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Pacers rest starters, but easily beat Magic

Apr 17, 2014 - 3:58 AM Orlando, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Rasual Butler and Chris Copeland each scored 19 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a regular season-ending 101-86 win over the Orlando Magic.

Evan Turner chipped in 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Pacers (56-26), who finished with the best record in the East and will have home-court advantage throughout the conference playoffs.

The Central Division champions will start the playoffs against Atlanta in a rematch of last year's first-round series, won in six games by the Pacers. The teams split this season's four-game series. The postseason set begins Saturday night in Indianapolis.

Lavoy Allen ended with 12 points and 11 boards for the Pacers, who rested regular starters David West, Paul George and Lance Stephenson. Donald Sloan tallied 13 points in a reserve role.

"It's a new game now, it's playoff time, 0-0," Pacers guard George Hill said. "It's the first to 16 (wins)."

Mo Harkless had 14 points to pace the Magic (23-59), who lost their final four games and finished with the third-worst record in the league.

"We have good men in the locker room who want to get better," Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "They got better this year."

Dewayne Dedmon, who had eight points and 13 rebounds, made a jumper to get the Magic within 46-42 a minute into the second half. The Pacers, though, went on an ensuing 20-6 spurt. Sloan finished off the burst with a 3-pointer.

Indiana held a 75-62 lead after three and widened the gap to as many as 19 in the final quarter.

The Magic led by as many as seven in the first quarter, but later gave up nine straight points and trailed 25-20 after 12 minutes. The visitors led 46-40 at the half.

Game Notes

Copeland was 5-of-11 from 3-point range ... Indiana held a 52-40 rebounding advantage ... E'Twaun Moore had 13 points, Doron Lamb 11 and Andrew Nicholson 10 for the Magic, who shot 40.5 percent from the field.