INDIANAPOLIS _ The 2015 NBA Draft haunted the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.
Myles Turner, a player the Magic passed up to select Mario Hezonja, led the Indiana Pacers to a 117-104 win over the Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Turner scored a game-high 23 points, collected a game-high 12 rebounds and dished out three assists.
Turner starts at center for the Pacers, and he often controlled play as the Pacers built a double-digit lead in the first half.
Midway through the second quarter, Turner hurled a line-drive pass to Thaddeus Young, resulting in an easy layup for Young. The basket put the Pacers ahead 42-32.
Late in the second quarter, the Magic cut their deficit to 49-44. But Turner rolled to the hoop on a pick-and-roll, received a pass from Jeff Teague and scored on an easy dunk.
After a jumper by Nikola Vucevic, Turner scored six consecutive points. He scored on a layup as he absorbed a foul by Jodie Meeks and then made the subsequent free throw. On Indiana's next possession, Turner drilled a 3-pointer off another pass from Teague to extend the Pacers' lead to 57-46.
The Magic (15-20) wanted to open the new year by returning to their defense-first roots. Instead, the Pacers (17-18) received effective drives to the hoop from their guards, which led to open shots on the perimeter.
The Magic trailed 89-73 at the start of the fourth quarter but scored seven consecutive points to draw within 89-80.
But Pacers point guard Aaron Brooks sank a fadeaway jumper. Al Jefferson scored on Indiana's next two trips down the floor to extend the Pacers' lead to 95-80 and force Magic coach Frank Vogel to call a timeout.
Orlando struggled with its outside shooting. The Magic made only 10 of their season-high 38 attempts from beyond the arc.
Hezonja was supposed to give the Magic a lights-out shooter after the team drafted him fifth in 2015. But Hezonja has struggled all season and has fallen out of the playing rotation.
The Pacers picked Turner 11th overall.
Turner continues to improve, while Hezonja stagnates on the Magic bench.
Vogel put Hezonja into the game with 4:24 remaining in the fourth quarter and Orlando down 109-90.
It was too late.
The game already had been decided.
Turner and his Pacers teammates made sure of that.
