A 10-0 run midway through the fourth quarter gave the Indiana Pacers an advantage they never relinquished en route to a 106-104 win over the New York Knicks on Friday in Indianapolis.
Indiana held New York scoreless for more than three minutes during the pivotal spell of the NBA Cup East Group B contest. The Pacers opened up a 102-89 lead when Aaron Nesmith punctuated the run with a dunk.
Nesmith was the fourth Pacer to score during the run, reflective of Indiana’s offensive balance throughout the contest. All five Indiana starters scored in double figures, including Nesmith with 18 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. with 16 and Ivica Zubac and Andrew Nembhard with 12 apiece.
Pascal Siakam scored a team-high 19 points, but two points that eluded him loomed large over the final minute.
With 23 seconds remaining in regulation and a chance to extend the lead to six points, Siakam missed a pair of free throws. The errant foul shots were part of a disastrous closing minute for Indiana, which gave New York an opportunity to send the game into overtime.
The Knicks forced a turnover on an Indiana sideline inbounds play, taking possession with less than three seconds remaining. Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 23 points, took an entry pass near the low block. His turnaround, fadeaway attempt just before the buzzer caromed off the rim as the Pacers escaped.
Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 33 points in the loss and dished 11 assists. Towns also recorded a game-high 15 rebounds to make it a double-double
The win pulled Indiana to 1-1 in group play of the NBA Cup, though the Pacers were left with a minus-18 point differential for the tournament thanks to the slashed lead. New York fell to 0-2 in group competition.
Zubac posted a double-double for Indiana with 13 rebounds. Nesmith added seven boards.
Mikal Bridges (18 points) and OG Anunoby (11) also finished in double figures for New York.
–Field Level Media
