The Indiana Pacers continued their impressive form, notching their sixth consecutive win by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 150-116 during Friday night’s NBA action.
In a remarkable display of teamwork, the Pacers set a new franchise record with 50 assists. Tyrese Haliburton, leading the NBA in assists per game, contributed 18 assists along with 10 points and eight rebounds in just over 25 minutes.
Myles Turner was the top scorer for Indiana with 27 points, followed by Bennedict Mathurin with 18, Bruce Brown with 17, and Aaron Nesmith with 15. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle praised the team’s unselfish play, which led to the record-breaking assist count. He emphasized the need for a short celebration as the team prepares for its upcoming game against Boston, which he described as a significant challenge.
“The assist number is tremendous, and obviously an NBA and ABA franchise record is really strong and speaks to the unselfishness of the team,” Carlisle said. “That’s something to celebrate. But in this league celebration times are short. So we’ll have to get in our beds tonight and rest up for Boston (Saturday). It’s really the greatest test in basketball now.”
Indiana, known for its prolific offense, reached the 150-point mark against the Hawks for the second time this season, having previously set a league season high in a 157-152 victory over Atlanta. Carlisle commended the team’s physical play and ability to avoid fouls, which bolstered their defense.
“I liked the way we played,” Carlisle said. “We brought an element of physicality that needed to be there, and we managed to avoid fouls, and that helped our defense.”
The Hawks, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm. Dejounte Murray led the team with 30 points, while Trae Young managed only 13 points on 4-18 shooting, including a 1-11 performance from 3-point range.
The Pacers dominated the first half, shooting 71% and leading 78-54 at the break. They maintained their efficiency throughout the game, finishing with a 64% shooting rate, significantly higher than Atlanta’s 43%. Indiana also excelled from beyond the arc, making 19 of 39 three-point attempts.
Haliburton highlighted his successful partnership with Turner, who shot 10-14, calling it one of the best pick-and-roll duos in the league. Turner expressed the team’s enjoyment in playing together, attributing their success to the positive energy and environment they’ve created.
“There’s a different energy around this group,” Turner said. “We’ve created an environment here that makes it easy to have a night like this.”
Hawks coach Quin Snyder acknowledged his team’s lackluster performance, citing a lack of urgency and the Pacers’ ease securing easy baskets as key factors in the loss.
“Sometimes there are games where you didn’t play well, and we didn’t,” Snyder said. “I don’t know we did anything at the level we need to win against these guys on the road. They’re obviously playing well and made it hard on us. We didn’t have it tonight.”
Looking ahead, the Hawks will face the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, while the Pacers are set to host the Boston Celtics in back-to-back games.
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