Pacers obliterate Hawks, 150-116, on Friday
The Indiana Pacers took care of business against the Atlanta Hawks, 150-116, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday.

The Hawks (14-20) held their largest lead of the night of six points after one minute of play, but it was all Pacers (20-14) from there on out. Indiana used their three-point barrage to race out to a 14-point advantage after 12 minutes of play, and entered halftime with a commanding 24-point lead. Atlanta could do nothing to stop the momentum as they lost the third quarter, 39-29, and with the game out of hand heading into the final frame, both teams emptied their benches to finish off the contest. The Pacers assisted 50 of their 60 field-goal makes (compared to 21 assists by the Hawks), and shot 19-for-39 from three-point range, while the Hawks shot just 10-for-42 from beyond the arc. Indiana has now won six straight games while Atlanta dropped to 2-5 over their last seven contests.

The lone bright spot for the Hawks on Friday was Dejounte Murray, who had a game-high 30 points on an efficient 13-for-19 shooting, and added two assists. Bogdan Bogdanovic was the next leading scorer with 16 points along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals, and although he made nine of his 10 free throw attempts, he missed eight of his nine shots from three. Trae Young also struggled from the field, finishing with 13 points on 4-for-18 shooting (including 1-for-11 from three), along with two rebounds, six assists and two steals. Jalen Johnson added 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists while Clint Capela and Saddiq Bey chipped in nine points each.

Eight Pacers players -- including all five starters -- finished in double-digits in Friday’s win. Myles Turner led the way with 27 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Bruce Brown made eight of his nine shots to finish with 17 points, three rebounds and two assists. Benedict Mathurin led the bench with 18 points, three rebounds and four assists while TJ McConnell registered his second double-double of the season with 10 points, three rebounds, 10 assists and three steals. Tyrese Haliburton was two rebounds shy of a triple-double, tallying 10 points, eight rebounds, 18 assists and two steals.

Next up, the Pacers will host the Boston Celtics on Saturday, while the Hawks visit the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Posted on: 1/5/2024 6:55 PM
Atlanta Hawks
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Indiana Pacers
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