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Game Rewind: Pacers 114, Pistons 109

Game Recap

The Pacers turned back the clock on Wednesday night, rocking the "Flo-Jo" jerseys that Reggie Miller and Co. famously sported from 1990-97.

So it was fitting that the Blue & Gold (18-32) buried a barrage of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that would have made Miller proud en route to a 114-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons (19-31). The Pacers set season highs for both points scored (114) and field goal percentage (.597) in the victory.

"Before the game, Coach really challenged us to play for each other," Pacers point guard George Hill, who scored a team-high 20 points, said after the win. "Have the mentality when you get the ball to create for your teammate and our teammates need to reward us for looking for them and have confidence in shot-making. I think every guy did that tonight."

With the score knotted at 96, Pacers swingman C.J. Miles knocked down a pair of triples on consecutive possessions that gave Indiana the lead for good. Miles buried his first off a pass from David West with 4:51 remaining, then answered a Greg Monroe jumper by knocking down another trey with 4:11 to play.

As a team, Indiana went 5-for-6 from long range in the final quarter and finished the night with 12 triples, one shy of their season high.

"I thought we were decisive, guys were engaged and we took away some of the things they wanted to do early," forward David West said of the offensive outburst. "We made open shots, we made extra passes when they were there and obviously we were able to score inside. I thought all the guys shot the ball with confidence."

Detroit managed to climb back within three points twice in the final minutes, but both times George Hill scored on the ensuing possession, first hitting a jumper with 50.7 seconds remaining and then knocking down one of two free throws with 19.8 seconds left.

Miles then stole the ball from Jodie Meeks six seconds later to seal the victory.

The Pacers led for virtually the entire first half on Wednesday night, but a late charge allowed the Pistons to head to the locker room with a 49-48 lead.

Indiana retook control midway through the third quarter, reeling off a 12-0 run in 2:50 that gave them a 70-58 lead. David West scored six points in that stretch, scoring on a tip-in and then later knocking down 17-foot jumpers on back-to-back possessions.

Detroit again responded, immediately countering with a 14-4 run of their own, cutting the lead to two points on Anthony Tolliver's 3-pointer with 1:32 left in the third quarter.

The Pistons actually took a one-point lead on two separate occasions early in the fourth quarter before the Pacers caught fire from deep. Solomon Hill, C.J. Watson, and Damjan Rudez hit 3-pointers on consecutive possesions to give the home team an eight-point lead.

Detroit clawed back, eventually tying the game at 96 on a pair of free throws by D.J. Augustin with 5:37 to play before Miles came up big.

George Hill, back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench for the past few weeks, led Indiana with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting and also dished out six assists in 25:30.

"I think George makes a difference for us. He creates for others and keeps us organized," Vogel said.

Roy Hibbert recorded his 13th double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Miles, inserted into the starting lineup by Vogel in place of Solomon Hill, had 15 points. West added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Watson knocked down 4-of-6 3-pointers en route to 14 points.

Andre Drummond led Detroit with 18 points and 16 rebounds, while Greg Monroe added 16 points and nine boards.

The Pacers were dealt a blow 15 seconds into the second quarter when reserve center Ian Mahinmi injured his right ankle. X-rays on the Frenchman's ankle were negative, but he was diagnosed with a sprain and ruled out for the night.

Indiana returns to the hardwood on Friday, when they conclude a five-game homestand against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tipoff is schedule for 7:00 PM.

Inside the Numbers

The Pacers scored a season-best 33 points in the fourth quarter and 66 points after halftime.

Indiana unveiled its 11th different starting lineup of the season on Wednesday. The five-man unit of George Hill, Rodney Stuckey, C.J. Miles, David West, and Roy Hibbert combined for 73 points on 31-of-46 shooting (67.4 percent).

Hibbert has now scored in double figures in five consecutive games, his longest streak with 10 or more points since he accomplished the feat in nine straight games from Nov. 27-Dec. 13, 2013.

Watson tied a season high with four 3-pointers. He went 4-for-5 from long range on Dec. 13 against Portland.

Drummond recorded his 28th double-double of the season to lead Detroit.

Former Pacers guard D.J. Augustin added 12 points and six rebounds, but was just 4-for-14 from the field. Augustin had topped both 25 points and 10 assists in each of his previous two games entering Wednesday.

You Can Quote Me On That

"George has been in the battles with us the last few years, so we have a certain level of confidence in him. We know what type of pressure he can deliver defensively and he’s got the length to stay in front of his guy and guard, which I think is key for our defense." -West on having George Hill back in the starting lineup

"This is our first time really being together all year. It’s still going to take us time to gel and learn each other but I think what you saw tonight is something that can possibly work, but you have to build off it." -Hill on the Pacers' new starting five

"We had a little better energy to start the game, and we were able to maintain it throughout the game. We made a run, they made their run, but we were able to hold the lead and close the game." -Pacers forward Luis Scola

"We were terrible defensively. We defended for four minutes in a 48 minute game. We defended the last four minutes of the first half and that was it. They shot 72 percent in the second half with virtually no resistance what so ever." -Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy

"We did a good job with our tempo on offense, moving the ball side to side, but our Achilles heel tonight was our defense. We had a bad disposition from the beginning of the game to the end." -Pistons forward Caron Butler

Stat of the Night

The Pacers were unconscious from the field in the second half, making 26-of-36 shots, a blistering 72.2-percent clip.

Noteworthy

  • For the first time this season, the Pacers won a game when their bench was outscored by their opponents' reserves. Detroit had 52 bench points to Indiana's 41 on Wednesday. The Pacers are now 1-11 when their bench is outscored.
  • The Pistons now lead the overall series with the Pacers 89-88, but Indiana is 56-33 against Detroit in Indianapolis.

Up Next

The Pacers host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night at 7:00 PM.