The Indiana Pacers (7-5) defeated the Philadelphia 76ers (0-12) 112-85 on Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Dominating in all facets of this game, the Pacers got a much needed bounce back win after falling to the Bulls on Monday. They started quick, cruising to a 52-38 lead at the half. They then went on a 15-2 run to start the third quarter, pushing their lead to 27 points, which was too much for the Sixers to come back from. The Pacers put on a strong defensive performance as well, forcing the Sixers into a whopping 29 turnovers, 17 of which came in the first half.
Paul George continued to put the team on his back Wednesday, finishing with a game-high of 34 points (13-24 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 3-4 FT), to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. His re-emergence has been huge for the Pacers, as he's now posted eight straight games with 26 or more points. The fifth-year pro out of Fresno State is now averaging 24.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists on the season. With both Rodney Stuckey (ankle) and George Hill (upper respiratory infection) sidelined, C.J. Miles saw extended run on the court. He took advantage of the extra minutes, posting a season-high of 20 points (7-12 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), while also adding four assists. Miles is on fire right now, combining to shoot an impressive 13-of-24 from the field and 9-of-15 from the three-point line over his last two outings. Chase Budinger chipped in with 15 points (5-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT) and six rebounds as well.
Jahlil Okafor and T.J. McConnell were the only Sixers' players who got anything going Wednesday. Okafor finished with 14 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 FT) and six rebounds, while McConnell added a team-high of 16 points (7-9 FG, 2-3 3Pt), to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Okafor was coming off two impressive double-doubles prior to this game, so it was somewhat of a disappointing performance for the rookie scoring leader out of Duke. He's now averaging 18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists on the season. McConnell, on the other hand, has now reached double figures in points in three out of his last four games, which was something he previously hadn't done this season. Jerami Grant added 13 points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-6 FT), four rebounds and three blocked shots over 29 minutes as well.
The Pacers' next game will be at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, while the Sixers will travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Friday.
