The Indiana Pacers pulled away with a commanding 140-112 home win over the Utah Jazz on Friday night, powered by a second-half explosion and a standout effort from Myles Turner.
Turner finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and six blocks, leading a Pacers (46-31) defense that swatted away a season-high 17 shots.
Pascal Siakam added 22 points and four blocks, while Bennedict Mathurin chipped in 20, going 12-of-16 at the free throw line.
Indiana’s third straight win moved the team closer to securing home-court advantage in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Jazz (16-62), who came in with the league’s worst record, pushed the Pacers early and led 87-83 with just over three minutes left in the third quarter.
But Keyonte George’s technical foul sparked a nine-point Pacers run, and Indiana never trailed again.
Turner’s rim protection proved decisive during the third period, where he blocked four shots as the Pacers outscored Utah 41-35 to seize control.
Indiana shot a blistering 67.4% from the field in the second half and dropped 83 points over the final two quarters.
Despite shooting only 68.4% from the line, the Pacers’ overall efficiency offset their struggles at the stripe.
Tyrese Haliburton recorded a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists, keeping the offense humming in transition and the halfcourt.
Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting, but the visitors were unable to keep pace after the break.
Johnny Juzang added 17 and George scored 15 for Utah, which played without several rotation players including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson.
The short-handed Jazz shot just 37.5% from the floor and 30.8% from deep, and they were outscored 42-18 in the fourth quarter.
Utah’s early efforts included 10 made threes and 11 offensive rebounds in the first half, allowing them to take a 59-57 lead into the break.
However, fatigue set in and Indiana capitalized on the mismatch in depth and shot-making down the stretch.
Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell all made key contributions, as the Pacers’ bench outscored Utah’s reserves 52-49.
Mathurin’s aggression attacking the rim resulted in a team-high 16 free throw attempts, keeping pressure on the Jazz defense throughout.
Siakam’s four blocks marked his best shot-blocking game of the season and underlined Indiana’s renewed focus on protecting the paint.
