ORLANDO, Fla. _ Frank Vogel will have to wait until next season to beat his former team for the first time.
Vogel's Orlando Magic fell to the Indiana Pacers 127-112 Saturday night at Amway Center.
The Magic have lost all four of their regular-season matchups against the Pacers since the Magic hired Vogel in May.
Once again, the Magic defense was almost non-existent.
Led by Paul George, the Pacers made 59 percent of their shots and tallied 64 points in the paint as they boosted their playoff hopes. George scored a game-high 37 points on 14-of-22 shooting.
George received support off the bench by two more of Vogel's former players, C.J. Miles and Lance Stephenson, who keyed a 15-2 run late in the third quarter that broke open a close game.
It was close for awhile.
Magic power forward Aaron Gordon sank a turnaround jumper to cut the Pacers' lead to 84-80 with 3:49 to play in the quarter.
But the Pacers regained the momentum. They closed the quarter on a 15-2 run.
Miles made a 3-pointer that extended the Pacers' lead to 92-80. After Miles sank a free throw following a technical foul by Terrence Ross, it was Stephenson's turn to bedevil his former coach.
Stephenson sank a 3-pointer to put the Pacers ahead 96-82 and drained another trey as the buzzer sounded.
Pacers players remain fond of Vogel.
Miles, Stephenson and Monta Ellis greeted Vogel before or during Saturday's game. George, Miles, Stephenson and Ellis hugged him after the final buzzer.
The Pacers lost a closely contested first-round playoff series last season and then decided to let Vogel's contract end without re-signing him. In six seasons as the Pacers' head coach, Vogel compiled a 250-181 regular-season record and a 31-30 postseason record.
All four of the Magic's losses to the Pacers this season have featured extended Magic scoring droughts.
On Saturday, the offense faltered during the final minutes of the third quarter. The Magic missed their final four shots and turned the ball over twice.
The Pacers (40-40) needed to win Saturday.
They opened the day in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings, and the ninth-place Miami Heat trailed them by just one game.
Indiana played with energy on offense.
The Pacers totaled 68 points in the first half and made 61 percent of their shot attempts.
No one inflicted more damage than George, who scored 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
As tipoff approached, Vogel said the Magic (28-52) would benefit from playing games against teams fighting for their playoff lives. But in the game that followed, Vogel's players showed no intensity on the defensive end of the floor. The Pacers penetrated into the lane at will and scored 38 of their 68 first-half points in the paint.
The Magic trailed 68-59 at halftime.
The third quarter started badly for the Magic, too.
George swished a 3 on the opening possession of the third quarter. When Ross missed a 3 on the Magic's next trip down the court, Ellis collected the rebound. Ellis hurled an outlet pass to George, who scored on a layup.
Vogel immediately called a timeout.
The Pacers' 73-59 lead was their largest lead to that point.
The Magic whittled down the deficit.
Ross sank a 3-pointer, and George followed with a missed jumper in the lane. Nikola Vucevic grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Elfrid Payton, who sprinted upcourt and shoveled the ball to Gordon, who dunked. Gordon's slam cut Indiana's lead to 80-75 and prompted Pacers coach Nate McMillan to call a timeout.
The Magic couldn't sustain their momentum.
