RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Playoff time is approaching and Reggie Miller looked like he was ready Friday night.

Miller scored 19 first-half points, becoming the 25th-leading scorer in NBA history, and finished with 26 as the Indiana Pacers trounced Minnesota 109-85.

	Reggie Miller's 19,664 career points make him the 25th leading scorer in NBA history.

His showing represented a turnaround from Indiana's last three games, all losses. The Pacers' all-time scoring leader connected on just 15-of-41 shots from the field, scoring 41 points, over that span.

"We have a month left to get ready for the playoffs. We were playing a team that has been playing very well since the All-Star break," Miller said. "We moved the basketball. We got some good shots and our defense was in sync tonight. We were rotating."

Travis Best matched his career high of 27 points, shooting 12-of-16 from the field, and Jalen Rose added 21 for Indiana.

"I've been feeling pretty good the last few games, a lot better, like my old self," Best said. "Plus I like to gear up, especially with the playoffs coming."

Any combination of three Indiana victories or losses by Toronto or Charlotte will give the Pacers the Central Division title. The Hornets moved into second place ahead of Toronto by defeating the Raptors 110-101 in overtime Friday night.

"Travis did a good job tonight at being aggressive, and hitting his shots," Rose said. "It takes the pressure off other guys. ... It wasn't a must win, but we needed it, and we needed it bad."

Miller passed Bernard King on the NBA career list as he raised his point total to 19,664. Next up is Tom Chambers with 20,049.

Indiana opened a double-digit lead for the first time in the third period when the Timberwolves shot 14 percent while being outscored 20-12.

Minnesota, which hasn't won in Indianapolis since Feb. 12, 1993, went over four minutes without a field goal in the period. Terrell Brandon, who led Minnesota with 24 points, hit a 3-pointer to cut Indiana's lead to 65-56 with 7:03 left in the quarter, but Indiana went on to take a 73-58 lead with 3:14 remaining on a 3-pointer by Rose.

The Timberwolves, the league leader in field goal accuracy at .473, shot just 38 percent from the field as they lost at Indiana for the sixth consecutive time.

Minnesota trailed 77-63 after three periods, and Indiana went on to take its biggest lead at 103-75 with 4:45 to play.

Garnett, who went into the game as the league's ninth-leading scorer at 23.5, was held to 14 points as he shot just 7-of-21 from the field. He had been averaging 32.8 points over the last six games, shooting 61.4 percent from the field and topping 30 points in the last four.

Minnesota was playing for a second straight night, having defeated Houston 122-90 on Thursday while the Pacers were enjoying a second consecutive day off.

"I never like to blame a loss on anything, but it looked like we were tired in the second half," Garnett said. "They had a lot more energy tonight than we did, but we can't blame it on the back-to-back. It's part of playing in the NBA. We can't use it as an excuse."

Indiana coach Larry Bird credited the defense of Dale Davis and Austin Croshere for the low production by the Minnesota star.

Garnett was the game's leading rebounder with 12. Best led the Pacers with seven assists.

Game notes
Indiana's sellout streak at Conseco Fieldhouse is 37 games. ... Indiana's Dale Davis made his first start in nine games. He missed six games in that stretch with a strained left hamstring, a groin injury and leg cramps. He played 21 minutes and had five points and a team-high nine rebounds. ... Garnett stretched his run of consecutive games in double figures to 201, the longest current streak. ... Rose has scored in double figures 41 straight games and has 20 or more points in 13 of his last 18. ... Indiana swept its 14 games against Western Conference teams at Conseco. The Pacers have now defeated every team in the league at least once. ... Indiana outscored Minnesota 21-9 on fast-break points, including an 8-0 advantage in the third period.