INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- It has been a while since an Eastern Conference team faced a Western Conference road trip with this much confidence.
Jermaine O'Neal scored 21 points and Ron Artest and Al Harrington flirted with triple-doubles as the Indiana Pacers extended their winning streak to nine games with a 90-77 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Pacers have won 14 of their first 16 games for the best record in the NBA and are looking like one of few contenders in the East. They open a tough five-game road trip Sunday that includes matchups with a pair of powerhouses - the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings.
"It's going to be a statement," Harrington said. "It's a true test to see where we're really at. If we go out there and win most of these games ... it will let the whole league know that we're a real team and we're ready to go after it."
"We just want to go out and compete," O'Neal added. "We understand that in order for us to get some attention and get people to talk about our team, we're going to have to beat teams like the Lakers and Sacramento."
Indiana is one victory from matching the longest winning streak in franchise history after dominating Philadelphia from start to finish.
"You have got to have high energy to play Philadelphia," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We've got to take this momentum out west. Good starts are great, but being able to sustain is important."
Artest scored seven points as the Pacers jumped out to a 21-9 lead after just nine minutes. They made 8-of-16 shots in the first quarter while holding the 76ers to 4-of-18 shooting.
Indiana took a double-digit lead for good in the second quarter, using a 7-2 run to build a 41-28 advantage. Artest and O'Neal buried jumpers before Reggie Miller sank a 3-pointer with 4:20 remaining.
The Pacers shot 55 percent (11-of-20) in the first half en route to a 50-38 advantage and the 76ers got no closer than 10 points thereafter.
"We got beat by a confident team," 76ers coach Randy Ayers said. "I give them all the credit, they made some timely plays."
Artest had 20 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and tied a career high with four blocks and Harrington added 17 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for Indiana, which led by as many as 17 points in the second half.
"When we play at the level we are playing now, it appears to be easy, but it isn't," Artest said. "We've got to stay on our toes all the time."
Jeff Foster collected 13 points and eight rebounds and O'Neal grabbed six rebounds and tied a career high six of the Pacers' season-best 11 blocked shots. Indiana had a 46-32 advantage on the boards.
Philadelphia's struggles were typified by star guard Allen Iverson, who was limited to 12 points on 4-of-19 shooting.
"I had a tough night," he said. "I missed some shots that I don't usually miss. Tonight was definitely a rough one and I just want to forget about it."
Kenny Thomas scored 14 points and Eric Snow added 12 and 10 assists as the 76ers shot just 41 percent (29-of-71) from the floor and were held under 80 points for the third time this season.
