With Bennedict Mathurin’s game-high 22 points leading the way, the Indiana Pacers scored 71 bench points and dominated the middle quarters en route to a 123-102 defeat of the Orlando Magic on Monday in Indianapolis.
The Pacers’ reserves helped Indiana take control with a 27-17 second quarter, then a 32-22 third quarter. Indiana wound up with its fifth consecutive win and seventh in the past eight games.
Indiana’s bench trio of Mathurin, Oshae Brissett and T.J. McConnell shot a combined 6-of-9 from the floor in the second period. Their contributions to the pivotal quarter also included a sequence in which Mathurin tipped in his own missed shot attempt, McConnell rebounded a Chuma Okeke missed 3-point attempt on the other end, then McConnell dished an assist to Brissett for an eventual three-point play.
That 31-second stretch turned a 35-32 Magic lead into a 37-35 Pacers advantage, and Indiana led for the remainder of the game.
The Pacers’ lead grew to as many as 25 points, and never dipped to fewer than 16 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana thwarted every Orlando rally attempt.
Brissett finished with 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor, including 4-of-7 success from 3-point range. McConnell made 7 of 8 field-goal attempts and was one of two Pacers to record a double-double, posting season-highs of 19 points and 10 assists, while Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points and dished 14 assists.
Isaiah Jackson made it four Pacers off the bench to score in double figures, adding 10 points on perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the floor. He also matched Aaron Nesmith with a team high of eight rebounds.
Franz Wagner led the Magic in scoring with 20 points and grabbed six rebounds. Mo Bamba finished with 15 points, and Bol Bol had nine points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Gary Harris scored 18 points off the bench, pacing Orlando to 46 total points from the reserves. Admiral Schofield added 10 points in the loss, Orlando’s second in as many games at Indiana in the past three days and fourth over the past five outings overall.
–Field Level Media
