NBA Game Summary - Cleveland at Indiana

Indianapolis, IN (Basketball News) - Reggie Miller scored all of his 17 points in the decisive first half as the Indiana Pacers pounded the listless Cleveland Cavaliers, 98-77, in a key matchup of playoff contenders at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Miller went 6-of-7 from the field, including 3-of-3 from three-point distance, in 15 first-half minutes for Indiana, which won its sixth straight and moved two games ahead of Cleveland for the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

Stephen Jackson scored a game-high 23 points, while Fred Jones and Austin Croshere chipped in 11 points apiece in the win.

Leading the Cavaliers, who have lost six of nine overall and 13 of their last 14 road games, was LeBron James with 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting.

Playing without All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who left Tuesday’s game with a sprained finger, Cleveland received 12 points from Drew Gooden while Jeff McInnis contributed 10 in the loss.

The Cavaliers are one game ahead of eighth-seeded Philadelphia in the playoff race.

The first seven minutes provided back-and-forth action before Indiana closed the first quarter on an 11-4 run and opened the second frame on an 8-2 burst to move in front by double figures, 34-24. Indiana would outscore the Cavs 23-10 in the second quarter and seize control of the game.

Behind Miller’s 17 points and Cleveland’s dismal 28 percent shooting performance, the Pacers went into halftime leading 49-32.

This game was never in doubt after intermission, as the Pacers led 77-57 after the third quarter and never saw their lead cut to less than double digits in the final 12 minutes.

Cleveland hit just 30-of-83 field goal attempts (36 percent) and was outrebounded 46-40.