NBA roundup: Pacers stun Celtics with statement victory, Raptors' losing streak reaches ten

Tyrese Haliburton of Indiana scored 31 points, leading the Pacers to a decisive 123-114 victory over the NBA champion Celtics in Boston on Sunday, effectively reversing their previous defeat.

Just two days prior, Jaylen Brown had scored 44 points, guiding the Celtics to a dominant 142-105 win against the Pacers. However, Indiana managed to exact their revenge in this matchup.

Haliburton also contributed six rebounds and seven assists without committing a turnover, while six players from Indiana reached double figures in scoring. Their exceptional shooting performance in the second quarter allowed them to establish a seven-point lead at halftime, which they extended to as much as 16 points.

Brown continued his strong performance, scoring 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting, along with six assists. Jayson Tatum supported with 22 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.

For Indiana, both Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard scored 17 points, with Nembhard also contributing eight rebounds and eight assists after returning from a left knee tendinitis that sidelined him in the previous game.

Nembhard emphasized the importance of maintaining their momentum in the fourth quarter, particularly when Boston narrowed an 11-point deficit to just two points with 7:38 remaining. He stated, "I think that was the biggest thing we did late in the game. We kept pace in the game. We didn't slow it down and worry about the score too much."

In a separate game in Orlando, Cole Anthony secured a game-winning layup as the Magic overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 102-101.

Tristan da Silva led the injury-depleted Magic with 21 points, while Goga Bitadze added 19. Anthony scored five of his 10 points in the fourth quarter, helping Orlando finish the game with a remarkable 22-4 scoring run.

Cam Thomas, returning from a 13-game absence due to a hamstring strain, led Brooklyn's scoring with 25 points but missed a jump shot as time expired.

Anthony revealed that da Silva, who scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, was intended to receive the ball on the play that resulted in his game-winning layup. When that plan did not materialize, he decided to take matters into his own hands, stating, "I'm like, alright, I'm gonna go get a layup!"

The Nets were missing veteran Dorian Finney-Smith, who, along with Shake Milton, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday as part of a deal that brought D'Angelo Russell to Brooklyn.

In a commanding performance, Atlanta's Trae Young recorded a double-double with 34 points and 10 assists, leading the Hawks to a decisive 136-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors, who suffered their tenth consecutive loss.

Young contributed significantly by making seven of the Hawks' 18 three-pointers, equaling the Raptors' total of three-pointers made.

De'Andre Hunter provided a strong contribution off the bench, scoring 22 points for the Hawks, who secured their fourth consecutive win and disrupted the season debut of Toronto's Bruce Brown, who returned from arthroscopic knee surgery.

Brown, coming off the bench, managed to score 12 points for the Raptors, who were led by Scottie Barnes with 19 points.

In another matchup, Miami's Tyler Herro led all scorers with 27 points before being ejected during a bench-clearing altercation that resulted in six ejections in the final moments of the Heat's 104-100 win over the Rockets in Houston.

The Heat were ahead 99-94 when Rockets reserve Amen Thompson threw Herro to the ground with 35.7 seconds left in the game.

Both players, who had been vying for position prior to an inbounds pass, were ejected, along with Miami's Terry Rozier, Houston guard Jalen Green, Rockets coach Ime Udoka, and his assistant Ben Sullivan.

In an unrelated incident, Houston's Fred VanVleet was ejected with 47 seconds remaining.

The game featured 13 lead changes, with the Rockets holding a seven-point lead with 8:10 left on the clock.

Herro's basket with 1:56 remaining gave Miami a 95-94 lead, and they managed to secure the victory amid the ensuing chaos.

In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, propelling the Western Conference-leading Thunder to a 130-106 triumph over the injury-depleted Memphis Grizzlies.

Gilgeous-Alexander demonstrated remarkable efficiency, shooting 14 of 19 from the field, while also contributing six rebounds, seven assists, and four blocked shots, before sitting out most of the fourth quarter with the game well in hand.