Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points (12 in the paint) and 15 assists, and the Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 128-117.
Bennedict Mathurin’s corner 3-pointer put the Pacers ahead for good with 8:53 left in the fourth quarter.
The Nets got within 110-107 on Kevin Durant’s four-point play with 5:34 to play, but Buddy Hield answered with a pull-up 3-pointer, and the Nets got no closer.
In the fourth quarter, Mathurin had 2 steals, and the Pacers scored 4 points off them.
Hield had 26 points and 3 steals. Myles Turner added 23 points and 8 rebounds on 9 for 11 shooting, and Mathurin scored 20 points off the bench. The Pacers had 4 20-point scorers. Haliburton assisted on 6 of Hield’s 9 baskets, 3 of them 3-pointers.
For the Nets, Durant had 36 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and Ben Simmons added 20 points (16 in the paint) on 8 for 8 shooting. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points. Nic Claxton had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. Durant scored 20 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter. The Nets had 3 20-point scorers.
The Nets forced 10 turnovers, about 5 fewer than usual for this many possessions. The Pacers outscored the Nets 22-9 in 6 minutes with Johnson, McConnell, Turner, Hield and Mathurin on the floor together. Simmons fouled out.