NBA roundup: Pacers slide by Celtics in final second

 

[January 09, 2024]  Bennedict Mathurin made two free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Indiana Pacers a 133-131 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night in Indianapolis.

The game was tied with two seconds to play when Indiana inbounded the ball to Mathurin, and he was fouled by Kristaps Porzingis during a 3-point attempt. After making two free throws, Mathurin -- who led the Pacers with 26 points -- intentionally missed the third. Boston rebounded the miss and called timeout with 0.3 seconds to play. Luke Kornet's tip-in at the buzzer would have tied the game, but the ball hit the rim and bounced out.

It may have been a costly victory for Indiana, however. Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton slipped during a drive to the basket in the second quarter and had to be helped off the court with a hamstring injury. He did not return to the game. Haliburton had seven points, two rebounds and six assists in 13 minutes before he was injured.

The Celtics lost despite a season-high 40 points from Jaylen Brown. Jrue Holiday had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jayson Tatum sat to rest a sore ankle.

Bulls 119, Hornets 112 (OT)

Playing in his home state, Coby White scored 27 points, and Chicago recovered after a shaky late stretch to defeat host Charlotte.

The Bulls scored the first eight points of overtime, with two baskets coming from Nikola Vucevic.

Hornets guard Terry Rozier poured in 39 points to go along with eight assists, but he didn't score in overtime. Miles Bridges had 24 points, Nick Smith Jr. racked up 15 points in a reserve role and Nick Richards had 10 points for the Hornets, who have lost 13 of their past 14 games.

Jazz 132, Bucks 116

Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen each scored 21 points and Utah won for the 11th time in 15 games by beating host Milwaukee.

The Jazz led by as many as 33 points in the first half -- and held a 77-46 halftime lead -- before Milwaukee rallied to within seven just over 6 1/2 minutes into the fourth quarter. But the Jazz quickly went on a 9-0 run to pull away for good.

Jan 8, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball while Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports/ File photo

Giannis Antetokounmpo registered a triple-double of 25 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to lead Milwaukee. The Bucks were without Damian Lillard, who missed the game for personal reasons. Milwaukee has lost four of its past five.

Thunder 136, Wizards 128

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points while rookie Chet Holmgren added 31 to lift Oklahoma over host Washington.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Thunder while Washington's losing streak stretched to five.

Jordan Poole led the Wizards with 24 points. Kyle Kuzma added 22 points and a season-high 15 rebounds.

Heat 120, Rockets 113

Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo combined for 50 points as host Miami defeated Houston.

Adebayo scored 22 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds as the Heat returned home after a five-game road trip. Herro added 28 points on 10-for-20 shooting. It was a bounce-back game for Herro, who shot 4-for-17 in his previous game at Phoenix on Friday.

Houston got a game-high 32 points and seven assists from Fred VanVleet. Teammate Alperen Sengun added 22 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.

--Field Level Media

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