The Sports Xchange
Dec 23, 2017
INDIANAPOLIS -- Victor Oladipo scored 38 points to go with six assists as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 123-119 in overtime Saturday, snapping a three-game home losing streak.
Myles Turner added 23 points, nine rebounds and a career-high six blocks for Indiana.
Spencer Dinwiddie led the Nets with 26 points and eight assists, and DeMarre Carroll added 20 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, helping Brooklyn outrebound the Pacers 51-41. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson finished with 18 points and eight rebounds despite shooting 7 of 18 from the field.
Indiana (19-14) earned its sixth consecutive victory over the Nets, and has now won 14 of its last 18 matchups with the Nets dating to 2013.
Brooklyn (12-20) entered the game as the third-worst 3-point shooting team in the league, averaging just over 34 percent, but shot uncharacteristically well in the first half. The Nets connected on 9 of 18 3-point attempts and led by as many as 19 in the first half on their way to a 57-41 halftime lead.
Caris LeVert was fouled by Oladipo on a made 3-pointer and completed the four-point play at the free-throw line, extending Brooklyn's lead to 52-35 with 2:21 remaining in the first half. LeVert had nine points in the first half but cooled down after halftime, finishing with 14.
Indiana came out of halftime on a 9-0 run, and outscored the Nets 39-24 in the third quarter.
The Pacers ramped up their defense in the second half, blanketing the perimeter and forcing Brooklyn to attack the paint. Indiana blocked eight shots -- seven after halftime -- and had eight steals to Brooklyn's two. The Nets' perimeter-shooting volume leveled out down the stretch, though they still shot 10 percent higher than their season average, hitting 16 of 36 from behind the arc.
Turner hammered an emphatic one-handed slam over Jarrett Allen at the 4:34 mark of the third quarter, drawing a foul and completing the old fashioned three-point play.
Darren Collison hit back-to-back buckets to give Indiana a 69-68 lead with 3:21 remaining in the third, its first lead in over 30 minutes. Collison finished with 14 points and nine assists after posting no points and just three assists in the first half.
Indiana held for the final shot of regulation, but Oladipo missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer.
Carroll tied the game at 119 on a 3-pointer from the elbow with 46 seconds remaining, but Oladipo drove hard to the basket and drew a foul on the ensuing possession, converting a pair of free throws to put the Pacers up 121-119. Dinwiddie missed a long 3-point attempt in the final seconds, and two more free throws from Oladipo sealed the win.
NOTES: The Pacers rank second in the league in 3-point percentage, shooting. 38.8 percent from distance. ... Brooklyn's bench averages 44.8 points per game, which ranks second in the league for reserve contribution. ... Indiana G Darren Collison's 4.01 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth in the league. ... Brooklyn F Spencer Dinwiddie has recorded at least six assists in 14 consecutive games, the fourth-longest such streak in the league behind only LeBron James (15), Chris Paul (15) and James Harden (22). ... This was the first of a five-game road streak for the Nets, ending Dec. 31 at Boston. ... Indiana G Victor Oladipo has led the Pacers in scoring in 24 of 33 games this season. ... The Pacers improve to 15-3 when making at least 10 3-pointers.