Pacers snap franchise record 11-game home losing streak by beating Heat
· Yahoo Sports
INDIANAPOLIS -- All-Star forward Pascal Siakam posted 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Pacers to a 135-118 win over the Heat on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for their first home win since Jan. 31, ending a streak of 11 straight home losses
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
The Pacers improved to 17-58 but still have the worst record in the NBA. The Heat fell to 39-36 and are in 10th in the East.
Pacers center Micah Potter scored 21 points. Forward Kobe Brown had 18 points. Point guard Andrew Nembhard had 15 points and 10 assists and backup point guard T.J. McConnell had 15 points and nine assists. Forward Obi Toppin had 12 points and guard Quenton Jackson had 10. Tyler Herro led the Heat with 31 points.
Here are three observations.
Pacers close out Heat with best defensive quarter of season
Though the Pacers were in the midst of one of their best offensive performances of the season, the Heat were nearly as good at putting the ball in the bucket through three quarters. The Pacers scored 79 points in the first half, their second-highest figure for one half this season, but the Heat were right behind them with 75. Heading into the third quarter, the Pacers were already past the century mark with 108 points, but the Heat had 107.
But in the fourth quarter, the Pacers clamped down with one of their best defensive quarters of the season. The Pacers won the period 27-11 as the Heat made just 5 of 28 field goals and missed all eight of their 3-point attempts. for just 0.44 points per possession.
Micah Potter shakes Pacers out of doldrums
With wiings Aaron Nesmith and Jarace Walker ruled out of Sunday's game with injury, the Pacers had to shake up their starting lineup for their 42nd lineup in 74 games this season. Along with Siakam and Nembhard, the Pacers started two players on two-way contracts in guard Ethan Thompson and forward Jalen Slawson along with guard Quenton Jackson, who started the year on a two-way deal. Siakam picked up two fouls in the first three minutes so the Pacers subbed in center Micah Potter, who started the year in the G League with the Austin Spurs before the Pacers signed him in December, initially on a non-guaranteed contract.
The Pacers struggled to get anything going on offense, but then Potter found his shooting stroke and the Pacers went on to have one of their best offensive halves of the season.
After missing his first 3-pointer, Potter made four straight 3s, then got Heat center Kel'El Ware to bite too hard on a shot fake and blew past him for a tomahawk dunk. He scored 14 points on 5 of 6 shooting in nine first-quarter minutes and that seemed to juice up the rest of the Pacers' offense. Point guard T.J. McConnell came off the bench and had 11 points in the quarter on 4 of 5 shooting. Pacers bench players scored 27 of the team's 34 first-quarter points and were 10 of 13 from the floor in the period while the starters were 3 of 6.
Siakam got rolling in the second quarter and Potter kept making shots. He hit another 3 and two free throws in the second quarter and went into halftime with 19 points. He only had two second-half points but finished with 21 on 7 of 9 shooting including 5 of 6 from 3-point range to go with five rebounds.
Kobe Brown has his best game with the Pacers
After a strong start to his Pacers tenure with three straight double-figure games before the All-Star break, former Clippers forward Kobe Brown has been mostly quiet since and entered Sunday's game with just two double-figure performances in his last 15 appearances. Going into Sunday's game, he had the second worst total plus-minus figure of any Pacers player since the All-Star break at -147.
But on Sunday he found more of a shooting rhythm than he had at any point this season and also picked up buckets by moving without the ball into open space around the rim. He finished with a career-high 18 points on 7 of 11 shooting including 3 of 6 from 3-point range and also managed four rebounds and five assists.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs Heat: Indiana hold Miami to 11 fourth-quarter points in 135-118 victory