112 — 123
Indiana erased Minnesota's quick start
Minnesota opened as the sharper shooting side. Anthony Edwards hit an early step-back three, LaMelo Ball added two long jumpers, and Rudy Gobert scored on a tip shot as the Timberwolves built a 13-4 lead just under five minutes into the first quarter. When Joan Beringer dunked home Edwards' assist for a 17-8 edge, Minnesota looked settled into the game.
Indiana answered by changing the pace of the scoreboard rather than the style of the box score. Obi Toppin scored twice at the rim, Kelly Oubre Jr. hit a three, Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard worked in mid-range, and Aaron Nesmith finished the quarter with another three to push the Pacers in front. Indiana closed the opening period on a 28-14 run and took a 32-27 lead despite Minnesota's bright start.
The second quarter swung back again. Jaden McDaniels drilled another pair of threes, Bones Hyland connected from deep, and Edwards kept adding points at the line and beyond the arc. Minnesota scored 38 points in the period and reclaimed a 65-61 halftime lead. Nesmith kept Indiana close with an efficient first half that eventually became a 19-point night, but the Wolves had enough perimeter shooting to carry the edge into the break.
Walker and Huff changed the game in the third
The decisive turn came after halftime, and it came in layers. Indiana did not blow the game open with one play. Instead, the Pacers kept answering until the lead finally stuck. Minnesota moved ahead 71-68 on a McDaniels three at 10:10 of the third, but Quenton Jackson tied it from deep, Jarace Walker put Indiana back in front with his own three, and Jay Huff started finishing the possessions Walker helped create.
That sequence became the middle of the game. From the moment Minnesota led 71-68, Indiana ripped off an 18-7 stretch to move in front 86-78 with 5:16 left in the quarter. Huff scored repeatedly inside and from outside during that run, while Walker kept feeding the next action. By the end of the night Walker had 10 assists, and that number felt earned by the way Indiana's offence kept finding the next open scorer instead of stopping at the first option.
Minnesota still had enough shooting to keep the margin honest. Trey Lyles and Ayo Dosunmu hit threes, and Hyland added another late in the third, but Indiana answered almost every push. Ben Sheppard, Rienk Mast and Kobe Brown all scored in the quarter, and Huff capped it with a tip shot for a 99-91 Pacers lead heading into the fourth. When the Timberwolves made one last charge and pulled within 99-98 on Zyon Pullin's basket at 10:50, Indiana immediately restored order. Sheppard scored seven straight Pacers points, first at the rim, then at the line, then from long range, turning a one-point game back into an eight-point cushion.
Our take: Indiana's ball movement won it, but both teams left a warning in the numbers
Indiana's most convincing stat was not the final margin. It was 39 assists on 48 made field goals. That kind of distribution usually means the scoring pressure is hard to track, and Minnesota saw that all night. Nesmith scored 19 on just nine shots. Huff added 16 points and four assists. Walker finished with seven points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton had only seven points, but he still handed out six assists. The Pacers did not need one dominant scorer because the offence moved the game to the next player.
The Pacers also paired that passing with elite efficiency. They shot 53.9 per cent from the floor, 17-for-32 from three and 10-for-11 at the foul line, while adding 50 points in the paint. That is a difficult mix to defend because it punishes mistakes in more than one area. Indiana's shot-making from deep mattered, but so did the steady supply of finishes around the basket that prevented Minnesota from living with a three-point trade.
There is still one obvious caution for Indiana and one equally obvious fix for Minnesota. The Pacers turned it over 20 times, which handed the Timberwolves 22 points off miscues and helped keep the game alive far longer than Indiana's shooting suggested it should be. Minnesota, meanwhile, shot well enough to win in many settings: 19-for-41 from three, 19-for-23 at the line, and 12 made threes from Edwards, McDaniels and Ball alone. But the Timberwolves also committed 20 turnovers of their own, gave up 28 points off those mistakes, and allowed Indiana to reach 39 assists and 50 paint points. Cleaner possessions would be the first place to look after a night when their offence was good, but not quite sturdy enough to survive everything else.
Scoring moments
- 1st Quarter · 11:37
Anthony Edwards makes 23-foot three point step back jumpshot
- 1st Quarter · 11:00
Tyrese Haliburton makes 15-foot running pullup jump shot (Pascal Siakam assists)
- 1st Quarter · 10:07
Aaron Nesmith makes 14-foot pullup jump shot (Tyrese Haliburton assists)
- 1st Quarter · 9:12
Anthony Edwards makes driving layup
- 1st Quarter · 8:18
LaMelo Ball makes 26-foot running jump shot (Rudy Gobert assists)
- 1st Quarter · 7:42
Rudy Gobert makes tip shot
- 1st Quarter · 7:14
Anthony Edwards makes 27-foot running pullup jump shot
- 1st Quarter · 6:53
Pascal Siakam makes 10-foot two point shot
- 1st Quarter · 6:21
Ivica Zubac makes running dunk (Jarace Walker assists)
- 1st Quarter · 6:08
LaMelo Ball makes 3-foot two point shot
- 1st Quarter · 5:40
Joan Beringer makes 2-foot dunk (Anthony Edwards assists)
- 1st Quarter · 5:21
Ivica Zubac makes layup (Jarace Walker assists)
- 1st Quarter · 4:56
Obi Toppin makes 1-foot layup (Tyrese Haliburton assists)
- 1st Quarter · 4:40
Jaden McDaniels makes 26-foot three point jumper (Terrence Shannon Jr. assists)
- 1st Quarter · 4:27
Obi Toppin makes 3-foot layup (Jarace Walker assists)
- 1st Quarter · 4:27
Obi Toppin makes free throw 1 of 1
- 1st Quarter · 3:45
Pascal Siakam makes 12-foot two point shot (Andrew Nembhard assists)
- 1st Quarter · 3:06
Andrew Nembhard makes 5-foot two point shot (Pascal Siakam assists)
- 1st Quarter · 2:27
Kelly Oubre Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jarace Walker assists)
- 1st Quarter · 2:01
Pascal Siakam makes 11-foot turnaround jump shot (Kelly Oubre Jr. assists)
- 1st Quarter · 1:17
Aaron Nesmith makes 24-foot three point jumper (Obi Toppin assists)
- 1st Quarter · 1:04
Ayo Dosunmu makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 53.3
Obi Toppin makes 27-foot three point jumper (Andrew Nembhard assists)
- 1st Quarter · 28.7
LaMelo Ball makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jonathan Kuminga assists)
- 1st Quarter · 9.0
Kelly Oubre Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 9.0
Kelly Oubre Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2
- 1st Quarter · 1.5
LaMelo Ball makes 26-foot three point jumper (Ayo Dosunmu assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 11:41
Jonathan Kuminga makes 2-foot running dunk
- 2nd Quarter · 11:31
Aaron Nesmith makes 12-foot pullup jump shot (Ivica Zubac assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 11:12
Rudy Gobert makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 11:12
Rudy Gobert makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 10:33
Aaron Nesmith makes 25-foot three pointer (Tyrese Haliburton assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 9:55
Ayo Dosunmu makes two point shot
- 2nd Quarter · 9:32
Terrence Shannon Jr. makes running layup (LaMelo Ball assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 8:50
Pascal Siakam makes 4-foot two point shot (Tyrese Haliburton assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 8:33
Jaden McDaniels makes 8-foot two point shot (LaMelo Ball assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 8:15
Pascal Siakam makes 13-foot step back jumpshot (Ivica Zubac assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 7:56
Terrence Shannon Jr. makes 23-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 7:29
Ayo Dosunmu makes 13-foot driving floating jump shot (Terrence Shannon Jr. assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 6:29
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 6:00
Jaden McDaniels makes 28-foot three pointer (Bones Hyland assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 5:40
Ivica Zubac makes 1-foot reverse dunk (Jarace Walker assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 4:14
Bones Hyland makes 25-foot three pointer
- 2nd Quarter · 3:59
Obi Toppin makes 1-foot dunk (Jarace Walker assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 3:19
Andrew Nembhard makes driving layup (Kelly Oubre Jr. assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 3:03
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 3:03
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 2:36
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 1 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 2:36
Anthony Edwards makes free throw 2 of 2
- 2nd Quarter · 2:18
Aaron Nesmith makes driving layup
- 2nd Quarter · 2:18
Aaron Nesmith makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Quarter · 2:05
Aaron Nesmith makes 22-foot running pullup jump shot (Tyrese Haliburton assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:46
Anthony Edwards makes 26-foot three pointer (LaMelo Ball assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 1:09
Tyrese Haliburton makes 26-foot three pointer
- 2nd Quarter · 54.8
Rudy Gobert makes 2-foot layup (LaMelo Ball assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 54.8
Rudy Gobert makes free throw 1 of 1
- 2nd Quarter · 41.0
Aaron Nesmith makes 24-foot three point jumper (Tyrese Haliburton assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 32.8
Anthony Edwards makes 29-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 18.6
Tyrese Haliburton makes 5-foot two point shot (Pascal Siakam assists)
- 2nd Quarter · 2.0
Jaden McDaniels makes 23-foot three point jumper (LaMelo Ball assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 11:52
Quenton Jackson makes 2-foot driving dunk
- 3rd Quarter · 11:14
Ben Sheppard makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jarace Walker assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 10:59
LaMelo Ball makes 25-foot three pointer (Jonathan Kuminga assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 10:25
Jay Huff makes 2-foot layup (Quenton Jackson assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 10:10
Jaden McDaniels makes 26-foot three point jumper (Rudy Gobert assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 9:07
Quenton Jackson makes 27-foot three point jumper (Jay Huff assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 8:50
Jaden McDaniels makes 14-foot driving floating jump shot (Jonathan Kuminga assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 8:36
Jarace Walker makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jay Huff assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 7:29
Jay Huff makes 6-foot two point shot (Jarace Walker assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 6:58
Jay Huff makes 25-foot running jump shot (Jalen Slawson assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 6:42
Trey Lyles makes 23-foot three point jumper (Ayo Dosunmu assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 6:19
Jay Huff makes 3-foot dunk (Jarace Walker assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 6:03
Terrence Shannon Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 6:03
Terrence Shannon Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 5:44
Jalen Slawson makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 5:44
Jalen Slawson makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 5:16
Jay Huff makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jarace Walker assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 5:00
Trey Lyles makes 24-foot three point jumper (Ayo Dosunmu assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 4:40
Terrence Shannon Jr. makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 4:40
Terrence Shannon Jr. makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 4:25
Rienk Mast makes 25-foot three point jumper (Braden Smith assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 3:55
Ayo Dosunmu makes 26-foot three point step back jumpshot
- 3rd Quarter · 3:47
Ben Sheppard makes 24-foot three point jumper (Braden Smith assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 3:33
Ayo Dosunmu makes free throw 1 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 3:33
Ayo Dosunmu makes free throw 2 of 2
- 3rd Quarter · 3:12
Kobe Brown makes two point shot
- 3rd Quarter · 1:46
Bones Hyland makes 27-foot three point jumper (Cody Williams assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 1:27
Kobe Brown makes 27-foot three point jumper (Braden Smith assists)
- 3rd Quarter · 46.4
Jay Huff makes tip shot
- 4th Quarter · 11:42
Bones Hyland makes 27-foot three point jumper (Trey Lyles assists)
- 4th Quarter · 11:13
Trey Lyles makes 11-foot fade away jump shot
- 4th Quarter · 10:50
Zyon Pullin makes two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 10:25
Ben Sheppard makes 2-foot layup (Jay Huff assists)
- 4th Quarter · 9:12
Ben Sheppard makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 9:12
Ben Sheppard makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 8:49
Ben Sheppard makes 23-foot running jump shot (Kobe Brown assists)
- 4th Quarter · 8:07
Cody Williams makes running dunk (Trey Lyles assists)
- 4th Quarter · 8:04
Bones Hyland makes technical free throw
- 4th Quarter · 7:47
Jarace Walker makes driving layup (Braden Smith assists)
- 4th Quarter · 6:26
Zyon Pullin makes 2-foot two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 5:38
Cody Williams makes 1-foot running dunk
- 4th Quarter · 5:18
Braden Smith makes 26-foot three point jumper (Jay Huff assists)
- 4th Quarter · 4:31
Jay Huff makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 4:31
Jay Huff makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 3:54
Zyon Pullin makes running layup
- 4th Quarter · 3:45
Jalen Slawson makes layup (Braden Smith assists)
- 4th Quarter · 3:17
Jarace Walker makes 1-foot two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 2:54
Isaiah Evans makes 15-foot jumper
- 4th Quarter · 2:22
Rienk Mast makes two point shot
- 4th Quarter · 2:15
Zyon Pullin makes free throw 2 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 1:57
Keba Keita makes layup (Rienk Mast assists)
- 4th Quarter · 1:29
Keba Keita makes tip shot
- 4th Quarter · 1:23
Cody Williams makes free throw 1 of 2
- 4th Quarter · 1:23
Cody Williams makes free throw 2 of 2
Minnesota Timberwolves — Players
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | OREB | DREB | PF | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaden McDaniels | 21 | 16 | 6-10 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +6 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | 19 | 2 | 1-9 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -7 |
| Rudy Gobert | 19 | 7 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 3-3 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | +7 |
| LaMelo Ball | 20 | 14 | 5-9 | 4-6 | 0-0 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | +7 |
| Anthony Edwards | 20 | 19 | 5-10 | 4-5 | 5-6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 |
| Trey Lyles | 12 | 8 | 3-4 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -4 |
| Enrique Freeman | 8 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -6 |
| Norchad Omier | 6 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -6 |
| Cody Williams | 18 | 6 | 2-7 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -4 |
| Isaiah Evans | 7 | 2 | 1-5 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 |
| Joan Beringer | 19 | 2 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | -8 |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 17 | 10 | 3-7 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -11 |
| Jaylen Clark | 11 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -16 |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | 17 | 9 | 2-4 | 1-1 | 4-5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -7 |
| Bones Hyland | 11 | 10 | 3-7 | 3-6 | 1-1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 |
| Zyon Pullin | 14 | 7 | 3-5 | 0-1 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -5 |
Indiana Pacers — Players
| Player | MIN | PTS | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | TO | STL | BLK | OREB | DREB | PF | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal Siakam | 19 | 10 | 5-8 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -4 |
| Ivica Zubac | 18 | 6 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -13 |
| Andrew Nembhard | 16 | 4 | 2-5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | +1 |
| Aaron Nesmith | 16 | 19 | 7-9 | 4-6 | 1-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -13 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | 16 | 7 | 3-8 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -12 |
| Obi Toppin | 11 | 10 | 4-5 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +9 |
| Jalen Slawson | 18 | 4 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | +16 |
| Jarace Walker | 28 | 7 | 3-6 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +18 |
| Jay Huff | 17 | 16 | 6-11 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +9 |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 10 | 5 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2-2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +10 |
| Kobe Brown | 17 | 5 | 2-5 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | +5 |
| Ben Sheppard | 22 | 13 | 4-8 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | +6 |
| Quenton Jackson | 10 | 5 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +4 |
| Braden Smith | 14 | 3 | 1-4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +11 |
| Rienk Mast | 5 | 5 | 2-4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +6 |
| Keba Keita | 2 | 4 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +2 |
Minnesota Timberwolves — Team statistics
| FG | 37-85 |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 44 |
| 3PT | 19-41 |
| Three Point % | 46 |
| FT | 19-23 |
| Free Throw % | 83 |
| Rebounds | 40 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 14 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 26 |
| Assists | 22 |
| Steals | 10 |
| Blocks | 6 |
| Turnovers | 19 |
| Team Turnovers | 1 |
| Total Turnovers | 20 |
| Technical Fouls | 1 |
| Total Technical Fouls | 1 |
| Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 28 |
| Fast Break Points | 18 |
| Points in Paint | 28 |
| Fouls | 14 |
| Largest Lead | 9 |
| Lead Changes | 7 |
| Percent Led | 37 |
Indiana Pacers — Team statistics
| FG | 48-89 |
|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 54 |
| 3PT | 17-32 |
| Three Point % | 53 |
| FT | 10-11 |
| Free Throw % | 91 |
| Rebounds | 42 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 12 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 30 |
| Assists | 39 |
| Steals | 12 |
| Blocks | 8 |
| Turnovers | 20 |
| Team Turnovers | 0 |
| Total Turnovers | 20 |
| Technical Fouls | 1 |
| Total Technical Fouls | 1 |
| Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 22 |
| Fast Break Points | 15 |
| Points in Paint | 50 |
| Fouls | 20 |
| Largest Lead | 13 |
| Lead Changes | 7 |
| Percent Led | 60 |