Indiana Pacers crush Brooklyn Nets for second-straight win as Tyrese Haliburton shines

The Pacers crushed the Nets on Monday

Apr 1, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers kicked off their April slate of games on Monday night as they hosted the Brooklyn Nets. The Pacers had two days of rest entering the game while the Nets were playing on a back-to-back, so the hosts had a rest advantage.

They also had a talent advantage when looking at the team's records and injury reports. The Pacers beat the Nets in mid-March and dominated the battle in the paint — they were hoping to repeat that performance as they push toward the playoffs.

Early on, neither team could create much separation on the scoreboard. After about two minutes of play, it was tied at 4-4. But the Pacers were about to take off behind one of their star players.

Tyrese Haliburton began to hit shots, and the Pacers quickly wrapped up a 13-0 run that had them ahead 13-4. It had only been 3.5 minutes of action, and Haliburton already had eight points. Indiana looked sharp on offense.

The Pacers would go on to make four of their first seven threes, and they took a 21-9 lead at the time. Making outside shots was helping, but Indiana's offense looked excellent in every way early. Brooklyn had few answers for their pressure.

After less than eight minutes of play, Indiana led 30-15. They were dominating the game early and shooting 75% from the field. Haliburton was up to 14 points and four assists already. The blue and gold looked excellent.

That didn't change for the remainder of the first period. Indiana was ahead 43-27 after the opening quarter, and they were on fire. They shot 66.7% from the field and 54.5% from deep in the first 12 minutes. Haliburton had 14 points and five assists in that frame.

The second quarter began with more easy offense for the Pacers. They reached 50 points on the scoreboard after about 14 minutes of total play — Brooklyn could not stop them. T.J. McConnell and Jalen Smith were putting up points for the second unit.

Nothing changed over the next few possessions as the Pacers edge reached 25 with seven minutes to go in the first half. Their energy, effort, and accuracy were at a high level — nothing Brooklyn was doing was successful. The Pacers were shooting over 20% better from the field than the Nets at the time.

Indiana's lead climbed as high as 29 in the first half. The Nets defense was atrocious across the early quarters, and the Pacers ripped it apart over and over. It was an ugly game thanks to Brooklyn's poor level of play.

Just before halftime, Pacers center Myles Turner badly jammed his right index finger on the rim and had to exit the game. It bent badly, and he went back to the locker room after taking free throws left handed. Smith re-entered for the blue and gold.

It was 75-47 at the halftime break. Indiana was crushing Brooklyn. Haliburton had 21 points, seven assists, and five rebounds at the time. Pascal Siakam had added 13.

The second half opened with news that Turner had a sprained right pointer finger, and his outing was done. He was not going to return to the game, and Smith started the second half in his place. Thankfully for the Pacers, they had already built up a significant cushion on the scoreboard.

Neither team scored for over two minutes of third quarter play. Brooklyn ended the drought with a three-point shot from Dennis Schroder, but Siakam answered for the Pacers after a few trips down the floor. The third period started with an odd few minutes, but the game was in motion again.

The Pacers lead hovered between 23 and 29 for the early portions of the frame, but it hadn't quite reached 30 yet. Smith and Haliburton were knocking down shots, and the two had combined for 41 points halfway through the third period.

Just after the six minute mark of that quarter, Smith and Schroder got into a scuffle under the Nets basket. There was plenty of shoving, and it led to a lengthy review.

Schroder was given a technical foul but stayed in the game, and Haliburton hit the free throw the Pacers were granted. Smith was ejected for his role in the altercation, and the Nets hit two free throws on the other end.

The sequence left the Pacers with just one natural center — Isaiah Jackson — available for the rest of the game. They were going to have to rely on him often down the stretch and go with smaller lineups at times.

A few moments after the exchange, the Pacers lead climbed back up to 29. Despite their lineup issues, they were rolling and headed toward a win if they didn't let off the gas. The Nets couldn't stop them.

Their lead reached 30 a few possessions later. Haliburton dunked again, and the Pacers' crowd let out a roar. It was one of the best performances of the Pacers season to that point.

Their bench kept the momentum up over the final minutes of the third period. When the quarter came to an end, the Pacers were ahead 108-77. They were playing excellent basketball on both ends, and Brooklyn looked lifeless. Indiana was only a few minutes away from effectively putting the game away.

To get the final frame going, the Pacers continued to beat their drum. They were up by 34 with 10 minutes to go and had a full bench lineup on the floor, yet it was keeping up the scoring with little resistance.

They went small for the next few minutes with Obi Toppin at center next to Jarace Walker. It didn't matter. The host's lead remained over 30 with half of the final period having passed. The Nets were effectively out of time.

Indiana cleared the bench and brought in some reserves around that time. They were just looking to get to the final buzzer. It was going to be the Pacers 43rd win of the season.

Isaiah Wong made his NBA debut and scored his first professional points down the stretch. His team waltzed through the final five minutes and held on for a 133-111 win. Indiana improved to 43-33 with the victory — they are 10 games over .500 for the first time this season with six games to go. They have clinched a top-nine seed in the Eastern Conference.

Haliburton was dominant and finished with 27 points and 13 assists. Smith had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Siakam added 15 points.

The Pacers next play on Wednesday when they battle this same Nets team, but in Brooklyn.

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