Andrew Nembhard scored 29 points to lead seven players in double figures and the Indiana Pacers led wire-to-wire in a 123-99 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday in Indianapolis.
Micah Potter had 14 points and Jarace Walker added 13 for Indiana, which led by as many as 29 and won its second straight following a 13-game losing streak. T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith scored 12 apiece, Pascal Siakam had 11 points and Johnny Furphy chipped in 10.
The Heat shot just 39.1% from the field and 13.3% (4 of 30) from 3-point range in their first game since Tuesday. Miami’s game against the host Chicago Bulls on Thursday was postponed due to moisture and slick conditions on the United Center floor.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 21 points, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 16, Bam Adebayo added 13 and Andrew Wiggins had 11. Miami has lost three of its last four games.
Indiana snapped a seven-game home losing streak while connecting on 44.9% of its shots from the field and 42.5% (17 of 40) from beyond the arc.
The Pacers sprinted to a 28-10 lead and extended their lead to 25 points before ending the opening quarter with a 36-18 advantage. The Pacers held Miami to six field goals in the period.
Indiana’s 25-point lead was the team’s largest since Nov. 28 against the Washington Wizards.
Walker and Potter made back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Pacers a 55-34 lead with 5:26 left in the second quarter. Miami missed its first 11 3-point shots before Norman Powell’s trey cut the deficit to 61-45 at the half.
Indiana held the Heat to 37% shooting in the first half. Nembhard had 16 points in the half to lead the Pacers, while Herro had 10 for the Heat.
Miami battled back in the third quarter and pulled within 65-58 with 8:05 left in the period before Indiana used a 17-5 run to move ahead 82-63. Potter hit a pair of 3-pointers during the critical stretch.
The Pacers outscored Miami 38-27 in the third quarter and took a 99-72 lead into the final period. Indiana maintained its double-digit lead throughout the final period and cruised to its eighth win of the season.
–Field Level Media
