Nate Taylor

nate.taylor@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Coach Nate McMillan paced the sideline Wednesday night. He scowled on several occasions, his arms crossed, his eyes watching yet another underwhelming performance from the Indiana Pacers.

Late in the fourth quarter, McMillan put both hands on his head. He expressed such disappointment after watching Paul George leave Philadelphia’s Hollis Thompson wide open for a 3-pointer. The Pacers’ performance Wednesday was not inspiring, nor was it particularly positive.

The 76ers, who entered Bankers Life Fieldhouse losers in 43 consecutive games in the months of October and November, were more determined for much of Wednesday’s game. The Pacers, though, escaped disaster by beating the winless 76ers 122-115 in overtime.

The final 5 minutes proved to be enough for the Pacers to execute well on both ends of the court. George carried the workload on offense, as he scored seven of his 28 points in overtime. On defense, the Pacers swarmed the 76ers and made each pass difficult, which they didn’t do during the game’s first 48 minutes.

• BOX SCORE: Pacers 122, Sixers 115

“I just was trying to have energy plays to kind of close out that overtime,” George said. “I thought, really, the final moments in the fourth quarter and overtime, that’s how we have to look. I know they still made some big shots and some tough shots, but I thought the effort was where we needed to build. Our defense wasn’t the greatest, but our effort is what I would love to pull out of that and let that be really the base for what we need to look like defensively.”’

In order to win, the Pacers (4-4) had to rally to force overtime.

Jeff Teague scored nine consecutive points in the last 3 minutes of the fourth quarter to give the Pacers a one-point lead. Philadelphia’s Gerald Henderson then made a 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds remaining that left the crowd stunned.

“We did a good job of defending for 23 seconds,” McMillan said. “Henderson got lost and they got lucky and were able to get the ball out to him.”

'Out of whack' Pacers have a turnover problem

The Pacers, though, responded by giving the ball to George, who swished a midrange jumper to tie the score with 3.9 seconds left. Myles Turner ensured overtime by playing solid one-on-one defense against Jahlil Okafor, who missed a baseline jumper as time expired.

In overtime, George and Teague were successful playing alongside one another. McMillan used both players in a high pick-and-pop play that allowed George to make a 3-pointer to begin the final quarter. In 40 minutes, Teague was efficient on offense as he was able to score from the paint and the perimeter.

“We were down and we were trying to make something happen,” said Teague, who finished with a game-high 30 points and nine assists. “I just wanted to be aggressive and I stopped thinking so much and just played. That was the biggest thing. I’ve been thinking a lot the first couple of games just trying to figure it out. I’ve been making it hard on myself. Myles and those guys told me to keep playing and tonight I was just playing.”

Before their late heroics, what made Wednesday’s game somewhat deflating was that the Pacers struggled against an 0-7 team that was without its two young phenoms, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Simmons has an acute fracture in his right foot and Embiid was not with the team as he rested for an individual workout.

The Pacers allowed the 76ers to score 60 points in the first half. Monta Ellis committed more turnovers (five) than he scored points (two) before halftime. George was hampered by three fouls in 8 minutes. Turner also found himself in foul trouble by guarding Okafor almost exclusively.

“At times, I don’t know if we’re afraid to show emotions or what,” McMillan said. “It just didn’t look like tonight we were having fun. We’ve got a talented team here. We’ve got to trust each other and believe in each other and go out and play the game the right way. I think if we do that, we can have fun and win ball games.”

The change in energy in the second half from the Pacers was sparked by the production from the bench. Al Jefferson finished with a season-high 18 points and six rebounds. C.J. Miles also added 12 points off the bench.

From there, the starters executed a six-point comeback in the final 2 minutes of regulation. Fortunately for McMillan, his team played its best defense in the final 7 minutes, as the 76ers were outscored 22-9 to end the game.

“We played game-winning defense in overtime,” McMillan said. “We’ve just got to be more consistent in bringing that effort for 48 minutes.”

Insider: Pacers offense evolving with more organization

Injury update

Before Wednesday’s game, McMillan said the Pacers plan to re-evaluate Rodney Stuckey’s right hamstring next week. The Pacers have been without Stuckey, who sustained a hamstring strain, since the second game of the season. McMillan did not give a timetable for when Stuckey could return.

“He’s basically just shooting right now; He’s not doing anything with the team,” McMillan said. He added of Stuckey’s absence: “He is a guy that brings stability to the second group. He’s brings the toughness on the defensive end of the floor. He’s been one of our better defenders, too.”

Call IndyStar reporter Nate Taylor at (317) 444-6484. Follow him on Twitter: @ByNateTaylor.

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Pacers at Sixers, 7 p.m. Friday, Fox Sports Indiana