Indiana Pacers close out 2022 with impressive win over Los Angeles Clippers; Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner shine

The Indiana Pacers have usually used the phrase resilient to explain themselves this season, and their current stretch of play has been the right encapsulation of why. On December 18, the workforce blew a late lead in opposition to the New York Knicks and fell to 15-16, their first time being underneath .500 shortly. They needed to reply.

They’ve achieved that, after which some. Since then, the Pacers are 5-1, and so they have been wonderful within the clutch in lots of video games since dropping to the Knicks. The 5 wins are in opposition to high quality groups — Boston, Miami, Atlanta, Cleveland, and tonight, the Los Angeles Clippers. Indiana is taking part in excellent basketball proper now and simply closed their yr on a excessive be aware by taking down LA.

“This group is exhibiting a whole lot of maturity and never letting some dangerous losses type of pile up. The teaching employees is unbelievable as properly,” veteran guard T.J. McConnell stated of the Pacers current play. He added that he is been impressed by the workforce’s potential to recuperate from their low factors.

Indiana is rolling. They’re tied for the fifth most wins within the Japanese Convention after taking down the Clippers, and their victory over LA confirmed many components of the workforce at its greatest.

Buddy Hield was capturing the ball properly, as he is achieved usually just lately. He hit 5 threes, together with three early to get the workforce off to a powerful begin. The second unit did its job and helped Indiana carry a seven-point lead into halftime.

The Clippers performed properly within the third body and erased Indiana’s lead, however heart Myles Turner saved the ship regular. He had 13 of his team-high 34 factors within the quarter and punished Los Angeles’ small ball lineups. With out the eight-year veteran, the Pacers hand over the lead, and the momentum, throughout that stretch.

“I believe we did an excellent job of taking part in our sport tonight,” Turner stated of the Pacers taking part in properly when the Clippers went small. He famous that it is vital that Indiana does not decelerate in these moments, and so they did not tonight.

Turner was good all evening, and he was bodily with Ivica Zubac down low. That was vital for the blue and gold — Zubac had 29 rebounds in opposition to the Pacers earlier within the season however had simply seven tonight.

Indiana nonetheless needed to shut. They fell behind early within the fourth quarter, and Clippers star Paul George was sizzling. LA was up 116-110 with 5:27 to go and had assumed management of the sport.

In current video games, that has been Tyrese Haliburton’s time to shine. Tonight was no totally different. He had 13 factors over the ultimate five-and-a-half minutes to information a Pacers comeback, together with a artful bucket within the lane with 57 seconds left to present his workforce the lead. They by no means seemed again and held on to win 131-130.

Haliburton was good down the stretch. He traded blows with George, but it surely was Haliburton’s workforce who emerged victorious after he completed with 18 factors within the remaining body alone and seemed like one of the best participant on the courtroom. He has improved considerably within the clutch in current weeks and has turned the Pacers into a very totally different workforce.

“In that fourth, I knew what time it was,” Haliburton stated after the sport on his late scoring that the workforce wanted. “It is a really feel factor. It is simply feeling what a workforce wants in that second. At this time we wanted some vitality. We would have liked a lift from me,” he added later.

Haliburton completed with 24 factors, seven rebounds, 10 assists, and 4 steals within the win. He was wonderful. Aaron Nesmith (16), Hield (18), and Bennedict Mathurin (15) additionally discovered success scoring the ball. Regardless of 45 factors from Paul George, the Pacers held on to win.

Indiana closed out 2022 with a 20-17 document. That is six more wins than they’d at New Years final season, and they’re going to look to proceed their robust play on Monday once they host the Toronto Raptors to open up 2023.

• Report: Myles Turner and Indiana Pacers open up contract extension talks. CLICK HERE.
• Aaron Nesmith is in a groove for the Indiana Pacers: ‘Simply taking part in free, taking part in to my strengths.’ CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton will not be stopped by extra defensive consideration. CLICK HERE.
• Pacers heart Isaiah Jackson specializing in the easy issues to remain engaged and be efficient. CLICK HERE.
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