Indiana Pacers eletric offensive night guides them past Atlanta Hawks and into 2024 NBA Playoffs

The Pacers hosted the Hawks on Sunday

Apr 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) dribbles the ball. / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers hosted the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in the final regular season outing for both squads. It was a pivotal game for the Pacers, who would secure their spot in the 2024 playoff field with a victory or losses by a few other teams.

Atlanta didn't have much to play for, but they are trying to ramp up star guard Trae Young ahead of the playoffs. Because of that, they are still a tough out even at this point in the season. The Pacers were going to need to be on their A-game, especially defensively.

To get the action going, the Pacers attacked the paint often. They scored layups on two of their first three possessions and were ahead 5-0 before Myles Turner hit Indiana's first three-point shot of the game. Less than two minutes into the outing, the Hawks needed a timeout while trailing 8-0.

The stoppage didn't change much. The Pacers raced ahead to a 13-2 lead in under three minutes. They were focused and sharp on offense, and the Hawks couldn't make anything on the other end of the court. With a ton at stake, it was a dream start for the blue and gold.

Turner's play early was the key for the Pacers. He had 11 points in under four minutes to get the action going, and he added three rebounds and two blocks in that stretch. The veteran big man was dominating down low, and that allowed Indiana to race ahead.

Foul trouble was the only thing that could slow Turner. He had two infractions early, and the Pacers brought in Jalen Smith to replace him. Around that time, Atlanta went on a 9-4 run to get themselves back into the game. Indiana still held an advantage thanks to their strong start, but they needed to keep their foot on the gas.

Their offense kept humming for much of the opening quarter, and they were up 13 at 37-24 late in the frame. The entire team was finding space to score against a flimsy Hawks defense, but their own work on the less glamorous end of the court needed work.

That theme remained for the rest of the quarter. After one, the Pacers were ahead 49-34. They were terrific on offense to start the game, and both Turner (11 points) and Pascal Siakam (10) were already in double figures.

The second frame started with four quick points from the Hawks, and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle took a timeout with his team up by 11. They needed to reset after some defensive shortcomings, and Smith was dealing with a shoe issue at the time.

Atlanta's second unit kept pushing and was able to trim their deficit under 10 a few possessions later. Their Dejoute Murray led bench is a good lineup, and it was giving the Pacers trouble. It's pesky and fast.

With the score 59-49 and 7:35 left in the first half, the Pacers took another timeout. Their early game barrage of offense had slowed significantly, and they needed to capture some of that mojo again. The Hawks continued to shrink the lead.

Indiana brought in several starters at that time. That group was excellent to start the game, but the team's momentum was gone. The Hawks kept rolling even after the substitutions, though, and cut the advantage to five before the second quarter was halfway over.

And a few possessions later, the Hawks tied the game up at the foul line. They were down 16 points with 34 seconds left in the first quarter, but they were even on the scoreboard with 4:50 left in the half. It was an impressive comeback, though Indiana was partially doing it to themselves. Their defense was atrocious for much of the first half.

The Pacers recovered and were up eight not long after, but the early second quarter proved this was not going to be an easy game despite the blue and gold starting off hot from the field. They needed to execute and focus to get it done.

Indiana answered their worst stretch with a 12-0 run that put them up by 13 again. It was an impressive response given the flow of the game, and one the Pacers desperately needed. It ensured they were going to be ahead heading into halftime.

When the break came, it was 86-72 in favor of Indiana. The blue and gold scored 22 points in the final 4:20 of the second quarter to surge ahead. They were rolling on offense for almost the whole first half. Turner had 18 points while Siakam had 17 to that point.

The third quarter opened up with more good play from the Pacers, who went on a 10-2 run in under two minutes. Their second quarter woes were a thing of the past as they were trying to bury Atlanta in the third period.

Turner kept punishing the Hawks on the interior. He reached 27 points early in the third period thanks to a variety of finishes and jumpers. Indiana was involving him on almost every offense possession, and it was paying off. The Pacers lead reached 20 for the first time of the game in this stretch, but they couldn't afford to let up after their second quarter struggles.

Over the next few minutes, they kept their edge over 20 and continued to punish the Hawks in the paint. Atlanta could not stop them. With 5:26 to go in the third period, the Pacers lead was up to 25, and they had 60 points in the paint.

A Siakam layup with 2:31 to go in the quarter gave the Pacers a 26-point lead. They were ahead by 26 at the time and were dominating the second half. It was the exact performance Indiana needed with a playoff spot on the line.

After three quarters, the blue and gold were up 125-93. Their offense was flawless for much of the third quarter, and they were approaching the NBA record for points in regulation of 162. It was a dominant performance, and they were 12 minutes away from the postseason.

The fourth quarter started with a quick 10-point burst from the Pacers, and their 30-point lead remained for the first few minutes of the final frame. They were rolling, and a few more good minutes of play would finalize the result. Indiana was up 135-103 with 9:30 to go.

Indiana brought in Kendall Brown and Jarace Walker, two younger reserves, at the time. They had the opportunity to get in some development time in a key game, which showed how much they dominated the first three quarters of the game.

The Pacers reached 150 on the scoreboard with just under five minutes left in the game. They were up 151-108 at the time, a dominant outing. It wasn't even as close as the scoreboard suggested — Indiana was going to win.

They held on for a 157-115 victory. It was a nearly perfect performance outside of a lousy second quarter for the Pacers. They improved to 47-35 with the win.

Indiana secured a spot in the playoffs with the victory. They'll play a best-of-seven series this season, though their opponent is still to be determined.

Turner finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Siakam added 28 points, and Haliburton had 12 points and 13 assists. The Pacers got it done.

Their next game will be next weekend for playoff basketball.

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