News / Sports
NBA Scores: Pacers Playoff Hopes Fading After Loss to 76ers
Andre Miller scored 19 points and dished out 12 assists and Samuel Dalembert added 15 points and 12 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers () handed the Indiana Pacers () a 90-86 loss, further damaging any hopes of overtaking the Orlando Magic for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Indiana shot a miserable 32 percent from the floor and hit just 3-20 from beyond the three-point line to fall two games behind the Magic with five left on the schedule.
The Sixers jumped on the Pacers early and opened up a 15-5 lead in the first quarter and finished the period with a 26-17 advantage. Indiana only hit four field-goals in the quarter with nine of their points coming from the foul-line.
In the second quarter the Pacers used a 7-0 run to cut the Philadelphia lead to 42-39 but the 76ers managed to bump their lead back to six by the end of the half.
Indiana used another 7-0 run in the third to get within two only to allow the Sixers an 11-2 run to end the quarter.
Philadelphia went cold in the fourth and managed to hit just one field-goal in the opening eight minutes and the Pacers grabbed a two point lead on a Troy Murphy three-pointer. Indiana held on to a one point lead until Joe Smith’s dunk gave Philly the lead for good with just over two minutes remaining in the game.
Jermaine O’Neal finished with 21 points on 7-22 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in the loss.
