Huge first half, balanced scoring carry Pacers past Spurs

Tyrese Haliburton scored 23 points, 20 of them in a dominating first half, and Myles Turner added a workmanlike 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers romped to a 152-111 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday in Indianapolis.

Indiana has won two of the first three games on its current homestand and ran the Spurs and rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama out of the building while forging a 25-point lead by halftime and a 39-point advantage late in the third quarter. Indiana finished with its highest scoring game of the season.

Obi Toppin and Buddy Hield added 19 points each for the Pacers, while Aaron Nesmith scored 15 and Bennedict Mathurin hit for 10.

Doug McDermott led San Antonio with 17 points off the bench. Keldon Johnson added 16, Zach Collins had 14, Wembanyama produced 13 points and 10 rebounds and Charles Bassey scored 10 points for the Spurs, who were playing the second game of a home-road back-to-back.

San Antonio dropped its second straight game and lost by 40 or more points for the second time in its first seven outings.

The Pacers never trailed, using a 13-3 run midway through the opening quarter to take a 35-23 lead. Turner logged 11 points and Haliburton scored 10 points in the period, which ended with a Hield 3-pointer and Indiana leading 44-28.

Indiana poured it on in the second quarter despite 12 points in the period by Johnson. The Pacers shot 58 percent over the first two quarters, hit 14 of their 22 3-point shots and were up 86-61 at the break.

Haliburton, fresh off registering a career-high-tying 43 points in a loss to Charlotte on Saturday, racked up 20 before halftime. Hield hit for 14 in the half.

Johnson paced San Antonio with 14 points in the first half.

For the game, the Pacers outshot the Spurs 57.9 percent to 42.6 percent and had a 20-8 edge in 3-point baskets and a 49-36 rebounding advantage. — Field Level Media/Reuters