The Indiana Pacers played their most impressive game of the season against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
The Pacers made 19 3-pointers and 20 free throws on the night, and they had four different 20-point scorers. Their offense was the buzz. Buddy Hield started the night with this Fastest three-pointer in NBA historyand the team never looked back.
Head coach Rick Carlisle was ejected in the third quarter. After Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell made a basket by traveling with the ball and it wasn’t called by the officials, Carlisle yelled and walked over to the referee. He was ejected from the game with 1:29 to go in the third quarter for charging the referees.
“I was on our guys to stay away from the refs … It was a deadly sin,” Carlisle said after the game. In his absence, assistant coach Lloyd Pearce filled in.
Although the Pacers shot the ball well and got a mental boost from their coach’s emotions, they trailed 119-118 with 4:30 left. They needed one more push and one more moment to grab the win.
Forward Aaron Nesmith provided it. He drove in from the left corner and dunked all over Cleveland center Jarrett Allen for the highlight of the night. That gave the Pacers the lead and they never relinquished it en route to victory.
Between arguably the most important events of the year, the hot shots and the middle of the game, it wasn’t a night Pacers fans will soon forget. And there were plenty of them at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday night. a sellout crowd of 17,274 was in attendance.
All those moments helped the blue and gold play well enough to knock off the Cavaliers. In a game of runs that included 16 lead changes, the Pacers beat the Cavs 135-126. It was Indiana’s 19th win of the season and the team tied for sixth in the East with the win.
“A great victory,” said the head coach of the team, Lloyd Pearce, after the game. He has led the blue and gold on several occasions during Carlisle’s absences in recent seasons. He helped the Pacers settle down early in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers went on a 10-0 run, and the Pacers’ response to that run ended up getting them back in the game.
The Pacers finished the night 19/31 from deep, good for 61.3%. That’s the highest percentage the team has shot from beyond the arc this season, and it’s just the third time they’ve made at least half of their shots from long range in a game. Three balls changed the result.
Hilde took down five of them. Tyrese Haliburton canned six. Every Pacers starter shot at least 50% on threes. The Cavaliers played well all night, but it was difficult for them to overcome the barrage of threes from Indiana.
It was also difficult for them to cope with the blue and gold’s late game surge. Nesmith scored with 4:26 remaining and the Pacers outscored the Cavs 16-7 the rest of the way. That knife gave Indiana and Nesmith a momentum they never relinquished. The young wing finished with 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
“He’s the best guy on the team,” Pierce said of Nesmith after the game. “He has no problem with any role we give him.”
Nesmith said the knife was a catalyst for him and the team. He didn’t miss a shot or free throw the rest of the night.
Hield excelled, finishing with 25 points and 5-of-6 shooting from deep. It was his second straight game shooting over 80% from long range. He’s in a groove and now leads the NBA in three-pointers.
Halliburton finished with 29 points and nine assists, a ridiculous statistic that has somehow become the norm for Halliburton in recent weeks. His shooting and increased aggressiveness on offense have made the Pacers offense deadly as of late.
Rookie guard Benedict Maturin also chipped in 20 points, finishing with 23 points on the night. He consistently played on time, as did center Myles Turner, who grabbed 12 rebounds and scored 14 points. Turner also added six blocks.
The Pacers are now 19-17 and have won four of their last five games. They will look to keep rolling when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday for the final game of 2022.
- Report. Myles Turner and Indiana Pacers open contract extension talks. CLICK HERE.
- Aaron Nesmith is leaning toward the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Halliburton won’t be stopped by more defensive attention. CLICK HERE.
- Pacers center Isaiah Jackson focuses on the simple things to stay engaged and productive. CLICK HERE.
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