Indiana Pacers win second-straight road game behind outside shooting and brilliant Tyrese Haliburton game
CHICAGO — The Indiana Pacers were in Chicago on Thursday night to take on the Bulls. It was the second matchup of the season between the two teams, and it was an important one for the Pacers. After winning on Tuesday in Houston, the blue and gold had a chance to get a win streak going with their new-look rotation. That would give them some nice momentum after a slump.
The United Center crowd was loud and excited as the game got ready to tip off. The Bulls entered the night having won four of their last five games, so they were going to be a tough opponent for Indiana.
The Pacers jumped out to an 8-6 lead in the first two minutes of action. They scored on all three of their first three possessions, but the team's defense wasn't good enough early. They needed some stops to extend their lead.
Indiana was unable to force misses. Barely over four minutes into the game, they trailed 16-12. Chicago was scoring with ease and hitting open shots. It was going to be a long night for the Pacers if they didn't up their level on the less glamorous end of the court.
The Pacers bench brought things back. After the starters kept the deficit at about the same number for a few minutes, the second unit for Indiana came in and grabbed the lead very quickly. Buddy Hield and Isaiah Jackson made helpful plays on both ends to get their team back into the lead.
They maintained that advantage for the final minutes and were ahead 37-31 after one period. Myles Turner and Jalen Smith were tied for the most points on the Pacers at that point with seven.
Indiana's second unit was able to hold on to that lead as the second frame began. They kept the Bulls at arms length as they matched every bucket for the first three minutes of the quarter.
The Bulls broke out of that spell in the next few possessions, pushing their deficit down to two with a string of baskets. Getting stops helped them get out in transition, which led to easy points. Coby White and DeMar DeRozan were tough covers at the time.
With 7:45 on the clock in quarter two, Chicago tied the game up again at 41-all. They were back in it after a down stretch. Their starting five had little trouble creating openings against the Pacers defense.
The visitors grabbed their lead back quickly, and the score stayed close for the next few moments. Indiana was the next team to surge. Consecutive threes from Aaron Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton ballooned the Pacers lead to eight, tied for their biggest of the game at the time. They had re-captured their groove.
The Pacers had a few chances to up their lead to double digits but were unsuccessful for a while. Finally, with barely over one minute to go in the first half, Hield dropped in a layup to give his team a 10-day point advantage. They earned it with great defense in the second quarter.
When the first half ended, the Pacers were ahead 63-52. The defense they played in the second quarter was great, and it helped them extend their lead. Smith's 11 points led the way at the break. Haliburton had nine points and 11 assists.
The second half opened with the Pacers hitting shots. They extended their lead up to 16 in the first two minutes of the third quarter and had some momentum early in the half. Their new starters looked great.
Indiana's defense continued to look effective as the third quarter progressed. They ballooned their lead as high as 25 near the middle of the quarter as the Bulls looked stuck in the mud. The blue and gold were playing at a high level.
The Pacers bench players mixed in well with the starters and kept the lead at a high number heading into the late parts of the quarter. They were determined to keep their significant advantage, so after a short run by the Bulls, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle called a timeout with his team up 19 points. He wanted to make sure they didn't give away momentum.
It didn't help. Chicago's run hit 10-0 as the lead kept shrinking, and Indiana was forced to call another timeout with an 84-71 lead. They were getting sloppy on both ends of the court.
The poor play didn't end as the quarter wound down. For the final 6:30 of the third period, the Pacers scored just two total points as Chicago went on a run. They cut the Indiana lead down from 25 to eight. It was 85-77 heading into winning time. Turner's 17 points led the Pacers.
The fourth quarter opened with more struggles for the Pacers. It took them multiple minutes to get a shot to fall as the Bulls cut the lead down even further. Finally, after a nine-minute drought of missed shots, Andrew Nembhard got a shot to fall for the blue and gold. But at that point, their lead was down to five.
With 8:18 to go, White hit a deep three for Chicago to give them the lead at 91-90. All in all, it was a 30-6 run for the Bulls to reclaim the lead. The Pacers looked miserable for that stretch.
They tied the game up soon after, so the final seven minutes would decide the game. But the home team had all the momentum, and the crowd was behind them. The Pacers were going to have to play much, much better to close out the game.
Haliburton checked back into the game and changed the Pacers fortunes. He had an assist and two threes in quick succession, and his team went back up by six. They needed him to be superman to get their lead back, and he was.
The Pacers lead kept climbing and went up to 11 after Turner hit a layup with just under four minutes to go in the game. Despite a miserable run by the blue and gold throughout the third quarter, they had a great chance to win the game.
All they had to do was play solid basketball for the final two-and-a-half minutes and they were going to earn a road victory. And just after the clock passed that marker, Nesmith hit an outside shot to extend the lead to 12.
They held on down the stretch for a 120-104 win. Haliburton had a masterful game, finishing with 21 points, 20 assists, and no turnovers. Turner led the way with 24 points.
Indiana is now 16-14. They head back home for their final game of 2023 on Saturday when they'll host the New York Knicks.
- Tyrese Haliburton is working through increased attention and pressure from defenses for the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- James Johnson back with Indiana Pacers to provide wisdom and toughness. CLICK HERE.
- Jarace Walker showing important growth for Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers survive comeback attempt from Houston Rockets for much-needed road win. CLICK HERE.
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