ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam each scored 20 points and the Indiana Pacers beat Orlando 111-97 on Sunday night to closed within a game of the Magic in the Eastern Conference standings.
T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin each added 17 points for Indiana. Aaron Nesmith had 16.
Paolo Banchero had 19 points for Orlando, Cole Anthony added 16 and Wendell Carter had 13 points and 15 rebounds. The Magic have dropped two in a row for the first time since Jan. 22-26.
Siakam scored nine points in the final six minutes of the first half to help the Pacers cut a 15-point deficit to three at the break.
The highest-scoring team in the NBA, Indiana had only 18 points in the first quarter. Haliburton’s basket with 6:49 left in the second quarter marked his first points of the game and the Pacers’ only 3-pointer of the first half.
Nesmith hit two 3-pointers to launch a 39-21 third quarter for the Pacers, who led 86-71 after Toppin closed the period with a dunk and two free throws. Toppin’s layup early in the fourth gave Indiana its biggest lead of the game, 99-83.
The Pacers played for the first time since learning that Bennedict Mathurin will miss the rest of the season after having shoulder surgery. The Magic played without Jalen Suggs (thigh contusion) and Markelle Fultz (left knee strain).
