Field Level Media
Nov 20, 2021
Domantas Sabonis had a double-double and the host Indiana Pacers dominated the third quarter on their way to routing the New Orleans Pelicans 111-94 on Saturday night.
Sabonis finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Justin Holiday scored 17 points, Malcolm Brogdon had 16, Kelan Martin scored 12 off the bench, and Myles Turner added 11. The Pacers outscored the Pelicans 38-18 in the third quarter.
For the Pelicans, Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 13 rebounds, Naji Marshall scored 14 points off the bench, and Brandon Ingram and Kira Lewis Jr. added 12 each.
Both teams were completing a back-to-back as Indiana lost at Charlotte 121-118 on Friday and New Orleans beat the Los Angeles Clippers 94-81 the same day.
The Pacers led by 17 points twice early in the third quarter Saturday before Josh Hart's basket pulled the Pelicans to 68-56.
Sabonis and Brogdon made back-to-back 3-pointers to push the lead to 20 before Lewis answered with a basket. Torrey Craig's 3-pointer completed an 11-0 run that gave Indiana an 89-60 lead.
Herbert Jones made a layup to stop the run, but the Pacers pushed the lead to 96-64 at the end of the third quarter.
In the first quarter, Turner, Holiday and Brogdon each made a 3-pointer as the Pacers raced to a 15-4 lead. Tomas Satoransky made a basket for the Pelicans, but Sabonis scored six straight points as Indiana increased its advantage to 23-6.
New Orleans chipped away, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker's basket cut the deficit to 25-15.
The Pacers rebuilt the lead to 15 before Jaxson Hayes' basket pulled the Pelicans to 32-19 at the end of the first quarter.
Valanciunas made New Orleans' first three field goals of the second quarter and Josh Hart added a 3-pointer that cut Indiana's lead to 38-28.
Sabonis and Brogdon answered with back-to-back 3-pointers, and Holiday's six consecutive points gave the Pacers a 55-35 lead.
Trey Murphy III scored the Pelicans' final five points of the quarter as they pulled to 58-46 at halftime.
--Field Level Media