Indiana Pacers crush Atlanta Hawks to extend winning streak to six

The Pacers and Hawks battled on Friday night

The Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks faced off on Friday night in Indianapolis. Both teams entered the night as top-six offenses in the NBA but bottom-five defenses. It had all the makings of a high-scoring game.

When the two teams dueled in November, the total score climbed over 300. It was going to be that kind of outing. Having any sort of defensive presence early in the game could establish an important tone, and both squads were hoping to pull it off.

The Hawks jumped out to a 6-0 lead quickly after burying two three-point shots. It was the opposite start that Indiana wanted, especially against a team that could be difficult to keep up with.

But the Pacers responded with a 6-0 run of their own. It was like the first few possessions of the game didn't even happen. And it was clear early that it was going to be a game that featured a lot of scoring — neither team could get consistent stops in the first few sequences.

Over the next few minutes, the Hawks plans to aggressively pressure Tyrese Haliburton became obvious. The star point guard had to make quick passes throughout the first quarter and was frequently dishing to Myles Turner. Before the first period was halfway over, Turner already had five points and Haliburton had three assists.

They both continued to guide the Pacers in the later half of the opening quarter. With just over three minutes to go, Indiana took a 10-point lead. They started the game off poorly, but they got rolling soon after.

When the first frame ended, the blue and gold were ahead 38-24. After a dismal start, they went on a 38-18 run to expand their lead significantly. Their defense was great across the first period.

The second quarter started with more impressive play from the blue and gold. Their lead climbed to nearly 20 after just a few minutes of action in the period, and the Hawks looked rough. They weren't playing their style at all.

Indiana was, though, and they kept their foot on the gas. They got their advantage to 20 with 5:46 to go in the half after a Jalen Smith layup and were controlling the game on both ends.

The Pacers continued to cruise for the rest of the half. Their lead got as high as 26 before the break, and they were up 24 entering halftime. Aaron Nesmith led the way with 12 points in the first two quarters. Indiana shot 70.5% in the first half.

The second half opened with more of the Turner-Haliburton connection. Early in the third quarter, six of Haliburton's 13 assists had gone to the big man, and he had 16 points at the time. The Pacers lead climbed over 30 around that moment.

Life continued to be easy for the blue and gold. They reached 100 points on the scoreboard with over 18 minutes left in the game, and the Hawks hadn't even reached 70 at the time. It was a blowout with a ton of time left in the game.

Haliburton had his 18th assist with 5:02 to go in the third period, and it was his 10th dish to Turner of the night. That combination was tearing apart the Hawks with ease and was the story of Indiana's offensive success.

Nesimth exited the game with an injury with 3:43 to go in the third period. He jogged back to the locker room under his own power, but he's been a very important player for the Pacers all season. It was a noteworthy moment in an otherwise perfect night for Indiana to that point.

The Pacers rolled through the end of the period and led by 34 entering the final frame at 117-83. It was one of the best performances of the campaign for Indiana to that point. They play another game on Saturday night, and with a back to back looming, it made sense for them to watch their rotation player's minutes carefully down the stretch.

Jarace Walker, Indiana's 2023 lottery pick who hasn't played a ton this season, entered the game to start the final frame. He was going to help the Pacers second unit put the game away.

The blue and gold were up by 34 despite having their deep reserves in against Atlanta's starters with 7:27 left in the game. They were going to win, it was just a matter of actually getting the clock to zero.

James Johnson, who the Pacers signed a few weeks ago to be a veteran piece, dunked the ball with just over seven minutes to go. He had a free lane to the rim and took advantage, and it was his first dunk of the season. It was the perfect summation of the Hawks poor defense all night, and it put Indiana up by 32.

They were able to rest their starters for the entire fourth quarter and went on to win 150-116. It was their third 30+ point win of the season, and the team finished with a franchise-record 50 assists. 

Haliburton finished with 10 points and 18 assists in 25 minutes. Turner led the way with 27 points in just 22 minutes of action. Those two dominated all night in the victory, which is Indiana's sixth in a row.

The Pacers play the Boston Celtics in Indianapolis tomorrow night. Both teams will be on a back to back, but they both crushed their opponents on Friday night.

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• Tyrese Haliburton ties Indiana Pacers franchise single-game assist record with second-consecutive historic performance. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers success against Milwaukee Bucks shows growth and direction of Pacers franchise. CLICK HERE.
• Obi Toppin battles New York Knicks, and brother Jacob, for first time since trade: 'He's fit in well here'. CLICK HERE.
• Dominant second half leads Indiana Pacers over Milwaukee Bucks for fifth-straight win. CLICK HERE.
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