The Indiana Pacers outlasted the Boston Celtics in a 133-131 upset victory, despite a 40-point performance from Jaylen Brown in a game where Tyrese Haliburton was taken to the locker room by teammates with potentially serious hamstring injuries.
Haliburton made it to the hoop late in the second quarter of Tuesday’s contest (all time AEDT) before his leg gave out, landing awkwardly on the ground and doing the splits as he grimaced in pain.
Pacers teammates and officials gathered around Haliburton, who was visibly in trouble after play was stopped for several minutes.
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The 23-year-old was then picked up by his teammates and carried to the rooms with a towel around his head in sad scenes. Indiana quickly confirmed he would not return to the game with a left hamstring strain, as the franchise would sweat the test results.
Haliburton had a breakout season to become a top superstar – he averaged 24.2 points and an NBA-record 12.7 assists per game, carrying the now 20-15 Pacers to the tournament finals in season last month. He was on track to make a second consecutive NBA All-Star game and a first All-NBA appearance.
The Pacers rallied without their superstar guard in a game that went down to the wire.
TJ McConnell’s inside bucket tied the scores at 131-131 with less than a minute to play in tense moments at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
That set up a controversial finish, where Buddy Hield appeared to hit Jaylen Brown in the head while blocking the Celtics star’s jump shot with three seconds remaining in what was initially called a foul.
However, Indiana managed to challenge the call, meaning it was overturned because the referees ruled Hield’s block legal, saying he hit the ball first.
Not only was Boston denied free throws, but Indiana got the ball back in a decisive move.
Bennedict Mathurin then iced Indiana’s victory with a pair of free throws after being fouled on a Kristaps Porzingis shot with 0.1 seconds left, leading to a brutal finish for the Celtics.
Mathurin’s 26 points off the bench paced Haliburton-less Indiana among the seven Pacers in double figures as they improved to 21-15, having won seven of their last eight games.
Meanwhile, Boston, without Jayson Tatum due to an ankle injury, slipped to 28-8.
SOMEWHERE ELSE …
Ja Morant’s campaign is over, with the Grizzlies confirming he suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder in practice that required season-ending surgery in a crushing setback.
Morant, who missed the first 25 games of the season due to suspension, played in only nine games and helped turn around Memphis’ season.
The star guard averaged 25.1 points and 8.1 assists per game as the Grizzlies, once 6-19, have since gone on a 7-4 stretch with Morant back in the fold.
But Memphis’ attempt to continue its turnaround has been dealt a major blow as the 13-23 team will have to navigate the second half of the regular season without the two-time All-Star.
The announcement follows a day of injury carnage as the Pacers sweat over hamstring scans in Haliburton.
Elsewhere, Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 63 points and the OKC Thunder beat the Washington Wizards 136-128.
Holmgren had 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field with three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in just 24 minutes in another epic performance as he builds his case for Rookie of the Year against Victor Wembanyama.
Jalen Williams added 21 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists and Josh Giddey had nine points, six rebounds and nine assists as the 24-11 Thunder moved within a game of the No. 1 seed of the West, Minnesota.
Jordan Poole (24 points) and Kyle Kuzma (22 points, 15 rebounds) led the Wizards, who are now 6-30 overall.
ALL SHEET MUSIC
THUNDER 136 MAGICIANS 128
CELTICS 131 PACERS 133
BULLS 119 HORNETS 112 (OT)
ROCKETS 113 HEAT 120
JAZZ132 $116
SUN – CLIPPERS
