Pacers survive once again with win over Nets
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — After a thrilling nine days which resulted in four ridiculous victories, the Pacers were in desperate need of one of those “boring” wins on Saturday night. Could it be that simple? Not for this team, apparently. After building a 20-point lead through three quarters, they were well on their way to accomplishing a rare drama-free night. As we’ve seen over the last few years, however, this Pacers team doesn’t play well with big leads. The Brooklyn Nets went on a furious 21-2 run to start the 4th Quarter and cut the lead to one. In the end, the Pacers survived yet again, defeating the Nets by a final score of 108-103.
“We’ve got to manage these situations better, especially with the goals we have as a team,” said Pascal Siakam after the win. “We’ve just got to do better. But we’ve shown a lot of grit in these wins.”
It hasn’t always been pretty during this stretch, but especially this time of year, there is no such thing as an ugly win. Rick Carlisle agrees: “In this league, a win cannot be made to feel like a loss,” said the Pacers Coach. “There are no gimmicks or shortcuts to closing out an NBA game. Even with a 20 point lead heading to the 4th.”
Tyrese Haliburton returned to the lineup after missing three straight games, and the star point guard made his presence known early and often. He scored or assisted on 18 straight points in the 1st quarter for the Pacers, with 10 points and three assists in those minutes. He finished with 16 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds. It was his 10th straight game with a double-double, setting a new career high.
“We seem to not have any normal basketball games of late,” said Haliburton. “But come playoff time, that won’t matter. This will have just been a win. It’s good to find different ways to win games.”
Myles Turner had his second straight 20 point night against Brooklyn, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. The Pacers are now 11-2 this season when Turner goes for 20+, and 20-5 when Haliburton records a double-double. Pascal Siakam also had a big night with 26 points, including the game’s biggest shot down the stretch.
Despite all of these recent home games on the schedule, the Pacers will still play eight of their final 12 games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The fun continues in Indy next week with a few intriguing match-ups against Minnesota on Monday, and the Lake Show on Wednesday. With 12 games to play, the Pacers have a game and a half lead over Milwaukee for the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference.
