Game Rewind: Pacers 126, Pelicans 111

Friday's game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse was a tale of two halves.

In the first half, the Pacers looked like they were still on vacation, falling into a 20-point hole against the New Orleans Pelicans in their first game back from the NBA All-Star break.

But Wesley Matthews provided a much-needed spark in just his third game in a Pacers uniform. Matthews knocked down a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, then hit four more in the third quarter to spark the largest comeback of the season, as Indiana (39-20) rallied for a 126-111 win.

Matthews scored 15 points in the third quarter alone and finished the night with 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 6-of-11 from 3-point range to lead the charge.

After the win, he credited a "fiery" halftime speech from head coach Nate McMillan for Indiana's dramatic turnaround.

"We looked like we were running in mud," McMillan said of the first half. "Slow start, it didn't look like we had that urgency. I thought the third quarter, we challenged our guys to come with that urgency and play the game the way they're capable of playing it."

But he was far from the only Pacers player to excel in the second half. Bojan Bogdanovic, Tyreke Evans, and Domantas Sabonis each scored 11 points after halftime in a stunning reversal of fortunes.

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The Pacers appeared to have a little rust from the eight-day break between games early on Friday night, as New Orleans (26-34) jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Indiana responded with an 8-3 spurt to trim the deficit to three, but the Pelicans answered that with a 12-1 run, which featured six points from All-NBA big man Anthony Davis.

The visitors led by as many as 15 points in the opening frame and took a 35-24 advantage into the second quarter.

New Orleans opened the second with an 8-2 run thanks to a pair of Julius Randle 3-pointers. The visitors maintained a double-digit lead for the entire period, extending the margin to as many as 20 points.

Darren Collison scored six straight points for Indiana late in the half and Matthews then added a buzzer-beating three from the right corner as the Blue & Gold closed the half with a 9-3 run to make it a 71-58 deficit heading into the break.

"I thought that was the turning point for us," Collison said. "We needed some confidence as a team coming into the second half. Just to have a little bit of momentum and a run and shots falling was good for us."

Matthews carried that momentum over to the second half, draining four more 3-pointers over the first 5:09 of the third quarter. His last trey in that flurry capped a 19-7 Pacers surge to open the frame that trimmed the deficit to one.

After a free throw by Davis, the Pacers again looked for the red-hot Matthews. This time, Jrue Holiday overextended defensively and knocked Matthews to the floor. The 10-year veteran calmly knocked down all three free throws to give Indiana its first lead of the night.

"It was a good feeling to see shots fall and really just us play the way that we should have started the game out," Matthews said.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Pelicans scored on their next possession and wound up reeling off seven unanswered points while Matthews had to briefly exit the game after sustaining a bloody nose.

Indiana rallied again, moving back in front on Evans' jumper with 55.4 seconds remaining in the quarter. E'Twaun Moore answered with a bucket of his own on the other end before Evans unleashed a vicious crossover and drilled a three to give the hosts a 97-94 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Pacers opened the game up shortly thereafter, opening the final frame with eight straight points, including an old-fashioned three-point play by Evans and then a triple from Bogdanovic that pushed the lead to double digits.

Indiana kept the visitors at arm's length the rest of the way.

Bogdanovic finished with 20 points, going 7-for-14 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while pulling down five rebounds. Sabonis added 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 13 rebounds, and four assists off the bench, while fellow reserve Evans finished with 17 points and went 6-for-9 from the field.

Thaddeus Young chipped in 16 points and seven boards in the victory, while Collison added 10 points and 12 assists.

The Pacers were without starting center Myles Turner on Friday night. The NBA's leading shotblocker sustained a bruised left thigh in Wednesday's practice and was unable to go against the Pelicans. Third-string center Kyle O'Quinn started in his place, as head coach Nate McMillan opted to keep Sabonis in his normal rotation with the second unit.

Cheick Diallo led the Pelicans with 16 points and 18 rebounds off the bench in the loss. Davis added 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in just 19 minutes of action, while Randle and Elfrid Payton each also tallied 15 points.

The Pacers won't have much time to rest on their laurels, as they tip off a three-game road trip on Saturday night in Washington.

Photo Credit: Jessica Hoffman

Sabonis recorded his team-leading 23rd double-double of the season in the win, while Collison accomplished the feat for the fifth time.

O'Quinn logged just over 20 minutes in his first start in a Pacers uniform and finished with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

After going 6-for-20 from 3-point range in the first half, Indiana knocked down 8-of-12 triples over the final two quarters. The Pelicans, meanwhile, went 8-for-16 from beyond the arc before halftime, but 0-for-11 the rest of the game.

The Pacers scored 25 points off 18 New Orleans turnovers, while the Pelicans managed just seven points on 11 Indiana giveaways.

The Pelicans outscored the Pacers 58-44 in the paint and 25-14 on the fastbreak on Friday.

Diallo's 18 rebounds set a new career high, two more than his previous best, set at Portland on April 12, 2017.

Indiana outscored the Pelicans 68-40 in the second half with Matthews, Bogdanovic, Evans, and Sabonis combining for 48 of the Pacers' points after halftime.

Indiana begins a three-game road trip by squaring off against Bradley Beal and the Wizards in Washington on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 PM ET.

After a three-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »

Jack's Donuts: Visit your local Jack's Donuts the day after a Pacers victory and mention the Pacers win to receive a free twelve ounce coffee with any purchase. Visit JacksDonuts.com to find the Jack's Donuts nearest you.