MIAMI -- Paul George had some inflammatory words during and after Saturday night's game against the Miami Heat.

But it was the words that he chose during the game that changed everything. And with the Indiana Pacers' All-Star forward ejected in the third quarter, Miami took advantage.

Hassan Whiteside scored 22 points and added a game-high 17 rebounds, Dion Waiters had 22 points, and Goran Dragic added 21 points as Miami defeated Indiana 113-95 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

In the key statistic of the game, Miami made 41.9 percent of its 3-pointers while Indiana shot 4 for 12 from deep.

George, who had 10 points and one rebound in 19 minutes, was hit with two technical fouls in a matter of seconds. The first, with 10:45 left in the third quarter, was a double technical shared by Heat forward Rodney McGruder after the two got involved in a minor shoving match.

The second technical, with 8:49 left in the third, occurred when George, who thought he had been fouled while shooting a 3-pointer, shouted objectionable words at referee Gary Zielinski. The insults grew louder until Zielinski blew his whistle, and George was done.

"He was a puppet," George said of Zielinski. "(Heat coach Erik Spoelstra) was in his ear. He called it. It's not like I said something derogatory to (Zielinski).

"It's a soft league. That easily could have been a warning. ... I felt I got chucked (fouled). I responded. We move on."

Spoelstra, asked for his view, seemed to regret the fact that George was ejected.

"That was a verbal," Spoelstra said of the second technical. "You don't want players to miss at all. If he played (the whole game), it looked like it was going to be your typical Heat-Pacers game that goes down to the last possession.

"It was extremely physical -- it always is between these two teams. It felt like a playoff-type game. (George) is an absolutely elite, great basketball player. That was unfortunate, that second T, for him."

Pacers coach Nate McMillan, asked about the apparent confusion among referees on whether George would be ejected, at first said he would not comment.

"But yeah, I think some people were surprised," McMillan finally said, briefly addressing the ejection. "I'll leave it at that."

Miami (27-32), which won 16 of its past 18 games, got 15 points, seven rebounds and eight assists from reserve forward James Johnson.

The Heat reached 100 points for the 16th consecutive game, the best such streak in club history.

Miami is 1 1/2 games behind the idle Detroit Pistons for the eighth and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

Indiana (30-29) lost seven of its past eight games. The Pacers were led by Myles Turner, who had 18 points. Jeff Teague added 16 points.

Despite shooting only 31.8 percent from the floor, Indiana had a 23-18 advantage after the first period.

The Pacers led by as many as 11 points in the second quarter, but the Heat rallied and closed its deficit to 54-53 at the half. Miami remained close by making seven three-pointers in the first half -- six more than Indiana.

Miami, taking advantage of George's ejection, shot 71.4 percent in the third quarter and ended the period with an 83-79 lead.

"It's frustrating," George said of his ejection. "I have to be better."

The Heat maintained its momentum midway through the fourth quarter, going on a 16-2 run to take control. Indiana never seriously challenged again.

"Guys came out here hungry," Whiteside said when asked about Miami's collective attitude in this game. "We're trying to make a playoff push. Guys know what's at stake.

"We just want to keep going. Keep trying to build them up in the win column and get in these playoffs."

NOTES: Heat backup C Willie Reed left the game with 6:48 left in the fourth quarter with an injury to his right calf. ... F Paul George needs three points to pass Billy Knight into eighth place on the Pacers' NBA career scoring list. ... Pacers PF Al Jefferson (tooth pain, swollen mouth) was left at the team hotel and missed his second straight game. He is averaging 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. ... Heat SG Josh Richardson (sprained left foot), Pacers F Thaddeus Young (sprained left wrist) and Pacers F Lavoy Allen (knee) all played. Prior to Friday, they had all missed multiple games consecutively. .... Ex-Heat PF Chris Bosh, who has been out one calendar year due to blood clots, is expected to officially be released next month. ... Miami next plays at the Dallas Mavericks on Monday. ... Indiana plays its second contest of a five-game road trip Monday at the Houston Rockets.