Indiana Pacers News

Myles Turner racked up 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers clinched an Eastern Conference playoff spot with a 157-115 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in Indianapolis.By matching its highest-scoring performance in franchise history, Indiana (47-35) guaranteed itself of at least the No. 6 seed in the East, and the Pacers can grab the fifth spot in the conference if the Orlando Magic lose to the Milwaukee Bucks.Pascal Siakam added 28 points as one of seven Pacers scorers in double figures. T.J. McConnell supplied 17 points, Doug McDermott netted 15 and Tyrese Haliburton finished with 12 to go along with 13 assists.Indiana shot a stunning 65 percent overall (65 of 100) and went 19-for-36 from beyond the arc (52.8 percent).Dejounte Murray paced Atlanta (36-46) with 32 points. Mouhamed Gueye had 19 points and nine rebounds, and Bogdan Bogdanovic chipped in 18 points for the Hawks, who are set to face the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the play-in tournament.It didn't take long for the Pacers to turn the game into a rout once the second half rolled around, with Turner's layup making it 98-76 with 9:29 remaining in the third quarter.Atlanta trailed by at least 16 the rest of the way.

Donovan Mitchell scored a team-high 33 points, helping lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 129-120 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers Friday.Jarrett Allen added 29 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland (48-33), which clinched a playoff spot with Friday's win. Darius Garland and Caris LeVert chipped in 16 apiece, while Evan Mobley scored 12.Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam led eight players in double figures Indiana (46-35) with 19 points apiece. Myles Turner put up 17 and T.J. McConnell scored 16 for the Pacers, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.Aaron Nesmith scored 15, Jalen Smith had 11 and Obi Toppin and Andrew Nembhard each added 10. Haliburton also had a game-high 12 assists.After leading by 11 points at halftime, Cleveland picked up where it left off in the third quarter as Garland began the second half with a mid-range jumper, extending the lead to 72-59. From there, an 8-2 Indiana scoring run was stamped Haliburton's triple, cutting its deficit to seven with 10:01 left in the third.Indiana later finished the third quarter on a 9-2 run, as Toppin's dunk with 11.1 seconds left cut Cleveland's lead to 97-94 entering the fourth.Georges Niang started the fourth quarter with his third triple of the game, giving the Cavaliers a 100-94 advantage. McConnell answered with a layup, but Garland's stepback triple on the next possession forced an Indiana timeout.Still trailing by seven, a pair of free throws from Nembhard and Haliburton's fourth triple of the game cut the Pacers' deficit to 107-105 with 6:29 left.

The Indiana Pacers will attempt to officially lock down an Eastern Conference playoff berth on Sunday afternoon when they face the Atlanta Hawks in Indianapolis.Currently sitting in sixth place in the East, Indiana (46-35) enters the regular-season finale holding the last guaranteed playoff spot in the conference.But unfortunately for the Pacers, they find themselves in a tight race, as the fifth-place Orlando Magic and seventh-place Philadelphia 76ers also sport 46-35 records. Indiana owns the tiebreaker against the Sixers, but it is not as fortunate with the Magic.Tiebreakers won't even come into play for Indiana if it goes out and wins on Sunday, as the Pacers would earn a trip to the postseason for the first time since 2020.Indiana reached the play-in tournament in 2021, but it came up one win shy of the playoffs."He likened it to a Game 7," Pacers guard T.J McConnell said of how coach Rick Carlisle is viewing the meeting with Atlanta. "We win and we're in. We've gotta be prepared, fired up and in front of our crowd, hopefully that will give us an advantage."Indiana could have punched its ticket to the playoffs on Friday but a 129-120 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers spoiled that opportunity. Eight players scored in double figures for the Pacers, including Tyrese Haliburton, who finished with 19 points and 12 assists.However, Haliburton was held in check in the fourth quarter, scoring just three points on 1-of-3 shooting."It was a poor last three minutes by me," Haliburton said. "I gotta be better defensively, executing better offensively. We were right there."Meanwhile, the Hawks (36-45) have nothing to worry about in terms of moving up or down in the standings. Atlanta will be heading into the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed in the East, meaning it will have to win two games in order to reach the playoffs.The Hawks will visit the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the play-in on Wednesday.

Two Central Division rivals face off for the last time in the regular season on Friday when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers in a game with major postseason seeding implications.In the penultimate game for each team, fourth-place Cleveland (47-33) has a one-game cushion over Indiana (46-34), which currently sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers enter play with the same record as the fifth-place Orlando Magic, who have a 2-1 head-to-head tiebreaker over Indiana.The winner of Friday's game at Cleveland will see its magic number reduced to zero and avoid the play-in tournament for teams that finish seventh through 10th.Aiming for their first playoff appearance since 2020, the Pacers are playing some of their best ball of the season. Winners in five of their last six, Indiana hopes its high-scoring offense can lead the team to its first playoff series victory since the 2014 Eastern Conference semifinals.Averaging a league-best 122.9 points per game, the offensive prowess was on display Tuesday in Toronto, where they beat the Raptors 140-123 behind Tyrese Haliburton's 30 points and Obi Toppin's 23 off the bench. The pair combined for 20-for-30 shooting from the field in a game that the Pacers led by just a point at halftime."We had a slow start, which wasn't good," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We got things back together and the bench was a big part of it."Another one of those Pacer bench contributors was rookie Ben Sheppard, who chipped in eight of his 11 points in the second half."He had a couple of huge shots, and one against the shot clock in the second half, which was enormous," Carlisle said of Sheppard. "We know that he's going to be able to scramble around defensively and guard different positions. He's going to do the things in our system that we need, which is to run hard, cut hard and make open shots."Sheppard is averaging 4.4 points per game this season and has only committed 13 turnovers in 774 minutes.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 30 points and the visiting Indiana Pacers defeated the Toronto Raptors 140-123 Tuesday night to solidify their spot in sixth place of the Eastern Conference standings.Obi Toppin added 23 points off the bench and former Raptor standout Pascal Siakam scored 16 points with nine rebounds for the Pacers (46-34), who have won three in a row and five of six.T.J. McConnell scored 17 points for the Pacers, Myles Turner added 16 points and Ben Sheppard scored 11.RJ Barrett scored 23 points for Toronto in the team's final home game of the season.Kelly Olynyk added 22 points and Javon Freeman-Liberty had a season-best 20 points for the Raptors (25-54), who had won their two previous games after a 15-game losing streak. Bruce Brown and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 16 points and Jordan Nwora had 11 points.Indiana led by 106-91 entering the fourth quarter. Nwora's 3-pointer trimmed the deficit to 12 with 10:06 to play. Indiana responded with a six-point burst before Barrett's dunk cut the deficit to 128-114 points with 4:39 remaining.Freeman-Liberty scored 14 points to help Toronto to a 35-25 lead after one quarter. Indiana made six turnovers leading to six Toronto points.Toppin's 3-point shot cut the lead to six with 8:11 to play in the second quarter. After Toronto took a nine-point lead Indiana scored the next five points. The lead dwindled to one when Andrew Nembhard made a 3-pointer with 2:11 left.

The Indiana Pacers will be out to solidify their hold on a top-six playoff position Tuesday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.The Pacers (45-34) are the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference after holding on for a 117-115 home victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday.The Raptors (25-53) will complete their home schedule seeking their second season-best three-game winning streak of the season. The first was from Feb. 22-26.After a 15-game losing streak, the Raptors won their second in a row 130-122 over the visiting Washington Wizards on Sunday.Toronto holds a 2-1 advantage in the season series with Indiana. The visiting team has won each game.This will be the second time former Raptors star Pascal Siakam has played in Toronto since he was traded to the Pacers on Jan. 17.In Sunday's game against the Heat, the Pacers led by as many as 22 points but faded in the second half.Miami cut the margin to one point in the fourth quarter. Free throws by Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith helped the Pacers hold on."The fourth quarter was a situation where they were going to keep coming," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We knew it. It was a matter of bend not break, and hang in there. (Tyler) Herro hit a couple of hellacious shots. But guys at this time of year and these moments do those kinds of things. Our guys held up. It's a huge win for us."T.J. McConnell scored 22 points off the Indiana bench."Tonight was definitely a playoff-type game, a playoff-type atmosphere," McConnell said. "It was good for us to be on the right side of one of those. ... The maturity that we showed to take it one possession at a time and get the stops that we needed. The free throws down the stretch were huge, too."Turner had 22 points and 13 rebounds.

With sixth place at stake in the Eastern Conference, backup point guard T.J. McConnell posted 22 points and five assists as the host Indiana Pacers defeated the Miami Heat 117-115 on Sunday night in Indianapolis.Myles Turner added 22 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which got off to a hot start and held off a late Miami rally.Pacers starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who started the day leading the NBA in assists (11.0), had a quiet game. He had 12 points and eight assists.But McConnell filled the void, making 11 of 14 shots. It was yet another gritty performance for an undersized player (6-1) who was undrafted and yet is in his ninth year in the league.With the win, Indiana (45-34) extended its lead over Miami (43-35) to 1 1/2 games.The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed playoff berths. Teams seven through 10 will compete in the play-in round.Miami was led by Jimmy Butler, who had a game-high 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 12 rebounds.Indiana, thanks to 66.7-percent shooting, led 38-24 at the end of the first quarter. The Heat shot just 39.1 percent, including 0-for-7 on 3-pointers.Miami trailed by as many 22 points in the second quarter before trimming its deficit to 63-46 at halftime.

Tyler Herro is finally back, and that could make the Miami Heat extra dangerous.The Heat, who are set to visit the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Indianapolis, are 43-34 -- good enough for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.Indiana (44-34) is in sixth place, just a half-game ahead of Miami.The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed a playoff berth. Teams seven through 10 have to go through the play-in round.In short, Sunday's game is important -- and that brings us back to Herro.On Friday Herro played for the first time since Feb. 23, recording 17 points, six assists and five rebounds in Miami's 119-104 win over the Houston Rockets."It's just great to have him back," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Herro, who missed 20 games due to a foot injury. "As head coach, I didn't forget what he brings to the table."Herro ranks second on the Heat in scoring (20.7), trailing only Jimmy Butler (21.0)."The skill level, the creativity, the speed," Spoelstra said of Herro, "those are all things we need."Despite all the time he missed, Herro was sharp on Friday. He had zero turnovers, and he made 7 of his 14 shots. His only hiccup came behind the 3-point line, where he made just 1 of 4 attempts.Overall, he was so good that Spoelstra played him 25 minutes off the bench."I will probably get a stern ‘talking to' from our training staff," Spoelstra said of Herro's heavy usage. "Let's see how Tyler feels (for the Pacers game)."Aside from the playoff implications, Sunday's contest will be interesting because the Heat have been better on the road (23-16) than at home (20-18). In fact, only the Boston Celtics have more road wins than Miami among Eastern Conference teams.Indiana, meanwhile, has been just about as good at home (24-15) as Miami on the road.The difference is that the Pacers lead the NBA in scoring (122.8). Miami is 27th in scoring (109.9).

Pascal Siakam scored 21 points to lift the Indiana Pacers to a 126-112 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday in Indianapolis.The Pacers (44-34) won for the third time in four games.The Thunder (52-25) have dropped three consecutive games for the first time this season.Oklahoma City remained without All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quad) and second-year forward Jalen Williams (ankle), their two leading scorers.Gilgeous-Alexander was out for the fifth time in six games. Before the game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander had been sent back to Oklahoma City, making him likely to miss the team's Sunday game at Charlotte.Tyrese Haliburton had 11 assists to break Mark Jackson's Pacers franchise record for assists in a season. Haliburton now has 714, one more than Jackson's total in 1997-98.Siakam finished 8 of 10 from the floor as Indiana, which came in leading the league in shooting at 50.4 percent, hit 52.3 percent.The Pacers made 15 3-pointers, including four from Aaron Nesmith, who finished with 17 points.Luguentz Dort led the Thunder with 22 points while Kenrich Williams added 18 off the bench. Josh Giddey contributed 14 points and 12 assists.

The Oklahoma City Thunder hope they don't have to play without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in the playoffs.But as the Thunder try to make their push for one of the top spots in the Western Conference, they're also working to navigate life without their top two scorers.There's a good chance both will sit out Friday when Oklahoma takes on the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.Gilgeous-Alexander, third in the NBA in scoring at 30.3 points per game, has missed four of the last five games with a right quad contusion and is listed as out for Friday's game.Williams, averaging 19.5 points per game, is listed as doubtful after missing the last two games with a left ankle sprain.Oklahoma City (52-24) has dropped back-to-back games, including Wednesday's 135-100 loss at Boston.The Thunder come into Friday's game in third place in the Western Conference, just behind Minnesota and Denver.Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault often experiments with different combinations, trying to find lineups that work and get his players experience in different roles. Without Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, that challenge has become more daunting."We're not asking too much of anybody," Daigneault said. "It's just we have to work together for advantages on a lot of plays. And when we do that, we can generate them. But there's times when Shai's got the ball and they just double him and the advantage is created by the defense. That's not happening right now."Josh Giddey continues to be a bright spot for the Thunder. In his last eight games, Giddey is averaging 18.9 points per game and shooting 62.9 percent from the field with 5.9 assists and 2.0 turnovers.The Pacers (43-34) are coming off a 115-111 loss in Brooklyn on Wednesday.With five games remaining, Indiana is trying to climb out of play-in position and into the playoff field. The Pacers were mere percentage points behind Miami for sixth place in the Eastern Conference before the Heat played Thursday night.

Cam Thomas led Brooklyn with 27 points as the Nets defeated the Indiana Pacers 115-111 on Wednesday in New York.Jalen Wilson sank two free throws with seven seconds remaining to seal the victory after Tyrese Haliburton hit a 3-pointer to keep the Pacers in the game.There were four lead changes and two ties during the tightly contested fourth quarter, with neither team leading by more than six points during the frame.Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges hit a crucial 3-pointer after collecting an offensive rebound to tie the game at 108 with 1:23 remaining. Bridges drew a charge on the other end, and Dennis Schroder followed up with a layup for a 110-108 lead.The Nets (30-47) closed the game on a 10-3 run to avoid getting swept by the Pacers (43-34) after losing the teams' two earlier meetings, including a 133-111 setback on Monday in Indianapolis.The loss leaves Indiana tied for the sixth and final automatic Eastern Conference playoff position with the Miami Heat (42-33). With the Atlanta Hawks' win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the Nets were officially eliminated from postseason contention.Brooklyn rookie reserve Noah Clowney logged career-high totals of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Bridges had 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Nic Claxton amassed 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Dennis Schroder finished with 12 points, 11 assists and six boards. Dorian Finney-Smith had 10 points.

After a one-sided result in Indianapolis on Monday, the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets will quickly put that game behind them and prepare for a rematch on Wednesday night in New York.Brooklyn (29-47) will host the visiting Pacers in the regular-season series finale. Indiana (43-33) won two earlier meetings over the Nets at home by a combined margin of 43 points.Despite winning both games in lopsided fashion, the Pacers are expecting a renewed effort from the Nets."We've got a real challenge on Wednesday, with the way (Monday night) went," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We'll have to be ready. (Brooklyn) will be ready. There were some emotions flying around and that kind of stuff. It'll be a very good test."The Pacers have piled up 254 points on the Nets this season while shooting 49.5 percent through both wins.They have overwhelmed the Nets with their pace and offense in the transition. On Monday, the Pacers set the tone from the opening tip and scored 75 first-half points.Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 27 points and 13 assists, but much like the first meeting with Brooklyn this season, a total of six Indiana players scored in double figures to round out the balanced effort."I like our pace," Indiana forward Pascal Siakam said. "The ball was moving. Obviously, when you're making shots, obviously the offense is always going to look great, but I think one thing we did was continue to move the ball. Continue to attack the mismatches without stopping on offense. That's when we're dangerous."The Nets are hoping to avoid the season series sweep. Brooklyn is outside of the top 10 in the Eastern Conference standings and with the regular season winding down, a playoff appearance is unlikely. However, it can potentially deter the Pacers' playoff plans.

Tyrese Haliburton posted a 27-point, 13-assist double-double to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 133-111 rout over the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in Indianapolis.The Nets (29-47) suffered a slow start for the second straight game, which proved to be costly.After giving up a pair of Brooklyn baskets, the Pacers (43-33) settled into the game with a 18-3 run that Haliburton finished with a three-point play to give Indiana a 18-7 lead with 7:41 left in the first quarter.The Pacers hardly looked back and finished the first with a 43-27 lead, which turned into a lopsided 75-47 margin at halftime.Haliburton didn't play in the fourth quarter and shot 9-of-15 overall, including four 3-pointers. He also had a turnover-free game.Pascal Siakam had 15 points and six rebounds, while Aaron Nesmith chipped in 11 points. Obi Toppin added 14 points and T.J. McConnell had 10 points and eight assists off the bench.Cam Thomas paced the Nets with a team-high 22 points. Trendon Watford had 21 points off the bench, while Mikal Bridges had 19 points and Lonnie Walker IV added 14 for Brooklyn.

There are two weeks left in the NBA regular season, but the Indiana Pacers already have a playoff mindset.The Pacers will oppose the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night in Indianapolis, and the teams will complete a home-and-home set on Wednesday night in New York.The Pacers (42-33) enter play Monday night in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, the final guaranteed playoff position, with the Orlando Magic (43-31) up by 1 1/2 games in fifth. Of more concern for Indiana is the presence of the Miami Heat (41-33) in seventh, a half-game back, and the Philadelphia 76ers (40-35) in eighth, two games behind.The Nets (29-46) are hoping to salvage any playoff hopes by staging a late-season push, but they sit in 5 1/2 games behind the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks, who hold the East's final play-in position. Brooklyn has just seven games remaining."These are all playoff games, you know," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "I mean, they're fighting for their position in the standings. We are, too."The Pacers have enjoyed two days off following a 109-90 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, Indiana's fourth victory in six games.Indiana's one-two punch of Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton led the way on Friday with 22 and 21 points, respectively, and they have been at the forefront during the six-game stretch.Siakam owns a team-best average of 21.4 points per game since coming to Indiana from the Toronto Raptors in a January trade. His overall season average is 21.8 points -- a mark he surpassed in five of the past six games, a stretch that included a pair of 30-point performances.Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points and 8.7 assists during the six-game run. He made all-around contributions in the win over the Lakers, amassing eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals.

Pascal Siakam scored 22 points with 11 rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points with eight rebounds and eight assists and the Indiana Pacers flashed some improved defense Friday while earning a 109-90 victory to end the Los Angeles Lakers' season-best five-game winning streak.T.J McConnell scored 16 points and Aaron Nesmith added 12 as the Pacers (42-33) exacted revenge after giving up 150 points to the Lakers in a road loss Sunday. Indiana also lost to Los Angeles in the title game of the inaugural in-season tournament in December, but that contest did not count in the regular-season standings.The Pacers held the Lakers to a season low in points on 40.7 percent shooting from the floor, while shooting 48.3 percent on their offensive end.Anthony Davis scored 24 points with 15 rebounds for the Lakers (41-33) after missing Wednesday's victory at Memphis to rest knee discomfort. LeBron James scored 16 points with 10 rebounds and D'Angelo Russell was held to six points as the main Los Angeles scoring trio played together for the first time in four games.Austin Reaves scored 16 points with 13 rebounds and Rui Hachimura added 41 points as the Lakers fell to 2-1 on a six-game road trip.The Pacers led 27-25 after one quarter amid a significantly slower tempo than the most recent meeting. Indiana was up 54-49 at halftime as Los Angeles made just 2 of 13 attempts from 3-point range (15.4 percent).

Five days after the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers delivered nearly 300 points in a regulation game, there is expected to be offense aplenty once again when the rematch goes down Friday in Indianapolis.The Lakers (41-32) earned a 150-145 victory over the visiting Pacers on Sunday behind 36 points and 16 rebounds from Anthony Davis. Four Lakers starters scored at least 25 points, with LeBron James contributing 26 points and 10 assists.The Pacers (41-33) had eight players score in double figures, led by Pascal Siakam, who had 36 points with 12 rebounds.The Lakers took control by scoring 86 points in the middle two quarters alone, with the Pacers doing their best to rally with a 46-point fourth quarter. It was Los Angeles' highest scoring game since 1987.While the scoring frenzy was impressive, there was not necessarily complete pride from either team."I mean, we allowed them to score 145," Davis said. "... They had a big fourth quarter. (It was) terrible defensively. They hit some shots towards the end."Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle expressed his displeasure with the way the game was called. Indiana was whistled for 31 fouls, with Los Angeles called for 14. The Lakers went 38 of 43 from the free-throw line, while Indiana went 9 of 16."At a certain point, you've got to play absolutely perfectly and that was going to be very, very difficult," Carlisle said. "But the level of fight is something that we can continue to build on."The Lakers enter Friday's game on a season-best five-game winning streak, following up the victory over the Pacers with wins at Milwaukee and Memphis to open a six-game road trip.

DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 27 points and Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond both had double-doubles to help the host Chicago Bulls defeat the Indiana Pacers 125-99 on Wednesday to stop a three-game losing streak.Six Bulls scored in double figures compared to five for Indiana, which has lost two of three.Held under 100 points for the first time this season, the Pacers are two victories ahead of the idle Miami Heat for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Indiana (41-33) has clinched a playoff spot and is aiming to avoid the play-in tournament by staying in the conference's top six.Chicago (35-38) stayed at ninth in the East, 1 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta, which occupies the final play-in spot.Indiana opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run to trim the Chicago advantage to 14 points. The Bulls answered with their first field goal of the quarter on an Alex Caruso trey at the 9:33 mark and then continued to fight off the Pacers, who used a 12-2 run midway through the third to draw within seven.The Bulls kept responding and led by as many as 29 late in the game.Andrew Nembhard sparked Indiana with 18 points, while Pascal Siakam had 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Haliburton scored 13 points, and Myles Turner and T.J. McConnell chipped in 12 apiece.

Pascal Siakam scored 31 points and Myles Turner added 24 as the visiting Indiana Pacers turned improved defense into a 133-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.Tyrese Haliburton scored 21 points and handed out nine assists and T.J. McConnell added 15 points as the Pacers (41-32) won for the third time in four games. Indiana held the Clippers in check after allowing 150 points to the Los Angeles Lakers in a defeat on Sunday.The Pacers, who sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, shot 58.1 percent from the floor while improving to 3-1 on a five-game road trip that ends Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 26 points as the Clippers (44-27) dropped their second home game in a row. They fell to the 76ers 121-107 on Sunday. The Clippers now embark on a four-game road trip that starts at Philadelphia on Wednesday.Norman Powell scored 22 points and Russell Westbrook added 14 points and seven assists in 18 minutes for the Clippers. Westbrook returned after missing the previous 12 games following surgery for a fractured left hand. James Harden was held to 11 points, though he dished out seven assists.Los Angeles led the Western Conference briefly last month but is now tied for fourth place with the New Orleans Pelicans.

As they fight to avoid the play-in tournament, the Indiana Pacers need scoring and victories by whatever means possible.Pascal Siakam's steady hand has fueled Indiana lately. He has scored at least 25 points in the first four games of the team's five-game road trip, helping the Pacers go 3-1 in that span.As the Pacers aim to close the trip with more success Wednesday at the Chicago Bulls, they'll need Siakam to maintain the outlook that helped him to 31 points in Monday's 133-116 win at the Los Angeles Clippers."It's whatever's open out there," Siakam said. "I think, obviously, taking pride in being a three-level kind of player. They did a decent job of taking me out of going to the rim, so I took the shots that were there and I'm comfortable with those shots. It's going to look good every night. It's just a matter of having that energy."Indiana (41-32) stood in sixth place in the East entering Tuesday. The Nos. 7-10 seeds compete in the play-in tournament.The Bulls (34-38) are ninth in the conference, 1 1/2 games clear of the Atlanta Hawks in the No. 10 spot.Both the Bulls and Pacers know they'll need to be aggressive down the stretch to maintain their respective positions in the postseason race.Indiana's Myles Turner put that into practice Monday. After slumping to 4-for-15 3-point shooting in his four games before arriving in Los Angeles, he was 4-of-6 from deep against both the Lakers and Clippers."I work on my shot too much not to trust it," said Turner, who scored 24 points against the Clippers. "My teammates were gassing me up. Coaches were running plays for me. That just makes it easier."Chicago will try to stop a three-game losing streak by claiming the season series with Indiana.

Anthony Davis had 36 points and 16 rebounds and LeBron James added 26 points and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to three games by holding on for a 150-145 victory Sunday over the visiting Indiana Pacers.Spencer Dinwiddie had 26 points and Austin Reaves added 25 points and eight assists as the Lakers (39-32) reached a season high in points without D'Angelo Russell (illness). Los Angeles now faces a challenging six-game road trip that begins Tuesday.Though the Lakers also earned a victory over the Pacers during the in-season tournament title game, that contest did not count in the regular-season standings. The teams meet again Friday in Indianapolis.Pascal Siakam had 36 points and 12 rebounds and Myles Turner added 20 points for the Pacers (40-32), who entered with five victories in their past seven games. Indiana is now 2-1 on a five-game road trip and remains in L.A. with a game against the Clippers on Monday.Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was held to 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting and added 10 assists. Haliburton recently went through an 11-game stretch when he shot 39 percent from the floor and 19 percent from 3-point range that ended last Monday.T.J. McConnell had 17 points, Andrew Nembhard had 15 and Doug McDermott added 14 for Indiana.