Obi Toppin delivered a season-high 31 points and 10 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers erased a 19-point deficit to defeat the Washington Wizards 134-130 in overtime on Wednesday night.
Bennedict Mathurin contributed 28 points, while Tyrese Haliburton added 20 to help Indiana (30-23) secure its fourth win in seven games this month. The Pacers enter the All-Star break in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Jordan Poole led Washington (9-45) with 42 points but missed a potential game-winning three-pointer at the end of regulation. Corey Kispert chipped in 21 points for the Wizards, who have now lost 11 straight home games and four overall.
Indiana trailed for most of the game before surging in the fourth quarter. Mathurin scored 11 of the Pacers’ 36 points in the period, while the Wizards lost momentum after Malcolm Brogdon exited with a left leg injury.
Toppin took over in the third quarter, scoring 17 points to keep Indiana within striking distance. He capped his performance with a three-pointer in overtime that gave the Pacers a nine-point lead with 1:26 remaining.
Haliburton hit a crucial step-back three over Alex Sarr with 2:13 left in regulation, putting Indiana ahead 118-115 for its first lead since the first quarter. Poole answered with a tying three-pointer in the final minute to send the game into overtime.
Indiana’s bench was key to the victory, outscoring the starters 66-54 in regulation. T.J. McConnell provided a spark with 10 points and nine assists, while rookie Ben Sheppard added four points and strong perimeter defense.
Myles Turner missed his third straight game for the Pacers due to a cervical strain. Indiana also played without Isaiah Jackson and Jarace Walker.
Washington saw rookie Alex Sarr return after missing eight games with a left ankle sprain. He finished with nine points on 3-of-13 shooting. Bilal Coulibaly struggled offensively, managing just three points on 1-of-8 shooting, but contributed eight assists.
The Wizards shot 51.1% from beyond the arc but could not hold off the Pacers’ late charge. Indiana controlled the glass, outrebounding Washington 42-46 while holding a 50-36 edge in points in the paint.
