Toppin has 31 points, 10 rebounds as Pacers beat Wizards in OT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Obi Toppin had season highs of 31 points and 10 rebounds, and the Indiana Pacers rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat the NBA-worst Washington Wizards 134-130 in overtime on Wednesday night.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 28 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 20 for the Pacers, who enter the All-Star break at 30-23 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Jordan Poole scored 42 points for the Wizards and missed a step-back 3-point attempt at the regulation buzzer. Corey Kispert added 21 points for Washington, which has lost 11 straight at home and four in a row overall.

After three mostly listless quarters, the Pacers picked up the intensity in the final period, and the Wizards' momentum stalled after reserve guard Malcolm Brogdon suffered a left leg injury.

Indiana outscored Washington 36-23 in the fourth quarter, including 11 points from Mathurin. Toppin's 3 with 1:26 left in overtime put the Pacers ahead by nine, and they held on from there.

Takeaways

Pacers: Improved to 4-3 this month after going 10-2 in January. C Myles Turner missed a third straight game with a cervical strain.

Wizards: Rookie Alex Sarr, the No. 2 overall draft pick, returned from a left ankle sprain that sidelined him for eight games. He scored nine points on 3-of-13 shooting.

Key moment

Haliburton hit a step-back 3-pointer over Sarr with 2:13 left to put the Pacers ahead 118-115, their first lead since midway through the first quarter. Poole responded with a tying 3 for Washington with 59 seconds left.

Key stat

Led by Toppin and Mathurin, Indiana's bench outscored its starters 66-54 in regulation. Toppin kept the Pacers in the game with 17 points in the third quarter.

Up next

After the All-Star break, the Pacers host Memphis on Feb. 20 and the Wizards host Milwaukee on Feb. 21.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba