NBA: Pacers heat up from long range, turn back Cavaliers

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FILE – Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers. Andy Lyons/Getty Images/AFP

Tyrese Haliburton collected 29 points and nine assists and Buddy Hield added 25 points to fuel the host Indiana Pacers to a 135-126 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Haliburton made six 3-pointers and Hield had five for the Pacers, who converted 61.3 percent of their shots from beyond the arc (19 of 31).

Freshman Bennediktus Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench, Aaron Nesmith added 22 and Myles Turner had 14 points and 12 rebounds to send Indiana to its fourth win in five games. The Pacers also avenged a 118-112 loss to the Cavaliers on Dec. 16.

Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points in that December contest and had a team-high 28 on Thursday. Jarrett Allen had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Caris LeVert had 19 points for the Cavaliers, who have lost three straight.

Cleveland was nursing a 117-113 lead before Turner hit a 3-pointer to spark a 12-2 Indiana run. Hield also hit a jumper, Haliburton converted a three-point play and Nesmith added a pair of interior buckets.

🔥 @TyHaliburton22: 29 PTS, 6-8 from deep
🔥 @buddyhield: 25 PTS, 5-6 from deep

At @Pacers winning the Eastern Conference battle is tough! pic.twitter.com/kZQit7Ztpq

— NBA (@NBA) December 30, 2022

The Cavaliers cut the deficit to three points at 127-124 with 1:24 to play, but Nesmith answered with a driving layup. Mitchell missed a 3-point attempt before the Pacers sealed the win at the free-throw line.

LeVert converted a three-pointer and Kevin Love hit a 3-pointer as Cleveland scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to secure a 106-99 lead. However, Mathurin scored eight points during a stretch that allowed Indiana to tie the game at 113-113.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle noted the persistent technical foul when he called a foul on Mitchell and was ejected with 1:29 left in the third quarter. Carlisle was furious after Mitchell took a dribble and threw the ball off the backboard at himself.

Hield hit a trio of 3-pointers in 69 seconds to stake Indiana to a 76-73 lead before Cleveland erupted on a 9-0 run. Mitchell sparked the surge with a 3-pointer, but Nesmith converted from beyond the arc and Haliburton sank a pair of 3-pointers to give the Pacers an 89-86 advantage.