NBA: Rockets use third-quarter surge to top struggling Pacers
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) drives with the ball as Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Alperen Sengun had 31 points and 12 rebounds and the Houston Rockets used a third-quarter surge to beat the visiting Indiana Pacers 130-113 in the NBA on Wednesday.
Sengun, who notched his 12th double-double of the season, helped the Rockets reclaim control midway through the fourth quarter after the Pacers sliced a 23-point deficit to 102-89 on Quenton Jackson’s basket with 9:22 left to play. Sengun completed a three-point play at the 7:52 mark and added four free throws before his close-range shot pushed the Rockets to a 119-95 lead with 6:07 left.
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Jabari Smith Jr. added 23 points and eight rebounds while Fred VanVleet chipped in 18 points and six assists for Houston, which has won six of its past seven games. That tandem played a critical role in the Rockets’ 24-6 run in the third that enabled them to seize control and snap a nine-game skid to the Pacers.
Jackson scored a career-high 24 points for the Pacers, who have lost four of their last five. Pascal Siakam scored 16 of his 21 points in the second quarter to keep Indiana afloat before Houston carved out a 62-53 halftime lead. T.J. McConnell produced 17 points and four assists off the bench.
Article continues after this advertisementTari Eason finished with 11 points and nine rebounds for Houston, which led 30-23 after the first quarter.
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Siakam scored 13 of the Pacers’ first 17 points of the second period, and his 3-pointer at the 2:25 mark cut Indiana’s deficit to 50-48.
Eason, who had eight points, five assists and three steals before halftime, hit a 3-pointer and added a second-chance basket to stabilize the Rockets. Myles Turner’s dunk with 8:03 left in the third pulled Indiana to within 70-67, but VanVleet and Smith led a charge for the Rockets.
VanVleet followed Smith’s two free throws with a 3-pointer that extended the lead to 88-72 with 3:13 left. They added back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Rockets to a 94-73 advantage with 1:53 left in the period.
Houston posted a 47-36 rebounding advantage and turned 13 offensive boards into 16 second-chance points. The Rockets forced 23 turnovers and scored 30 points off those miscues. –Field Level Media
