Los Angeles (AFP) – Myles Turner scored 24 points as the Indiana Pacers ended the Oklahoma City Thunder’s three-game winning streak with a 121-111 road victory Tuesday.
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Turner led a balanced offensive effort for Indiana that saw six players score double figures against the Western Conference-leading Thunder.
The Pacers ignored a fiercely partisan Oklahoma City crowd to take control early, opening a 16-point lead late in the first half.
Although the Thunder rallied with a 41-point third quarter to take a fleeting one-point lead, Indiana regrouped to pull away again and close out the victory.
Turner was supported with 18 points and nine assists from Tyrese Haliburton while Pascal Siakam added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the visitors.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
“We got off to a good start and were able to secure ourselves. It was a team effort,” Turner said, adding that Indiana reveled in the intimidating atmosphere at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City , which has 18,000 seats.
“It’s one of the loudest places in history,” Turner said. “It’s a hostile environment, a playoff atmosphere. But we enjoy it.”
Indiana improved to 37-29 to move into sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Oklahoma City’s loss leaves them tied 45-20 with the Denver Nuggets for the lead in the Western Conference.
The Celtics sink the Jazz
The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics shrugged off the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford to conclude their grueling West Coast road trip with an emphatic 123-107 victory over the Utah Jazz.
Jayson Tatum was once again the focal point of the Celtics’ offense, finishing with 38 points on 13-of-25 shooting as Boston earned its 51st win of the season.
Utah led briefly early in the first quarter, but was ultimately dominated by Boston’s shorthanded lineup.
Derrick White backed Tatum with 24 points while four other Boston players finished in double figures.
Keyonte George was Utah’s scoring pick with 26 points.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team’s ability to deliver.
“The fact that in the last two games, everyone is stepping up, that’s exactly what we’re trying to build. A culture, an environment in the locker room where it doesn’t matter who’s in there, everyone is ready to play anytime,” Mazzulla said.
Milwaukee, second in the East, lost ground to Boston after suffering a 129-94 thrashing from the Sacramento Kings on the road.
Sacramento star De’Aaron Fox finished with 29 points while Malik Monk added 29 off the bench as Milwaukee’s porous defense was once again exposed.
The Minnesota Timberwolves tied with Oklahoma City and Denver at 45 wins after triumphing 118-100 over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers took a 22-point lead midway through the second quarter, but were unable to respond after Minnesota rallied after halftime, outscoring Los Angeles 63-37 over the two last quarters.
In New York, the problems of the Philadelphia 76ers continued with a heavy 106-79 defeat against the Knicks.
The Sixers, who have lost six of their last 10 games, were soundly beaten by a Knicks team that climbed to fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 20 points each in a wire-to-wire victory that saw New York open a 33-point lead at one point.
The Sixers’ loss drew scathing criticism from head coach Nick Nurse, who accused his team of lacking physicality.
“It’s about us deciding we’re going to be strong enough to go out there and compete,” Nurse said.
“What I told them after the game is it starts with competition, physicality and execution – and we didn’t start the game with any of those three things.”
© 2024 AFP
