INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Cam Thomas scored a career-high 33 points, Patty Mills added 24 and the Brooklyn Nets won while resting their top seven scorers, rallying to beat the Indiana Pacers 136-133 on Saturday night.
Brooklyn won its third straight and for the sixth time in seven games, playing without All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and five more. And the Nets did it by outrebounding the Pacers 59-30 overall and 29-7 on the offensive end.
Tyrese Haliburton finished with 35 points, the most since he joined the Pacers in February, and nine assists. Six of Haliburton’s teammates also scored in double figures as they made 21 3s — two short of breaking the franchise’s single-game record, set against Brooklyn in October.
The Nets had to sweat out Andrew Nembhard’s 3 to force overtime at the buzzer before celebrating a win that came with only nine players in uniform. Somehow Brooklyn managed to keep it close and then turned it around after trailing 120-113 with 5:04 to play.
The Nets scored six straight to tie it and then used an 8-0 run to make it 128-122 with 1:49 left. The Pacers never recovered
Day’ron Sharpe had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Brooklyn.
TIP-INS
Nets: Brooklyn played its first road game since losing at Indiana on Nov. 25. … The Nets improved to 10-3 in “clutch” games, which are defined as five-point margins in the final five minutes. … Yuta Watanabee had 10 points and seven rebounds after returning from a strained right hamstring.
Pacers: Fell to 5-1 on the second half of back-to-back games this season. … Indiana is 1-1 since returning from a seven-game road trip, its longest since 1985-86. … The Pacers split the season series 2-2 after getting swept by Brooklyn 3-0 last season. … They are 7-2 at home against Eastern Conference teams this season.
UP NEXT
Nets: At Washington on Monday night.
Pacers: Host Miami on Monday night.
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