INDIANAPOLIS -- When an NBA team takes the court without its leader and leading scorer, the potential for an undesirable outcome is high.

However, it did not turn out that way Friday night for the Indiana Pacers, who had lost three consecutive home games.

Glenn Robinson III started in place of injured Paul George and scored a career-best 20 points, leading Indiana to a 118-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Pacers (8-9) announced during the game that leading scorer George (20.8 points per game), who has lower back soreness, also will miss Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Nov. 30 game at Portland.

"The coaches told me today, and I was ready," said Robinson III, an Indiana native whose father, Glenn Robinson Jr., was an All-American at Purdue, just 65 miles from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. "We have a lot of ability, and tonight we made smart decisions. This also is how we have to start."

Rodney Stuckey came off the bench to score 18 points for Indiana, Myles Turner and Al Jefferson each had 16, Monta Ellis added 14 and Thaddeus Young contributed 11. The Pacers shot a season-best 55.2 percent from the field (48 of 87).

Brook Lopez led Brooklyn (4-11) with 20 points, Sean Kilpatrick scored 16 and Trevor Booker, Yogi Ferrell and Randy Foye each had 10. The Nets have lost six in a row.

Indiana coach Nate McMillan said he wants to give George time to get healthy.

"When Paul couldn't go tonight, we decided to hold him out for a few days," McMillan said. "I thought Glenn had a real good game. He let the game come to him and took the shots the defense gave him. I am not concerned about his offense."

Indiana began the third quarter on a 20-7 run, building a 78-50 lead with 5:37 on the clock. Late in the third quarter, the Pacers were shooting 62.5 percent from the floor. Indiana led 92-65 through three quarters, outscoring Brooklyn 34-22 in the quarter.

The Pacers shot 57.1 percent from the field (24 of 42) during the first half on their way to a 58-43 lead through 24 minutes.

"We have to establish who we are, and we don't know that for sure right now," McMillan said. "Tonight we established the tempo, which this team has to do."

Robinson III had a 13-point first half and Turner added 10 points and five rebounds to help Indiana turn a seven-point, first-quarter deficit into a 15-point advantage at intermission. The Pacers outrebounded Brooklyn 25-17 in the first half.

Pacers point guard and Indianapolis native Jeff Teague came close to a triple-double with nine points, nine rebounds and eight assists in only 23:42.

"It was different without Paul, but we have been preaching since Thursday that we just have to continue to move the ball and play together," Teague said. "We all have to make some sacrifices, and that is what we did tonight."

Lopez had nine points and Booker added eight in the first two quarters for the Nets, who shot 43.6 percent from the field (17 of 39) before halftime.

Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said a key was Indiana scoring 27 points as the result of 20 Nets' turnovers.

"Those are free points that you are giving up," Atkinson said. "I am sure there are things defensively that we did better, but the end of the second quarter hurt us. They went on a run, and then in the third quarter, we did not respond."

Lopez credited Indiana's aggressiveness.

"They out-worked us, and they were more focused than us for the majority of the game," Lopez said. "We were lax on both ends of the floor. We need to fight and grind on every possession in order to give ourselves a shot. We have to play hard for 48 minutes."

NOTES: The Nets were without No. 2 scorer G Jeremy Lin (strained left hamstring). ... The Pacers were without G/F C.J. Miles (sore left knee) and F Kevin Seraphin (sore left knee). ... Indiana came in having lost three consecutive home games by an average of 22.7 points. ... Indiana is in the midst of a nine-game stretch in which eight are in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Before facing Brooklyn, the Pacers were 2-4 in the first six at home in that stretch. ... Brooklyn defeated Indiana 103-94 on Oct. 28 in the Barclays Center.