with me, I wouldn’t have had 30-some odd points."

Stuckey also added six rebounds and seven assists in 30:35, often passing up shots in the second half to get a better look for his teammates.

"He could have gone for 50," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "But he didn’t force the ball at all."

The Magic actually got off to a fast start on Tuesday night, taking a 26-18 lead following Victor Oladipo's breakaway dunk with 2:27 remaining in the first quarter.

That's when Stuckey took over, scoring the Pacers' final eight points of the first quarter to help Indiana climb within two. He scored four more points as the Blue & Gold opened the second quarter with a 12-0 run to surge in front.

They blew the game open in the second half, leading by double digits for the final 20:36.

As a team, the Pacers went 17-for-34 from beyond the arc. Damjan Rudež, starting at shooting guard in place of C.J. Miles (a late scratch with sore feet), went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc and finished with 17 points and five assists.

Three other Pacers players finished in double figures. Luis Scola (15 points and 10 rebounds) recorded a double-double. George Hill had 13 points and six assists, while C.J. Watson added 12 points and five dimes.

The Pacers also put together a strong effort on the defensive end, limiting the Magic to just 37-percent shooting. They outscored their guests 92-58 in the final three quarters.

"Coach has challenged us and we’ve stepped up to the plate," Watson said of the team's defensive effort. "That’s what’s going to get us into the playoffs and hopefully help us advance."

Tobias Harris led Orlando with 22 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-17 shooting. Elfrid Payton added 14 points and six assists for the visitors.

The Pacers return to the floor on Thursday night, when the Milwaukee Bucks visit Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The 32-point win was the Pacers' largest margin of victory this season. They set numerous marks on the offensive end, including season highs for points, assists, bench points, and 3-pointers made.

Indiana's bench combined for 73 points, shattering their former season high of 66 (set against the Clippers on Dec. 10). Stuckey, Scola, and Watson all scored in double figures. Orlando's reserves managed just 18 points, with no player scoring more than six.

The Pacers have held their opponents to 86 or fewer points and under 40-percent shooting in every contest during their current six-game winning streak.

This is the first time the Pacers have had a six-game winning streak and a six-game losing streak in the same season since the 2004-05 campaign.

After Tuesday's victory, Indiana currently alone in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, moving a half-game ahead of idle Charlotte. Playoff Picture (Latest Standings and More) »

"Coach always tells me ‘shoot when you’re open’ and they were going in tonight. I thought tonight collectively as a group we played well. The bench came in and gave us some energy. C.J. Watson, Ian (Mahinmi), (Luis) Scola, Damo, we all did a great job tonight." -Stuckey

"I don’t know if it’s the best he’s played in his career; but it’s got to be close. He’s playing with a great deal of confidence. He has a great ability to create his own shot." -Vogel on Stuckey's performance

"It’s a great feeling. I’m happy to have tied the record. It just proves that we’ve been playing real good basketball as of late. Things are turning for us and we’re really playing with a lot of confidence." -Rudez on team making 17 3-pointers in the win

"Stuckey, give him credit, he came in and made some tough early shots that got them back in this game. I think we lost our focus defensively after that. We stopped trusting what we were doing." -Magic head coach James Borrego

"They moved the ball well on offense. That was disappointing for us. The shots they were making were tough ones. We all have to do a better job with our on-ball defense. There were too many times where guys were going right past us." -Harris

The Blue & Gold had 37 assists on 45 made baskets, with five different players finishing with five or more assists. Stuckey actually led the team with seven assists. George and Solomon Hill each added six assists, while C.J. Waston and Damjan Rudež each added five. Rudež's five dimes were a career high.

The Pacers host the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night in the second leg of a four-game homestand. Find Tickets »