Pacers hold on as Hawks' skid hits 8 games

Field Level Media|published: Sat 1st February, 22:52 2025

Feb 1, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) passes the ball against Indiana Pacers center Thomas Bryant (3) in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Pascal Siakam had a team-high 20 points to lead seven scorers in double figures, helping the Indiana Pacers to a 132-127 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Andrew Nembhard added 19 points and Obi Toppin supplied 18 as the Pacers won their third straight game. Bennedict Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton chipped in 17 points apiece.

Trae Young had 34 points and 17 assists for Atlanta, which dropped its eighth straight contest. Dyson Daniels had 23 points, Zaccharie Risacher scored 17 and Onyeka Okongwu chipped in 12 points to go along with 11 rebounds.

Atlanta trailed 112-109 with 6:55 left in the game before Daniels' back-to-back layups gave the Hawks a one-point lead.

Two triples from Young on consecutive Atlanta possessions gave the Hawks a 119-116 edge with 4:25 remaining, but Nembhard's three-point play began a 9-0 run by Indiana. Three Atlanta free throws followed before Siakam's jumper put the Pacers up by five, 127-122.

Young answered with a 3-pointer with 27.1 seconds left to trim the Hawks' deficit to two, but the Pacers hit five free throws in the final 22.1 seconds to seal the win.

After trailing 68-64 at halftime, Atlanta began the third quarter on a 13-5 run, forcing a timeout by Indiana at the 8:22 mark of the period.

Later in the third, Young scored six straight Atlanta points to extend the Hawks' lead to 86-80 with 5:47 left in the frame. Indiana then scored eight consecutive points for an 88-86 advantage.

Indiana's lead grew to six on Toppin's dunk before Young's layup beat the third-quarter buzzer and trimmed the Hawks' deficit to 99-95 entering the fourth.

Indiana shot 61.5 percent from the field and made 7 of 14 3-point attempts in the first quarter and led 40-24 entering the second.

The Pacers' edge grew to 18 on Toppin's layup to start the second quarter. Nembhard's three-point play gave the Pacers a 51-35 lead with 9:01 left before Young's layup began a 6-0 Hawks spurt, trimming Atlanta's deficit to 10 at the 7:45 mark.

After Siakam scored six straight Pacers points, including a jumper that put Indiana ahead 63-52, Atlanta answered with a 10-0 run to cut the Pacers' advantage to 63-62 in the final minute of the first half.

Nembhard's layup with 3.7 seconds remaining gave Indiana a 68-64 halftime lead.

--Field Level Media

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