NBA: Strong shooting night lifts Pacers past Magic

Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) shoots the ball while Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris (14) defends in the first half of an NBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner each recorded double-doubles, and Tyrese Haliburton capped his 17-point performance with a late 3-pointer as the Pacers held off the Orlando Magic 118-111 in the NBA on Wednesday in Indianapolis.

Orlando played without injured star Paolo Banchero — who scored 50 points when these two teams met last week – and the Magic lost their fifth straight.

Indiana raced to an early, 18-point lead. The Magic, however, chipped away behind Franz Wagner’s game-high 28 points, and made the game competitive throughout the second half.

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Orlando took a 97-96 lead on Anthony Black’s layup with 8:45 remaining, but Indiana responded with a 15-3 run that threatened to put the game away. Turner scored seven of his 17 points on the night during the big Pacers burst.

The Magic regrouped and went on an 11-2 run in response, in which four different Orlando players scored.

But with its lead trimmed to two points and less than a minute remaining, Indiana turned to its All-Star Haliburton. He responded with a clutch 3-pointer that effectively put the game away with a five-point lead with 33 seconds left.

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Haliburton and Turner (10 rebounds) were two of Indiana’s four Pacers to score 17 points, joining Pascal Siakam and Jarace Walker off the bench. T.J. McConnell added 15 points off the bench and matched Andrew Nembhard with a team-high five assists.

Mathurin led the Pacers with 20 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds. Turner added 10 rebounds. Mathurin scored 13 of his points at the free-throw line, helping Indiana to a 24-of-26 night at the charity stripe as a team.

That accuracy made a difference in the Pacers’ win, combined with Indiana’s 12-of-26 shooting from 3-point range, compared to Orlando’s 7-of-25 from beyond the arc.

Orlando got a double-double from Goga Bitadze. The former Pacer finished with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Jalen Suggs added 15 points and matched Wagner and Black with a game-high six assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 points, while Black and Moritz Wagner scored 12 and 14 points coming off the bench. –Field Level Media