The Indiana Pacers continued their climb up the NBA’s Eastern Conference standings with a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Indiana jumped them early, taking a 40-26 lead into the second quarter, and used that to cruise to a 123-114 victory.
Despite starting forward Aaron Nesmith being sidelined for a third consecutive game, the Pacers were able to pick up the impressive victory. Now 34-26 on the season, the Pacers are in a three-way tie with the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers for the final two spots outside of the NBA Play-In Tournament. The Orlando Magic are only a half-game behind, as the Eastern Conference playoff race is shaping up to be an epic one.
Leading the way on Wednesday against the Pelicans was power forward Pascal Siakam. He scored a team-high 24 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists. Siakam was one of six players to score in double figures for Indiana, as all nine players who got on the court scored at least eight points.
After the game when speaking to reporters, Siakam made it a point to discuss the impact All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton has had on him and the offense as a whole. Siakam provided some major praise for his teammate in the presser.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers Update
“I knew he’s a pass-first kind of guy,” Siakam said about Haliburton. “With the gravity that he has on offense, I’m just trying to make the right reads, the right cuts, and I know the ball is going to find me. We’ve got something special. I’m happy to be on the same team.”
A balanced offensive attack like that is nothing new for the Pacers, who are on track to have the highest offensive rating in NBA history. Haliburton, more often than not, is the player who is leading that attack.
Haliburton had a solid game against New Orleans, scoring 17 points with 13 assists, adding to his NBA-leading assist-per-game average. Double-doubles like that have become the norm in Indiana, as Haliburton is cementing his status as one of the best young point guards in the NBA.
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