Pacers hold on as Hawks' skid hits 8

Field Level Media|published: Sat 1st February, 20:07 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 players in double figures, helping lead the Indiana Pacers to a 132-127 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Andrew Nembhard added 19 points, followed by Obi Toppin's 18 as the Pacers won their third straight. Bennedict Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton chipped in 17 apiece.

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

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

Young's 3-pointers on consecutive Atlanta possessions gave Atlanta a 119-116 edge with 4:25 remaining, but Nembhard's three-point play began Indiana's 9-0 run. Three straight Atlanta free throws followed before Siakam's jumper put the Pacers up five.

Young answered with a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to trim the Hawks' deficit to two, but the Pacers hit five free throws in the final 22 seconds to seal the win.

After trailing 68-64 at halftime, Atlanta began the third quarter on a 13-5 run, stamped with Young and Okongwu's baskets, forcing Indiana's timeout at the 8:24 mark.

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

Indiana's advantage 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 its 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 Indiana points, including his 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.

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

--Field Level Media

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