Tyrese Haliburton totaled 23 points and eight assists as the Indiana Pacers led for the final three quarters and moved over .500 for the first time with a 113-99 victory over the depleted Brooklyn Nets on Monday in New York.
Haliburton scored at least 20 for the fourth time in five games and sank four of Indiana’s 11 3-pointers while shooting 5-of-12 overall. He also made all nine of his free-throw attempts.
Bennedict Mathurin added 20 and Pascal Siakam finished with 19 as the Pacers shot 50.6 percent, survived getting outrebounded 51-35 and withstood allowing 33 second-chance points. Reserve Obi Toppin contributed 11 and Myles Turner chipped in 10 to help Indiana win its third straight.
The Pacers won for the 10th time in 14 games since their 99-90 loss in Brooklyn on Dec. 4 and moved to 19-18. Indiana also won for the eighth time in its past nine road games since its loss to the Nets.
Besides missing its top two leading scorers Cam Thomas (hamstring) and Cameron Johnson (ankle), the Nets were without D’Angelo Russell (shin) and Ben Simmons (calf). Brooklyn lost for the 13th time in 17 games and dropped its sixth straight home game.
Reserve Day’Ron Sharpe led the Nets with 16 points and 13 rebounds and Tyrese Martin added 15 points. Noah Clowney finished with 14 and Keon Johnson had 12 as the Nets shot 41.8 percent and missed 23 of 33 3-point tries.
TJ. McConnell capped a low-scoring opening quarter with a 10-footer before the buzzer to give the Pacers a 24-22 lead through the opening quarter. Haliburton scored the final seven points of Indiana’s 12-2 run over the final 3:35 to give them a 55-39 lead by halftime.
After Indiana took a 24-point lead early in the third, the Nets scored the final 12 points of the quarter and the Pacers settled for a 78-70 lead into the fourth.
Haliburton hit a 3 shortly after returning for a 94-81 lead with 7:31 remaining, and Toppin’s putback dunk made it 102-83 with 4:57 and sealed the win.
–Field Level Media
