Rookie Kam Jones hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 16.8 seconds left as the Indiana Pacers stormed back from an 18-point deficit and earned a 115-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday in New York.
The Pacers eked out their second straight close victory and improved to 9-9 in their past 18 following a 6-31 start.
After Brooklyn’s Day’Ron Sharpe stole the ball from Jones and hit a tying layup with 38.3 seconds left, the Pacers took the lead late in the shot clock. Kobe Brown found Jones at the right side and the guard released a 3-point shot that cleanly went in just before Brooklyn’s Terance Mann could defend.
Following Jones’ shot, Brooklyn rookie Nolan Traore had his shot blocked by Jay Huff at the rim with 8.1 seconds left. After getting the offensive rebound and calling a timeout, the Nets’ Egor Demin saw his 3-point try go long with 4.1 seconds left, and the Pacers’ Micah Potter hit two free throws with 1.6 seconds left.
Jarace Walker led Indiana with 23 points, 14 of them in the second half. Potter added a career-high 19 points and 12 rebounds, Ethan Thompson chipped in 15 and Taelon Peter contributed 14.
Jones and Huff finished with 11 apiece for the Pacers, who outscored the Nets 51-28 over the final 18 1/2 minutes.
The Pacers, who shot 48.9%, sat Pascal Siakam (left hamstring), Andrew Nembhard (lower back), Aaron Nesmith (lower back) and T.J. McConnell (right hamstring).
The Nets were unable to match a season best by winning their third straight and fell to 2-10 without Michael Porter Jr. (right knee tendinitis). Porter sat out his second straight game and Brooklyn held out Nic Claxton (right hip) and Noah Clowney (left ankle).
Traore led the Nets with 20 points while Sharpe and Ziaire Williams contributed 19 apiece. Rookie Danny Wolf finished with 14, Demin added 13 and fellow first-year guard Ben Saraf contributed 12.
The Nets, who fell to 5-19 in their past 24 games, shot 44.7% overall. They were outscored 31-20 in the final quarter.
Williams made two 3-pointers as the Nets scored eight straight points for an 82-64 lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Pacers ended the third with a 20-8 run and Brooklyn settled for a 90-84 edge into the fourth.
Peter hit a stepback trey to forge a 97-97 tie with 8:45 left and Potter split a pair at the line for a 98-97 lead with 7:40 remaining. Jones hit an eight-footer for a 105-101 lead with 3:55 to play, and Demin hit a corner 3-pointer for a 108-106 lead with 2:04 to go.
–Field Level Media
