The loss left the Sixers 11/2 games ahead of Milwaukee in the race for the eighth seed. The Sixers finished the regular season with a 19-14 record at home. They are just one game above .500 for the first time since they began the season 3-2.
The loss was the Sixers' third in a row and dropped their record in their in their last 32 games to 11-21.
Down by 79-77 after the Sixers' Andre Iguodala (23 points) hit the first of two free throws with 7 minutes, 52 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, the Pacers used a 9-3 run for an 88-81 lead they did not relinquish.
The Sixers did get to within 98-95 on Thaddeus Young's three-pointer with 47 seconds to play. They had a chance to tie it shortly thereafter, but Lou Williams missed a three. Indiana's George Hill sealed the Pacers' victory, their 10th win in their last 11 games, with a pair of free throws.
Young finished with 19 points for the Sixers, who will face the Bucks next week in the next-to-last game of the regular season. That game is part of the team's final five games of the regular season, beginning with Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Contact staff writer John N. Mitchell at jmitchell@philly.com. Follow him @JmitchInquirer on Twitter.
