Philip Rossman-Reich

IndyStar correspondent

ORLANDO, Fla. — Paul George showed plenty of flashes of the superstar Paul George in his first game back from strep throat for the Indiana Pacers. There was the pull-up jumper to start the game. There was the tough move through traffic for a lay-in or the patented turnaround jumper.

Then there were the moments that reminded the Pacers he had missed significant time and was still rusty. Not just George, but the whole team.

With coach Nate McMillan opting to keep his starters in the game late, the Pacers were trying to make up a deficit to the Orlando Magic late in the fourth quarter. Indiana’s expected starting lineup of Jeff Teague, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Thaddeus Young and Myles Turner were in to close the game. And they were not quite on the same page.

Teague misfired a pass which George could not keep inbounds along the baseline near midcourt in a six-point game in the final minute, one of many breakdowns late to keep the Magic ahead.

The great takeaway from the Pacers’ 114-106 loss to the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Friday was this team was rusty and still acclimating to each other on the floor. Even with five preseason games under their belt as a team, this one felt much like the first.

“I think we got in a couple situations where we are stuck in between,” said Myles Turner, who scored 17 points to go with six rebounds. “Everyone in the starting unit can make plays. We’ve just got to trust each other.”

Turner said since this was the first game for everyone together, the team was still trying to establish its trust and its rhythm within the starting unit. A hiccup like this was certainly expected.

Especially considering it was also George’s first game back from his illness.

George scored 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting in nearly 32 minutes. He said he felt fine, but he had “bad legs” and was trying to find his way through the game after missing so much time. Some of his struggles, especially as his minutes wore on, were expected.

“I expected it to be a little difficult not to start out but going up and down a couple times that I would feel a little something,” George said. “I was able to push through it. It was nothing too concerning.”

Overall, the Pacers’ starters outscored the Magic 58-56 in roughly half the game while in the game. This after starting the game with a smooth 22-17 lead in their first-quarter stint.

McMillan noted the effort was strong in the first quarter but clearly waned as the Magic’s bench unit poured on a 44-point onslaught in the second quarter. Indiana was fighting an uphill battle from there as Orlando seized the momentum.

“They looked rusty,” McMillan said. “They looked like it was the first time that they had played. They looked like they need more time together.”

It was just preseason, but McMillan intended to play the team as if they were trying to win the game. He wanted to play his players near 30 minutes – every starter eclipsed that mark – and have them playing with a chance to win.

The rust then became even more apparent as the Magic got the job done.

“We know we have a lot of work to do on the floor offensively as well as defensively,” McMillan said. “This is the second preseason game where we have given up 60 points in a half. We’ve got to work both ways.”