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Detroit Pistons left in dust on the road by Indiana Pacers in choppy 133-119 loss

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Detroit Pistons left in dust on the road by Indiana Pacers in choppy 133-119 loss


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For the second time this month, the Detroit Pistons were unable to overcome a division rival. 

The Pistons fell to the Indiana Pacers on the road, 133-119, to fall below .500 (23-24 overall) and conclude their road trip with a 2-3 record. They’ve dropped three consecutive games, after losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic, and finished their season series against the Pacers 1-3.

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After trailing by 20 midway through the second quarter, the Pistons used a 21-7 run to cut it back to single digits, 66-60, with under two minutes to play until halftime. They never got closer than four the rest of the way, though. 

A 9-2 Pistons run, led by Tobias Harris, cut it to six with seven minutes to play in the final period. Two quick Pacers buckets, the second a 3-pointer from Ben Sheppard, extended it back to double digits. Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner put the game away late with a trio of 3-pointers that extended Indiana’s lead to 18 with under two minutes to play. 

With the game in reach, the Pistons shot just 8-for-23 (34.8%) in the fourth. 

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Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 32 points and nine assists on 12-for-22 shooting. Malik Beasley (20 points, 6-for-10 from 3), Harris (19 points), Jalen Duren (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Ausar Thompson (10 points) also scored in double figures. 

Siakam (37 points, 15-for-21) led all scorers, and Haliburton added 30 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Isaiah Stewart was ejected early in the second quarter, following an altercation with Pacers big man Thomas Bryant that led to a flagrant-2. 

Beasley rescues Pistons early with 3-point barrage

The NBA hasn’t yet named its competitors in next month’s All-Star weekend 3-point contest in San Francisco. During the first half, Beasley reminded everyone why he deserves a bid. 

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He provided instant offense off the bench as the Pistons faced an early 16-point deficit, 24-8, midway through the opening quarter. Beasley knocked down four of his six 3s for the night, sparking a 21-11 Pistons run that brought them within six with 46 seconds remaining in the period. 

Beasley struck right as the Pacers cooled off. After opening the game shooting 11-for-14 with eight consecutive makes, Haliburton missed an open transition dunk that finally broke Indiana’s momentum. 

Beasley knocked down three 3s in a row, sandwiched by a pair of missed free throws by Haliburton, before hitting a fourth 3-pointer with just under two minutes remaining on the clock to cut it to eight, 35-27. 

Stewart ejected in second quarter 

With 8:45 remaining in the second quarter, Stewart shoved Bryant to the ground with a hard shoulder bump, sending the Pacers center to the floor. Bryant was angry and momentarily had to be held back by teammates as officials reviewed the foul for a flagrant. 

The foul was confirmed as a Flagrant-2, making it Stewart’s second technical of the night after he and veteran Pacers forward James Johnson were whistled for techs during the first quarter. 

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As Stewart exited the game, he energetically pointed two fingers toward the opposite end of the floor, appeared to gesture toward the crowd and popped his jersey to jeering fans sitting near the tunnels. He played just under eight minutes total, finishing with a point and an assist. 

It was already a chippy game between the two teams, continuing a rivalry that started last season and heated up this season, particularly during the Pistons’ home loss to the Pacers on Jan. 16, which featured plenty of trash talk from both sides. 

Wednesday’s game featured plenty of emotion on both sides as well. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Cunningham and Tim Hardaway Jr. were all whistled for techs for the Pistons, as was Turner for Indiana.

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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X @omarisankofa.





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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark

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Kelsey Mitchell winner completes Fever comeback against Mercury, without Caitlin Clark


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PHOENIX — The Indiana Fever barely eked out of Mortgage Matchup Arena with a 92-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night on the second night of a back-to-back.

Caitlin Clark (rest) did not play after making her return on a minutes restriction on Wednesday against Los Angeles. Aliyah Boston, who missed the game against L.A. for precautionary reasons, finished with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Mercury.

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Kelsey Mitchell scored 29 points on 10-of-22 shooting, adding on eight assists. She hit the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left. Tyasha Harris finished with 15 points and five assists, including a stretch of nine of 11 Fever points to close the gap.

Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas had 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists, Kahleah Copper added 22 points and five rebounds.

Here’s what I liked and disliked, and what the win means.

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What I liked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

  • Early 3-point shooting: One of Boston’s main focuses this offseason was improving her 3-point shot, and it’s coming to fruition. She made two 3-pointers in the first quarter, helping lead the Fever to six total makes beyond the arc in the opening 10-minute period. Harris, starting in place of Clark, had two 3-pointers in the first quarter, as well, with Lexie Hull and Mitchell each making one. At the time, it was big for the Fever to maintain a lead.
  • Roaring back in the third quarter: Basketball is a game of runs, and the Fever embodied that. They led by 12 in the first, then trailed by four at halftime, then went on a 20-9 run over seven minutes in the third quarter to take a one-point lead by the end of the third. Mitchell was the one to lead that comeback, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting along with three assists in that quarter. The third was crucial for the Fever not just to get back into the lead, but, especially on a back-to-back, to try and have the mental fortitude to close the game out.
  • Tyasha Harris coming in clutch: Harris’ role has expanded since Clark has been out (or limited), and she is making the most of her minutes. She scored nine points in the fourth quarter alone, including a 3-pointer with three minutes left to take the lead, then four straight points to give the Fever the lead again with 44 seconds left. She finished the game with 15 points and five assists, being the facilitator the Fever need while Clark recovers.

What I disliked in the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury

  • Second-quarter slide: For the second straight game, the Fever held a double-digit lead in the first quarter then were trailing by halftime. The Fever allowed the Mercury to shoot 12 of 20 from the field in the second quarter (and 5 of 8 from 3-point range), completely negating the Fever’s six 3-pointers from the first quarter. Phoenix went on a 12-2 run over the final three minutes of the quarter, too, taking advantage of the Fever’s off the mark shots.
  • Silly mistakes: In a close game like this, every possession matters. And every mistake compounds. The Fever had a few in the second half, including a shot-clock violation from Harris where she wasn’t even in shooting motion yet, a defensive three-seconds foul from Aliyah Boston, a backcourt violation from Kelsey Mitchell, and another shot clock violation from Raven Johnson to start the fourth quarter. All of those mistakes gives Phoenix extra points or extra possessions. While the Fever ultimately won the game, it made it closer than it needed to be.

What the Indiana Fever’s win vs Phoenix Mercury means

Indiana (13-9) is a strong team offensively, but recently, the Fever haven’t been able to get out of their own way on defense. It showed in the runs they gave up to Phoenix, flip-flopping the lead and forcing the Fever to continue to play from behind. It worked out for Indiana this time around, finding what they needed when they needed it, but it won’t be sustainable long term.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.



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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting

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Attempted murder suspect arrested in Indianapolis for Bloomington shooting


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — A Bloomington man was arrested Wednesday in Indianapolis on an attempted murder charge after police say he fired seven to eight rounds into a white GMC SUV occupied by three adults and four children last month in Bloomington before fleeing the area.

A news release issued Thursday from the Bloomington Police Department said members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s special weapons and tactics team took Kafern P. Johnson, 32, into custody near the intersection of West 84th Street and Allison Avenue in Indianapolis without incident.

The arrest came more than two weeks after the June 23 shooting in the 1000 block of North Summit Street. That’s in a residential area next to Crestmont Park in Bloomington.

Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatch received 911 calls at 7:41 p.m. June 23 reporting gunfire in the area.

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Responding patrol officers and detectives determined Johnson had fired into the SUV following a verbal fight with the vehicle’s driver. Police said the dispute stemmed from an argument over a relationship.

No injuries were reported despite the number of people inside the vehicle.

Following his arrest, Johnson was taken to an IMPD facility for questioning and later booked into the Marion County jail. On Thursday morning, he was booked into the Monroe County jail.

The release said Johnson could face felony charges of attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a firearm, and pointing a firearm. No formal charges have yet been filed, according to online court records.

Bloomington police asked anyone with additional information to call 812-349-3324.

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This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.



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FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME

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FAIRFIELD NATIVE AND HIS WIFE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR NEWBURGH, INDIANA HOME


Fairfield native, David K. Wells, 69, and his wife Aileen, were found dead inside their home in Newburgh, Indiana, Monday night. Warrick County Sheriff Michael Wilder said that deputies responded to the residence just before 8:00 p.m. after dispatch received a call around 7:40 p.m. from a friend of the family requesting a welfare check. When officers didn’t get an answer at the door, they entered through the back of the home and found the couple deceased. Officers cleared the home and waited for detectives to arrive. Investigators also obtained a search warrant to do a further examination of the residence. Authorities were able to notify family members and conduct interviews to gather additional information. Sheriff Wilder said investigators believe the couple had been dead for less than 24 hours before they were found. He also said there is no indication of any forced entry or an intruder. Sheriff Wilder has not made a formal determination as to what happened. Autopsies for the couple were scheduled for yesterday morning to help determine a cause. David Wells grew up in Fairfield and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1975. He had a long career in television commercial production in Evansville and had more recently operated the Cigar! Cigar! tobacco store in Evansville.



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