Damjan Rudez gave the slumping Pacers a huge lift off the bench, scoring 16 of his career-high 18 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana rallied for a 106-99 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Big efforts from Rudez, who knocked down 4-of-6 shots from 3-point range in the final period, and fellow reserve George Hill enabled the Pacers to halt a seven-game losing streak by coming back from nine-point deficit with eight minutes to play.
Hill delivered 17 points in just 20 minutes in his second game back from a lingering groin injury, including back-to-back baskets after the Magic had knotted the score at 97-97 on two Nikola Vucevic free throws with 2:23 remaining.
David West added 20 points and Roy Hibbert had 11 along with 13 rebounds to help Indiana end its five-game road trip on a high note.
Vucevic finished with 27 points and Victor Oladipo recorded 18 in the Magic's fifth consecutive defeat, which dropped Orlando to 5-15 at home.
[SportsNetwork.com]
