Nesmith scores a career-high to lead Pacers past Bulls
Published
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Nesmith scored a career-high 27 points, Pascal Siakam added 20 and the Indiana Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 127-112 on Sunday night.
Nesmith, a fifth-year guard who returned in January after missing 30 games with an ankle injury, shot 6 of 11 from 3-point range. Three of those came in the third quarter, when he scored 13 points.
Tyrese Haliburton had his fifth consecutive double-double for Indiana with 17 points and 12 assists. The Pacers, who outscored the Bulls 32-20 in the final quarter, had all five starters score in double digits.
Coby White led the Bulls with 26 points, including 20 in the first half. Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis each had 18.
Takeaways
Bulls: Although Chicago has more road wins (13) than at home (11), the Bulls' away record dropped to 13-16. The Bulls can score in spurts, but don't defend well.
Pacers: Now 18-7 in 2025, Indiana improved its home record to 19-10. And Nesmith's resurgence provides more scoring punch from a player known for defense.
Key moment
Nesmith sank 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions to give the Pacers their largest lead at 90-79 in the third quarter.
Key stat
The Pacers' reserves outscored the Bulls 11-4 at the start of the fourth quarter to give them a 106-96 lead.
Up next
The Bulls host Cleveland on Tuesday, the same night the Pacers host Houston.
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