Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Indiana Pacers toppled the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 117-114 on Friday, withstanding a 47-point performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win an NBA Finals rematch. The Pacers, back in Oklahoma City for the first time since falling in game seven of last season’s championship series, took a 39-28 first-quarter lead then fended off every Thunder charge.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder, trailing by 12 with 4:44 remaining, twice cut the deficit to one. The reigning Most Valuable Player drained a pair of free-throws to pull the Thunder within 115-114 with 7.8 seconds left, but Jarace Walker responded with two free-throws to seal it for Indiana. Walker said the win “most definitely” meant a bit more to the Pacers, who have sunk to the worst record in the league (11-35) with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined this season with the torn Achilles tendon suffered in the game seven defeat. “Going out how we did last year, it was definitely circled on the calendar and it was a great team win.”
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Andrew Nembhard scored 27 points and handed out 11 assists for Indiana. Walker added 26 points and Pascal Siakam chipped in 21. Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the Thunder’s slow start was too much to overcome. “I thought we played pretty well despite it not being a great shooting night,” Daigneault said. “We played well enough to win for 36 minutes and we needed 48. Credit them, they played all 48 and they held us off when we tried to get back in it multiple times.”
In Detroit, Houston star Kevin Durant scored 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting to help the Rockets end the East-leading Pistons’ four-game winning streak. Tied at half-time, the Rockets outscored the Pistons 34-20 in the third quarter to seize control, never trailing in the fourth. Alperen Sengun added 19 points for the Rockets, who were coming off an overtime loss at Philadelphia a day earlier. Amen Thompson added 15 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists for Houston — gaining statistical bragging rights over his twin brother Ausar, who scored 12 points with eight rebounds and three assists for Detroit. Jalen Duren scored 18 points to lead the Pistons with Cade Cunningham adding 12 points and eight assists in his return from a one-game injury absence.
The Boston Celtics, fueled by Jaylen Brown’s triple-double of 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists, edged the Nets 130-126 in double-overtime in Brooklyn. Payton Pritchard led Boston’s scoring with 32 points and Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 to pace the Nets. Brooklyn center Nic Claxton’s tip-in dunk tied it at 104-104 with 1.9 seconds left in regulation. After five lead changes in the first overtime, Boston’s Spanish rookie Hugo Gonzalez drained a three-pointer to tie it again and force the second extra session, in which the Celtics never trailed.
The Phoenix Suns fell 110-103 to the Hawks in Atlanta, a defeat made more painful by the departure of star guard Devin Booker after he rolled his ankle late in the third quarter. Booker had scored 31 points before exiting with the Suns up 91-84. Onyeka Okongwu scored 25 points for Atlanta and Jalen Johnson added 23 points and 18 rebounds.
© 2024 AFP
