INDIANAPOLIS _ The Detroit Pistons kept Paul George under control ... for one half.
But all George needed was one quarter to continue his ownership of the Pistons.
The star forward scored 13 of his 21 points in the third quarter and the Pacers (33-31) closed the quarter on a 28-10 run to take a 115-98 victory over the Pistons (31-33).
The Pacers sweep all four games of the season series and have a 7-1 record against the Pistons over the past two seasons.
The Pistons retain hold of seventh place in the Eastern Conference since the fading Chicago Bulls lost at Orlando.
But the fast-charging Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks lurk a half-game outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
The Pistons were able to hold George to eight points in the first half on 3-for-7 shooting.
But his 3-pointer midway through the third quarter gave the Pacers a 81-71 lead and it grew worse from there.
Thaddeus Young added 18 points for the Pacers.
Tobias Harris scored 22 points for the Pistons and Stanley Johnson added 17 points. Jon Leuer scored 15 points.
Andre Drummond finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
The Pistons quickly went down by 12 points at 15-3 when Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy turned to his bench.
The Pacers were helped early by Johnson fouling George and former Piston Rodney Stuckey while they were making 3-pointers, accounting for two four-point plays in the first quarter.
The Pistons also didn't help themselves at the free-throw line, going 5-for-9.
But Johnson's offensive rebound and put-back cut the deficit to seven at 30-23 going into the second quarter.
Johnson continued his strong play in the second quarter.
His 3-pointer at the 7:39 mark cut the deficit to six at 41-35.
And then he found Drummond for an alley-oop dunk to cut the deficit to 41-37.
But the Pacers pushed the lead to 58-50 at halftime behind 52.2 percent shooting.
Harris scored 18 points in the first half with Johnson contributing 10 points, four rebounds and two assists.
Coming into the game, the Pacers' average margin of victory over the Pistons over the past two seasons was a healthy 10.4 points per game.
And George's lanky frame loomed large with the Pistons' inability to match up with him. He averaged 26.3 points per game against the Pistons in three previous games this season.
He has a career true shooting percentage of nearly 60 percent against the Pistons.
"He's a very good catch-and-shoot player, someone who works extremely hard each and every summer," Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson said before the game. "Since we became friends, from Day 1, he's always continued to work."
