Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton combined to score 51 points and the Indiana Pacers beat visiting Atlanta 129-114 on Tuesday in Indianapolis to break a four-game losing streak against the Hawks.
It was Indiana’s first victory over Atlanta since May 6, 2021. The Hawks swept the four-game series last season. The Pacers have won three of their last four games overall.
Hield scored 28 points, 15 of them in the first half. He hit 11 of 16 shots, including six 3-pointers, and grabbed nine rebounds. Haliburton scored 23 points, 16 in the second half, hitting 9 of 16 from the field, and added seven assists.
Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin each scored 18 points and Oshae Brissett added 16 for the Pacers.
Atlanta was led by John Collins, who scored a season-high 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double before fouling out. It was the most points scored by Collins in the four games since he returned from an ankle injury that cost him eight games.
Trae Young tallied 22 points and 10 assists before leaving the game with 3:51 to play with a left calf contusion. Young was taken to the locker room for examination and did not return. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18 points and Dejounte Murray scored 14.
Atlanta played without starters Clint Capela (right calf strain) and De’Andre Hunter (left ankle).
The Pacers led 30-27 after one quarter and stretched it to 15 points when Mathurin converted a three-point play with 4:05 left. They led 64-54 at halftime.
Indiana was ahead by 16 in the third quarter (90-74) and had a 96-86 advantage going into the fourth quarter. Atlanta cut the deficit to 103-97 on a basket by Collins at 8:51, but the Pacers went on a 17-3 run and took a 20-point lead with 5:54 left.
–Field Level Media