Candace Buckner

IndyStar

76ers at Pacers, 7 p.m. Monday, FSI

Soon, the Indiana Pacers will enjoy the sweet life.

The Pacers have the easiest remaining strength of schedule for the final 13 games of the regular season, and for a team seeking to secure a playoff berth, the sight of the Philadelphia 76ers will be a welcome one.

On Saturday, however, there was nothing easy about the Pacers’ night.

The daunting Oklahoma City Thunder tested Indiana’s defense, as their superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook proved that two is greater than one Paul George and defeated the Pacers, 115-111.

BOX SCORE:Thunder 115, Pacers 111

The road may look easier, but after losing their second straight game to a playoff-bound opponent, the Pacers (36-33) had to take a hard look at themselves and not their favorable schedule.

“With us, it’s not about who’s in uniform or who we’re playing against," George said, "It’s about our habits, and we’ve got to tighten those screws."

Although the Pacers made one more field goal than the Thunder in the fourth quarter, an offensive drought that lasted three minutes proved to be a critical stretch. Especially when considering that the Pacers worked back from a double-digit deficit to potentially tie the game. With five seconds remaining and the Thunder ahead 112-109, George got a clear look in a designed play but missed the 3-pointer. In spite of George’s monster night, (45 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists) the Thunder powered through the fourth quarter behind Durant and Russell.

While Durant led Oklahoma City with 33 points (11-of-20 shooting) — including 12 points in the fourth quarter — to go along with 12 rebounds and 8 assists, Westbrook produced his second triple-double is as many nights (14 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds) and his 14th this season. Besides their star touch, the Thunder (48-22, third in the Western Conference) needed the every-man-type plays. Specifically, backup center Enes Kanter grabbing two offensive rebounds for putbacks on consecutive fourth-quarter plays that crippled Indiana's spirit.

"Momentum killers," George said. "Especially playing against two of the best offensive players in this league. You force stops and they get offensive rebounds, those are momentum killers."

Through March, the Pacers have ascended to familiar territory as one of the best defensive teams in the league. Entering Saturday’s matchup, Indiana had limited opponents to a .425 field goal percentage, third in the NBA and just behind Oklahoma City’s .424 mark. But anyone expecting a defensive skirmish would have overlooked the Thunder’s dynamic three-game stretch in which they’ve averaged 123 points per win.

So the Pacers’ defense stood a chance.

Though Indiana’s offense operated slickly through the first quarter — sharp movement in sets and well-timed passes producing 10 assists and 12 field goals — the Thunder looked just as smooth. The Pacers opened an 11-point lead, but that margin decreased to 28-27 before the second quarter. Then the Pacers’ second unit, along with Monta Ellis, took over — and the offensive rhythm from the first quarter vanished into a wave of bricks and turnovers.

The bench scored just seven points through five minutes before getting relieved. The starters checked back in with the Thunder leading by 10. The play that beckoned them back to the floor: Westbrook soared in from the baseline, unchecked, to surprise the flat-footed Pacers for an offensive rebound, then kicked the past out to Anthony Morrow for the open 3.

Even behind the starters, however, the Pacers’ defense remained unsettled through the end of the half.

Myles Turner was confused, not recognizing that Oklahoma City had shifted to a smaller lineup between free throws, and on the defensive end lost track of the smaller Andre Roberson — the starting shooting guard who had switched to forward — for a lob dunk.

Ian Mahinmi was undecided, electing to stick with the ball handler on a pick-and-roll and leaving Oklahoma City center Steven Adams to cut down the lane for another dunk.

And yes, as a whole, the team defense was muddled, stuck on their end of the court after Turner blew a layup, while Durant sprinted away for the one-man fast break with 54 seconds remaining.

Three straight rim-running possessions against the Pacers’ defense are the clearest examples why the Thunder shot 59 percent for the first half and led 64-54.

Then George decided the best defense was his offense. In the third quarter, George carried the Pacers for 19 of the team’s 33 points. He made 5-of-10 shots, including a steal and reverse layup in transition that pulled Indiana ahead 87-85 with 32.6 remaining in the quarter. However after Lavoy Allen's offensive rebound and bucket pulled the Pacers ahead 98-97 with 8:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Thunder scored nine straight points. The Pacers could've used a little bit of their first-quarter rhythm but revved up too late.

"You get down. Your guys battle back; you have a chance to win it late," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "It would’ve been a great victory for us. So to not win is very, very disappointing."

On Monday night, the Pacers will host the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers before New Orleans Pelicans, the fourth worst team in the West. According to STATS LLC, the Pacers' upcoming opponents have a collective .426 winning percentage, the lowest among all remaining schedules.

"It’s better than having the hardest schedule, but we’ve got to win these games," Vogel said. "Teams that we’re playing don’t have the best records, but upsets happen all the time, home or away, and we really have to take care of our business."

Follow IndyStar Pacers Insider Candace Buckner on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner.

76ers at Pacers, 7 p.m. Monday, FSI