The Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 136-109 on Sunday at Barclays Center, pulling away with a 41-30 second quarter that turned a tight game into a laugher. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 24 points and 10 assists, and the Pacers shot 58% from the field to improve to 2-1.
Indiana broke the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 41-30 after both teams traded leads through most of the first. Nolan Traore led the Nets with 17 points off the bench, but Brooklyn fell to 0-3 and turned the ball over 15 times while shooting 41% from the field.
Key Moments: How The Pacers Pulled Away
The opening quarter was tight, with eight lead changes and Brooklyn ahead 26-24. Indiana took control in the second, building a 27-point lead with balanced scoring. Pascal Siakam hit a 25-foot three, Kelly Oubre Jr. added a dunk, and Jay Huff connected from deep.
Indiana never trailed in the second half. The Pacers shot 49-of-85 (58%) from the field and hit 21 of 43 three-point attempts (49%), while Brooklyn shot just 35-of-86 (41%) and made only 13 of 39 from deep (33%). Indiana also won the paint battle 56-40 and outscored Brooklyn on fast breaks 25-18.
Top Performers
Haliburton’s line of 24 points, 10 assists and just two turnovers paced Indiana, and he finished a plus-29 for the game, the best mark on either roster. Siakam added 21 points and seven rebounds, and Andrew Nembhard contributed 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting with four made threes on six attempts. Aaron Nesmith chipped in 13 points.
For Brooklyn, Traore’s 17 points led all bench scorers, while Josh Minott posted 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Julius Randle managed just 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting but dished seven assists, and Day’Ron Sharpe added 11 points. Michael Porter Jr. scored 10 points but shot 4-of-13 from the field, including 0-of-5 from three-point range.
What It Means
Indiana sits at 2-1 and half a game back of Detroit atop the Central Division standings, which show the Pistons at 2-0. The Pacers have now won their last matchup in a season series that Indiana leads 1-0. Brooklyn dropped to 0-3 and remains last in the Atlantic Division, three games behind Philadelphia, which is 3-0.
What’s Next
Indiana continues its season looking to build on the 2-1 start. Brooklyn searches for its first win after dropping to 0-3. The Pacers host their next opponent on Tuesday, while the Nets visit Chicago on Monday.
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