Indiana Pacers Finish Regular Season With a Road Win
By Evan Reller
Apr 16, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Evan Turner (12) (center) and the Pacers bench react to a dunk as the Pacers beat the Orlando Magic 101-86 at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
The Indiana Pacers rested three starters in the regular season finale on Wednesday. The Pacers didn’t need the services of David West, Lance Stephenson, or Paul George to knock off the Orlando Magic.
The Pacers finished with a 21-20 record on the road this season after the 101-86 win at Orlando. Only Roy Hibbert and George Hill played in an effort to get both players back on track.
Coach Frank Vogel’s plan didn’t appear to work. Hibbert played 17 minutes and was 1-for-7 from the field. He finished with just four points, but did have seven rebounds which at this point might be a season high.
Hill wasn’t much better, shooting just 2-for-5 for five points. He also had four rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals. Hill issue lately has been aggressiveness, something he failed to show once again in his 14 minutes Wednesday night.
Rasual Butler started for George and tied for a team high with 19 points off 61-percent shooting. Butler also recorded five assists.
Chris Copeland tied Butler with 19 points coming off the bench. He was 5-of-11 from the three point line and shot 43-percent from the field.
LaVoy Allen came off the bench to record a double-double. Allen had 12 points off 50-percent shooting and hauled in 11 rebounds.
Evan Turner was pressing for a triple-double and had one of his more efficient shooting nights in a Pacers uniform. He finished with 14 points, eight points, and six assists.
Luis Scola started and nearly had a double-double. Scola was just 4-of-10 from the field for 10 points. He also had eight rebounds and four assists.
Ian Mahinmi and CJ Watson also sat on Wednesday.
The Pacers out-rebounded the Magic by 12 and only committed 12 turnovers. They also had 26 assists on 41 baskets.
Indiana shot 47.8-percent from the three point line while holding the Magic to just 40-percent shooting overall. Consistency from the Magic starters was at an all time low as just one player managed to crack double digits.
The Pacers will open up the playoffs at home against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday at 7PM. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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