2 Positives, 1 negative from Indiana Pacers' thrilling win over Atlanta Hawks
By Mueez Azfar
Positive: Piling on the points
Indiana's offense is no joke.
While their frantic, fast-paced style of play does have its downsides, there is no questioning how effective it is on most nights, with Tuesday night being a prime example. The Pacers ran the Hawks up and down the court, scoring 73 points in the first half and somehow outdoing themselves with a mind-blowing 84 points in the second half to take home the win.
For the second time this season, the Pacers had seven or more players score in double figures, with the one and only Tyrese Haliburton leading the charge, as he usually does, with 37 on the night, including a 26-point explosion in the third quarter to give the Pacers control of the game.
While Haliburton was the undisputed star of the night, he did not do it alone. Buddy Hield finally broke out of his brutal shooting slump in a big way, putting up 24 points on 9/11 shooting and 6/6 from deep. Hield was also the Pacers' primary source of firepower in the fourth quarter, as he scored 13 points on three three-pointers and hit the dagger to put them up three with less than a minute remaining.
In addition to Hield's resurgence, Bennedict Mathurin added 19 points of his own, quelling his recent slump, including 10 points in the fourth quarter to help Hield lead the Pacers to victory.
Obi Toppin also had a great night with 21 points on 9/16 shooting, despite going 1/6 from three, and Aaron Nesmith also piled in 17 on 6/9 shooting.
To round out the double-digit barrage, Bruce Brown and Myles Turner contributed 13 points and 11 points, respectively. The Pacers were also incredibly efficient on the night, shooting 60.6% from the field and 49% from beyond the arc, as every player, with the exception of TJ McConnell and Ben Sheppard, shot 50% or higher from the field.
While Indiana shot the lights out all game, there was a reason why they only won by five points when it was all said and done, and it's the reason that has been plaguing this team since opening night.