Indiana Pacers hang on late to beat Houston Rockets for second-straight win
The Indiana Pacers played their final game before the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline on Tuesday night. They hosted the Houston Rockets, a team they took down on the road back in December.
The Rockets entered the night at 11th place in the Western Conference. They are hoping to reach at least the Play-In Tournament this season, so any win is significant for them. Indiana, meanwhile, was in sixth place in the East entering the day and was hoping to hold on to that spot.
Houston made their first four shots to open the game, which guided them to an 11-5 lead quickly. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle took a timeout to regroup — he didn't like the start from his team.
They responded well coming out of the break. Pascal Siakam was cruising on offense for Indiana, spinning into the lane and hitting corner threes. It took a while, but with just over seven minutes to go in the first quarter, the Pacers reclaimed the lead.
The Rockets answered, though, and were back in front just a few moments later. They were playing well early, especially on the offensive end. It was a shootout for much of the first quarter.
As the quarter wound down, that style favored Indiana and their high-powered offense. They took a 39-37 lead late in the quarter, and the Pacers were ahead 41-39 after one frame. Siakam led the way with nine points.
Houston opened the second period with a 9-0 run in 90 seconds to take a seven-point lead. Their offense looked fantastic early in this game, and the Pacers were struggling to keep up.
Five minutes into the second quarter, the Rockets were still shooting 67.6% from the field. They couldn't be stopped, even on possessions that Indiana defended well. They were up 57-51 at the time.
The Rockets advantage hovered around that mark for the next few minutes. They cooled off a tiny bit, but not enough for Indiana to make a complete comeback. Jabari Smith Jr. was having an excellent game.
Houston remained efficient and was ahead 75-68 at the break. They were 8/12 from deep and shooting 65.2% on all shots. It was an impressive offensive half from the Rockets. Siakam had 14 for the Pacers, but they needed to up their defensive level.
The second half opened with more productive play from the Rockets on offense. They were scoring with ease regardless of Indiana's coverages. They had 85 points with over nine minutes left in the third period.
Over the next 90 seconds, the Pacers finally figured some things out defensively. They got a couple stops in a row and were able to take advantage, quickly cutting the lead down to three. That prompted a timeout from the visitors.
That stoppage helped. Houston surged again and was back up by eight just a few possessions later — they were playing composed basketball all night even when the blue and gold were going on runs.
But Indiana was quickly ready for another run. Tyrese Haliburton finally got going, and the home team cut the deficit to two with 4:06 left in the third quarter. They needed to keep up their increased level of defense if they wanted to reclaim the lead.
With 2:18 left in the period, Siakam missed a free throw that would have tied the game up. But on the very next Pacers possession, Buddy Hield drilled a three that gave the Pacers their first lead since early in the second quarter. It was 100-98 at the time.
Indiana, behind excellent play from T.J. McConnell, ballooned their lead to end the third quarter. They were ahead 106-99 heading into the fourth frame after outscoring the Rockets 38-24 in the third period. Siakam had 24 points at the time.
The final quarter started with a few buckets from the Pacers, who expanded their lead to double digits for the first time of the game. Houston quickly responded and shrunk that number, but the home team had all the momentum earlier in the fourth quarter.
Near the middle of the period, Haliburton went to the scorers table to check in. It was the first time he was able to play in all four quarters of a game since January 19. And just after checking in, he hit a triple to expand the Pacers lead to 11.
Not long after, that number grew to 14. Houston called a timeout in response. Their chances of winning were dropping rapidly.
Out of the timeout, the Rockets quickly scored five points to cut the lead to nine. It was a small stretch, but it was significant with Siakam set to check back in soon. They needed any run of success they could get.
The Pacers were able to stabilize for the next few minutes, but they weren't able to expand the lead. The Rockets were hanging around, and it was an eight-point score margin with 1:33 to go.
At that moment, Pacers center Myles Turner fouled out. He had 21 points at the time, so his absence for the closing stretch would be significant.
Houston cut the lead to five with about 75 seconds to go. Their comeback effort was spirited, and the Pacers were struggling to score and put the game away. They desperately needed another bucket.
On their next possession, they finally added to their tally via a free throw from Aaron Nesmith. But it was just one point, and the Rockets nailed a three on their next possession. Suddenly, it was a one-score game. The blue and gold needed to make another play to finish off their opponents.
Haliburton made it. He got to the rim on a key drive and was able to give the Pacers a five-point lead. They were on the verge of earning a victory.
They held on to get it done. The final score was 132-129, with Indiana's defense finally forcing a few missed shots on the final possession. It got dicey, but the Pacers held on for the win.
Turner finished with 21 points. Siakam had 29, and Haliburton added 18 with seven assists. Those three were terrific, as was McConnell with 17 points.
Indiana next plays on Thursday when they host the Golden State Warriors.
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- Pascal Siakam discusses long-term future with Indiana Pacers and upcoming free agency. CLICK HERE.
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