Pascal Siakam scores 29 points and makes tiebreaking 3 to send Pacers past Celtics 135-132 in OT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored the last of his 29 points on a 3-pointer with 6.1 seconds left in overtime to give the Indiana Pacers a 135-132 victory over the previously unbeaten Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Siakam tied his single-game career high with six 3s and grabbed 11 rebounds. Bennedict Mathurin scored 21 of his 30 points in the second half, and Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and 12 assists.

The victory ended Indiana’s three-game losing streak.

Boston charged back from a 19-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime and led 132-130 after Derrick White’s layup with 39.7 seconds to go. But Indiana scored the final five points to win.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 37 points. Jaylen Brown added 25 points and had a chance to tie the score but his 3 in the waning seconds was off the mark. White finished with 23 points in the first matchup between these teams since Boston swept Indiana in last season’s Eastern Conference finals.

Pascal Siakam scores 29 points and makes tiebreaking 3 to send Pacers past Celtics 135-132 in OT | iNFOnews.ca — Indiana Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith (23) shoots against Boston Celtics’ Al Horford (42) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Takeaways

Celtics: Through the first four games, Boston looked like the defending NBA champs — winning three times by double figures. They weren’t dominant Wednesday, but they didn’t go down without a fight, either, the true mark of a champion.

Pacers: Indiana’s high-scoring, fast-paced offense reappeared. The result looked familiar, too. The Pacers finished with a season-high point total — even though they nearly threw away the contest with a rash of late turnovers.

Key moment

Siakam scored the final five points for Indiana, tying the score on a midrange jumper with 36 seconds left before giving the Pacers the lead for good. It wasn’t sealed until Brown’s 3 fluttered out of bounds.