The Indiana Pacers overcame a 22-point deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 119-112 on Thursday night. Pascal Siakam led the charge with 33 points, while Indiana lost Myles Turner early due to injury.
Bennedict Mathurin contributed 25 points, but his inadvertent elbow to Turner in the first quarter forced the Pacers’ center out of the game. Turner, who appeared disoriented after the collision, was being evaluated for a concussion and did not return.
The Clippers started strong, surging to a 13-2 lead and finishing the first quarter ahead 42-22. Kawhi Leonard, who played a season-high 34 minutes, recorded 19 points, while Norman Powell and James Harden each scored 22 for Los Angeles.
Indiana responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Clippers 42-19 to take a 64-61 lead at halftime. Ivica Zubac anchored the Clippers inside, finishing with 18 points and 15 rebounds, but his efforts were not enough to prevent another collapse.
The Clippers regained control with a 10-0 run to close the third, entering the final period up 88-84. However, the Pacers executed in crunch time, outscoring Los Angeles 35-24 in the fourth quarter.
Siakam, who shot 13-of-19 from the field and 5-of-6 from deep, played a crucial role in the comeback. Indiana closed the game on a 19-7 run and hit 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Tyrese Haliburton added 14 points and eight assists for Indiana, while Thomas Bryant provided 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. The Pacers finished with 31 assists on 43 made field goals and committed only seven turnovers.
The loss marked the Clippers’ second tough defeat this week, following a 25-point loss to the Lakers. They committed 19 turnovers, which proved costly against a Pacers team that capitalized on extra possessions.
With the win, Indiana improved to 29-21, while Los Angeles dropped to 28-23.
