DETROIT — Myles Turner led the Indiana Pacers to a 111-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night by scoring 28 points. Pascal Siakam contributed a strong performance with 26 points, while Turner showcased his shooting skills by hitting 8 of 11 from behind the arc. The team collectively struggled from three-point range, finishing 5 for 19 overall. Tyrese Haliburton added 17 points and dished out eight assists as the Pacers secured their seventh win in eight games.
For the Pistons, Tim Hardaway Jr. led the scoring with 25 points, while Cade Cunningham recorded 20 points and nine assists, despite having an off night shooting, going 7 for 21 overall and hitting just 1 of 7 from three-point range. Detroit had been performing well lately, winning 10 of their last 12 games prior to this matchup.
The Pacers struggled early in the fourth quarter, missing 10 of their first 12 shots, which allowed the Pistons to narrow the gap to just six points at 96-90 with 5:38 remaining. However, the Pistons then faltered, failing to score on their next six possessions, and the Pacers were able to extend their lead back to 12 points. In the second half, Detroit struggled significantly with their three-point shooting, converting only 2 of 17 attempts.
In terms of player updates, Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith made his return after facing a left ankle sprain that kept him out for 2.5 months, while Haliburton played again after missing Indiana’s previous game due to a groin issue. Nesmith started as Bennedict Mathurin was sidelined due to a suspension for making contact with official Natalie Sago during a recent loss to Cleveland.
For the Pistons, small forward Ausar Thompson contributed seven rebounds in 22 minutes of play but struggled offensively, making only 3 of 9 shots, and his team was outscored by 22 points while he was on the court.
A key moment in the game occurred when the Pacers held an 84-64 lead with 6:53 left in the third quarter. However, the Pistons rallied to finish the quarter strong, putting together a 17-8 run to trail by just 11 heading into the final period.
Notably, the Pistons had a tough first half, committing 13 turnovers, which the Pacers capitalized on, generating 13 points from these mistakes, including eight points during a strong second quarter where they outscored Detroit 40-30.
Looking ahead, the Pacers will host the Philadelphia 76ers this upcoming Saturday, while the Pistons will remain home to take on the Phoenix Suns in a game that has been rescheduled to 4 p.m. EST to avoid conflicts with the Lions-Commanders matchup later that evening.
