By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Pacers proved in the East that they are not afraid of anyone, while the Pelicans in the West got their third win over Sacramento in the past two weeks as both teams made it to the quarterfinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament.
Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 127-117. Herb Jones added 23 points and Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas had 18 and 11 rebounds.
De’Aaron Fox scored 30 points and fellow Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis added 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists for the Kings, which were perfect until this game in the in-season tournament. Bulgarian Sasha Vezenkov had two rebounds in six minutes of action.
Indiana got the 122-112 victory, which ousted league-leading Boston from the tourney.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 16 of his 26 points in the second half and finished with 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his first even triple-double.
Myles Turner added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and seven Pacers reached double figures as Indiana remained unbeaten in the tourney.
Jayson Tatum had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown finished with 30 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics.
But it wasn’t enough to extend a three-game winning streak, with Latvian Kristaps Porzingis missing his fourth straight game because of a strained left calf.