INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pacers continued their playoff push with a 107-94 win over the Sixers on Sunday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The Sixers dropped to 27-46 while the Pacers improved to 37-36, as they fight to maintain position in the Eastern Conference.
The Sixers trailed by as many as 25 points, as the Pacers rolled out a total team effort. Led by 21 points from Paul George, they had seven players in double digits.
The Pacers extended their home winning streak against the Sixers to seven games. The Sixers have not beat the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse since April 17, 2013.
Inside the box score
The bigs were aggressive on the boards. Myles Turner (17 points, 16 rebounds), Shawn Long (15 points, 10 rebounds), and Richaun Holmes (11 points, 12 rebounds) recorded double-doubles.
Dario Saric came close with nine points and 10 rebounds. He snapped his 22-game streak of 10-plus points, which began on Feb. 6. He was 3 for 15 from the field and 1 for 6 from three-point range.
NBA
George finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Sergio Rodriguez led the Sixers with 16 points, including four of six from long range.
Jeff Teague scored 16 points and four assists.
Pacers' injury scare
Al Jefferson suffered a sprained left ankle and was carted off the court in a wheelchair during the fourth quarter (see video). He landed awkwardly after fighting for a rebound and hit the ground in pain. The veteran big man had scored 14 points with seven rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench before leaving the game.
What it means to be a center
Big men are not restricted to the basket anymore. Holmes exemplified what it means to be a center in the NBA today with a first quarter sequence that started with an emphatic dunk. He followed it up with a three-pointer. Holmes and Long work on long-range shots in practice to stretch the floor.
Head coach reunion
Pacers head coach Nate McMillan was Rodriguez’s first coach when he played for the Trail Blazers in 2006. McMillan sees similarities in Rodriguez’s game 10 years later.
"He's the same guy," McMillan said. "Sergio is very aggressive. I think he's a playmaker, he's really good in transition, he's really good in the pick-and-roll game. I think the tempo they're playing suits him."
Up next
The Sixers will travel to New York to face the Nets on Tuesday. They will wrap up their road trip before heading home for a back-to-back against the Hawks on Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center.