WASHINGTON (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton scored 29 points, one of nine Indiana players in double figures as the Pacers set a franchise record for points in a game in a 162-109 rout of the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.
The final score could have been even more lopsided, but Indiana began taking shot clock violations with well over a minute remaining, drawing boos from the crowd in Washington. Indiana’s previous record in an NBA game was 157 points, set most recently last season.
It was also the most points allowed in franchise history for Washington and the most points scored in an NBA game this season.
Myles Turner added 17 points for the Pacers, who rebounded after losing a night earlier to the Los Angeles Lakers on a buzzer-beating tip-in by LeBron James.
That loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Pacers, but this matchup with the cellar-dwelling Wizards gave Indiana a good chance to start a new streak. Indiana led 83-61 at the half. It was 125-88 after three, with Indiana shooting 22 of 34 from 3-point range at that point and 66% overall.
Rookie Alex Sarr led Washington with 22 points.
Takeaways
Pacers: Indiana is in a tight race for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Pacers (43-30) are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, but they’re being pushed by Detroit (41-32) and Milwaukee (40-32). Taking care of business against teams like Washington is a good way to hold onto the No. 4 seed.
Wizards: It was another nice offensive night for Sarr after he scored 24 points in a win at Philadelphia on Wednesday, but Washington put up very little resistance defensively on a night the Pacers’ shooting was devastating.
Key stat
Indiana had 48 assists on 59 made field goals.
Up next
Pacers: Both teams are back in action Saturday night. Indiana plays at NBA-leading Oklahoma City, and the Wizards host Brooklyn.