INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Tyrese Haliburton had 29 points and 12 assists for his 16th double-double of the season, Aaron Nesmith scored a season-high 19, and the Indiana Pacers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 129-111 on Sunday.
Haliburton scored 17 points in the third quarter, when the Pacers (32-23) took a 101-83 lead. The All-Star point guard shot 9 of 14 overall with four 3-pointers.
The Pacers, who are an NBA-best 16-5 in 2025, had seven players score in double digits. Indiana center Myles Turner returned from a three-game injury absence with 17 first-half points.
The short-handed Clippers (31-25) were without leading scorer Norman Powell (left knee soreness) and No. 3 scorer Kawhi Leonard (left foot soreness). Powell averages 24.2 points per game, and Leonard 16.9.
That meant veteran All-Star guard James Harden looked to take more shots – he went 9 of 17 with six 3s to finish with 31 points and 11 assists. Ivica Zubac added 22 points.
Clippers: Leonard has played in just 16 games this season, but Powell’s absence proved problematic. The lack of scoring options became increasingly evident as Los Angeles steadily fell behind.
Pacers: It’s an ideal time to make a run, with two more home games this week and Indiana riding a three-game winning streak. And it helps to have Turner back after he missed three games with a cervical strain.
Haliburton buried 3-pointers on three consecutive third-quarter possessions as the Pacers opened a 90-69 lead.
Indiana made 13 of 20 shots to outscore Los Angeles 35-28 in the third quarter. The Pacers finished 46-of-84 shooting (54.8%).
The Clippers visit Detroit on Monday. The Pacers host Denver on Monday.
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| TOP SCORERS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  |
J Harden PG | 31PTS | 7REB | 11AST | |
  |
T Haliburton PG | 29PTS | 1REB | 12AST | |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| J. Harden | 31 | 7 | 11 | 1 |
| I. Zubac | 22 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| A. Coffey | 14 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| D. Jones Jr. | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| K. Dunn | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| B. Bogdanovic | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| M. Beauchamp | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| B. Simmons | 8 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| P. Mills | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| D. Eubanks | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| N. Batum | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| K. Brown | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| T. Flowers | – | – | – | – |
| C. Christie | – | – | – | – |
| J. Miller | – | – | – | – |
| K. Jones | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 111 | 32 | 23 | 18 |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| T. Haliburton | 29 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| A. Nesmith | 19 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| M. Turner | 17 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| P. Siakam | 12 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| A. Nembhard | 12 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | PF |
| T. McConnell | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| O. Toppin | 10 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| B. Mathurin | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| T. Bryant | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| B. Sheppard | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| J. Walker | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| J. Furphy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| J. Okafor | – | – | – | – |
| R. Dennis | – | – | – | – |
| Q. Jackson | – | – | – | – |
| E. Freeman | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 129 | 46 | 31 | 25 |