NBA Scores: Pacers Beat Thunder, Durant Leads Rockets Win

The match: the revenge of the Pacers

Defeated at the end of the suspense during game 7 of the final last June, while suffering the serious injury of their leader Tyrese Haliburton (ruptured Achilles tendon), the Indiana Pacers took revenge by winning 117 to 114 in Oklahoma City. The clash, however, pitted the best record of the season (OKC with 37 victories and now 9 defeats) against the worst, that of the Pacers (11v-35d), stuck in a transition season.

But pride spoke, Pascal Siakam (21 pts) and his teammates quickly taking the lead and never letting go. The Thunder stayed in the game thanks to their Canadian MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, untenable with 47 points on 17 out of 28 shooting, and well helped by Chet Holmgren (25 points, 13 rebounds). “SGA” even brought OKC back to a point a few seconds before the siren, before Jarace Walker (26 pts) folded the game on the free throw line. Isaiah Joe missed a shot for an overtime three-pointer.

The player: Durant untenable

At the end of an intense match between two very athletic teams, like the twins Amen (Houston) and Ausar (Detroit) Thompson, the Rockets ended up extinguishing the Pistons 111 to 104. The Texans took control with the unstoppable Kevin Durant, author of a new recital with 32 points on 11 of 19 shooting, at 37, in his 19th season NBA. No Pistons player managed to reach 20 points, leader Cade Cunningham remaining discreet with 12 points and 8 assists. The locals, despite their desire, were too clumsy from a distance (7 out of 32 at 21.9%) and were dominated on the rebound (43 against 35). Detroit remains in the lead in the East (32v-11d), Houston is 4th in the West (27v-16d).

The action: Hugo Gonzalez’s three-pointer

The Boston Celtics ended up winning after a crazy match 130 to 126 after two overtimes on the floor of the Brooklyn Nets. Payton Pritchard shone for the “C’s” with 32 points, compared to 30 points from Michael Porter Jr. Nic Claxton first equalized two seconds from the buzzer of the 4th quarter with a tap for the Nets.

While the Celtics were trailing by 3 points 3 seconds before the siren of the first overtime, strategist Joe Mazzulla brought in a replacement, Hugo Gonzalez, who rushed into the corner on a throw-in for a three-point “buzzer beater”, and 5 additional minutes dominated by Jaylen Brown (27 points, 9 rebounds, 12 assists) and his teammates. Frenchman Nolan Traoré took advantage of overtime to score 21 points (personal best), grab 3 rebounds and make 2 assists and 2 interceptions. His best game for the Nets.