National Basketball Association
Indiana 131, L.A. Clippers 130
When: 3:00 PM ET, Saturday, December 31, 2022
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Officials: #30 John Goble, #62 JB DeRosa, #7 Lauren Holtkamp
Attendance: 16731

Myles Turner scored 34 points, Tyrese Haliburton added 24 points and distributed 10 assists, and the Indiana Pacers weathered a season-best 45-point performance from Paul George to down the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 131-130 on Saturday in Indianapolis.

Kawhi Leonard complemented George's season-high in scoring, adding 24 points with seven assists.

Indiana took a critical 126-125 lead inside the final minute when Haliburton converted a successful and-one. The Pacers led the remaining 57.4 seconds to preserve the win, their third straight and fifth in the last six games, thanks to 6-of-7 combined free-throwing shooting from Turner and Haliburton.

Turner finished the game 10-of-10 at the charity stripe, and the Pacers needed every one of the attempts.

The duo's foul shooting down the stretch countered former Indiana star George's five-point outburst in the final 20.8 seconds, which included a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining, but the Clippers would not get another possession.

Marcus Morris added 15 points and Reggie Jackson had 13 for Los Angeles.

Indiana had Buddy Hield adding 18 points and Aaron Nesmith going for 16 points to support Turner and Haliburton. Bennedict Mathurin contributed 15 points off the bench, leading Indiana to a slight advantage in bench points of 33-27.

TJ McConnell added nine points and dished three assists among the Indiana reserves. Jalen Smith chipped in another nine points and grabbed four rebounds.

The Pacers successfully attacked the lane, outscoring the Clippers 58-40 in the paint.

Indiana went into the lane particularly aggressively in the fourth quarter. The team shot 9 of 11 from the interior in the final period.

Defensively, the Pacers offset a torrid shooting performance from the Clippers in all three phases -- 53.8 percent from the floor, 16 of 34 beyond the 3-point arc and 28 of 29 at the free-throw line -- by forcing 15 Los Angeles turnovers.

Four were the result of Haliburton steals. Indiana shot 52.3 percent from the field and made 14 of 38 treys.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
L.A. Clippers   Indiana
Paul George 45 Scoring Myles Turner 34
Kawhi Leonard 7 Assists Tyrese Haliburton 10
Paul George 9 Rebounds Buddy Hield 8
Paul George 8 Free Throws Made Myles Turner 10
Paul George 3 Steals Tyrese Haliburton 4
Marcus Morris Sr. 3 Blocks Tyrese Haliburton 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
L.A. Clippers 130 53.8 16-34 28-29 23 39 6 7 16
Indiana 131 52.3 14-38 25-29 28 36 4 10 12
Upcoming Games
  • Indiana will play their next game at home against Toronto. The Pacers have a W/L % of .474 after a win and .611 after a loss.
  • L.A. Clippers will play their next game at home against Miami. The Clippers have a W/L % of .524 after a win and .588 after a loss.