LOS ANGELES — — Pascal Siakam scored 31 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 133-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
Myles Turner had 24 points and seven rebounds, helping the Pacers earn their sixth win in their last seven road games. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and nine assists.
“Our entire team played well,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “I thought Myles Turner was spectacular in this match. … Tyrese and Pascal were playing the ham and cooking it back and forth, and that was really the key.
Los Angeles lost its fifth straight home game. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 26 points for the Clippers, and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and seven assists in his return after missing 12 games with a broken left hand.
“The only way to get through this is to play hard for 48 minutes, do it right every night, every possession,” Clippers head coach Ty Lue said. “Not two out of five, not two out of six. Every time, do the right thing and you can get out of that rut.
After being beaten 151-127 at home by the Clippers in December, a loss Carlisle credits for forcing Indiana to place a more consistent emphasis on its defense, the Pacers were determined to bounce back after losing 150- 145 against the Lakers on Sunday. They clamped down and held the Clippers to 1-for-9 on 3-pointers in the second half, while going 8-for-15 from deep to pull away.
“We have shown signs of real progress,” Carlisle said. “Last night was a step back, but in the NBA there’s always another game to come. It was a great bounce back.
In addition to strong performances from their stars, Indiana also benefited from unexpected contributions from Ben Sheppard, who had seven points in place of Aaron Nesmith (knee), and rookie forward Jarace Walker, who had eight points and was “the key guy in the game” according to Carlisle.
“He just played exceptionally well,” Carlisle said of Walker. “He made open shots, he made the right pass at the right time, he defended, he rebounded and he was the biggest plus we had on the team tonight, so kudos to him.”
Unable to bounce back from a 121-107 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday, the reeling Clippers found themselves asking tough questions following another loss to a playoff-bound opponent. James Harden, who had 11 points, couldn’t tell who the team was at the moment.
Lue disagreed.
“Right now, do we have an identity?” Lue said. “I think so, we are soft. It can be an identity if you want to call it that. We have to be tougher, mentally and physically.
The return of Westbrook was the only bright spot for Los Angeles, providing notable energy off the bench with six points and four assists in the first half. He also helped Norman Powell produce a microwave attack, scoring eight of his 22 points in the first quarter.
“I thought Russ looked good,” Lue said. “I thought it had pop. I thought he picked up the pace. This is something we can build on for the future.
FOLLOWING
Pacers: At Chicago on Wednesday.
Clippers: At Philadelphia on Wednesday.
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