Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers Box Score on Apr 10, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Apr 10, 2017

PHILADELPHIA -- Paul George scored 27 points and Thaddeus Young added 20 as the Indiana Pacers held off the Philadelphia 76ers 120-111 on Monday night to draw ever nearer to a playoff berth.

Myles Turner contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Kevin Seraphin chipped in 17 points for the Pacers (41-40).

Indiana, which is seventh in the Eastern Conference, needed a loss by either the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat on Monday to clinch a postseason spot.

The Pacers close the regular season with a home game against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

The Sixers never led, but they cut a 21-point first-quarter deficit to five in the third. They were still down only 111-104 after Alex Poythress nailed 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions, the second with 3:36 left in the game.

George then dropped in a short jumper, but with 2:59 left Gerald Henderson elbowed George in the chin on a drive to the basket. Henderson was assessed a flagrant foul-2, resulting in an ejection.

George, who was assessed his second technical foul for his reaction to the play, was also tossed.

Henderson and George had been given technicals when they tangled with 5:08 remaining.

Indiana had a 114-105 cushion before Turner sandwiched a pair of baskets around Poythress' third 3-pointer of the final 4:11.

Another 3-pointer, by Philadelphia's Nik Stauskas, shaved Indiana's lead to 118-111 with 50.9 seconds to play, but Poythress missed a subsequent 3-point attempt after an Indiana turnover.

Pacers guard Jeff Teague then nailed two free throws with 26.4 seconds left.

Rookie guard Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot scored a career-high 24 points for Philadelphia, which has lost six players for the season to injury.

Richaun Holmes finished with 17 points, and Stauskas and Poythress had 15 each for the Sixers. Losers of seven straight, they finish the regular season Wednesday in New York.

The Pacers roared out to a 33-12 lead in the first 10 minutes behind George's 17 points, and were up 35-20 at the end of the first quarter.

With Philadelphia trailing 52-34 midway through the second quarter, Holmes converted three-point plays on consecutive possessions, then dunked on a fast-break alley-oop from point guard T.J. McConnell. Luwawu-Cabarrot followed with a 3-pointer to cap the 11-0 flurry and cut Indiana's lead to 52-45.

The Pacers held a 64-54 halftime lead, but the Sixers continued their run early in the second half, closing the gap to 66-61 on Luwawu-Cabarrot's jumper with 9:52 left in the third quarter.

NOTES: Pacers F Paul George was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from April 3-9. George averaged 31.7 points on 57.4-percent shooting, and the Pacers went 3-0. ... It is unclear if Philadelphia F Ben Simmons, who has missed the entire season after breaking his right foot in training camp, will play in summer league. "I think it'd be good if he did, but I wouldn't say it's a prerequisite he has to play," coach Brett Brown said. ... Indiana C Al Jefferson aggravated his sprained left ankle in practice Sunday and missed his seventh straight game. Coach Nate McMillan said Jefferson is day-to-day, as is G/F Glenn Robinson III, who sat out his ninth straight game with a strained left calf. ... Pacers F Thaddeus Young and F/C Lavoy Allen both played on the last Philadelphia team to make the playoffs, in 2011-12. That team beat Chicago in the first round and lost in seven games to Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.