INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bennedict Mathurin scored 26 points, including the deciding free throws with 0.6 seconds remaining, and the Indiana Pacers rallied after All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury to beat the Boston Celtics 133-131 on Monday night.
Haliburton strained his left hamstring when he slipped and did the splits on a drive in the second quarter. He was carried to the locker room by two teammates. An MRI was scheduled for Tuesday.
“That was a very deflating moment,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “(But) this was an important game. Every game that we play has the ability to be a season-defining game.”
Mathurin was fouled by Kristaps Porzingis on a 3-pointer just before time expired. The call was reviewed and upheld. Mathurin sank the first two free throws and missed the third on purpose.
“I was excited,” Mathurin said. “It was a pretty good thing to be a part of.”
He finished 8 of 15 from the field, including five 3-pointers, as Indiana split a two-game home series against the top team in the Eastern Conference.
“Really amazing effort from our team,” Carlisle said. “A lot of emotions in this game, for a lot of reasons: you’re playing the best team in basketball and Tyrese’s injury situation.”
All-Star Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 40 points on 17-of-26 shooting for the Celtics, who were without leading scorer Jayson Tatum. The four-time All-Star sat out to manage a left ankle sprain. Tatum averages 27.5 points, and he had 38 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in Saturday’s 118-101 win over the Pacers.
“He stepped up and didn’t force anything,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Brown. “He let the game come to him. He scored in many different ways.”
Jrue Holiday scored 21 points and Porzingis had 19 for Boston.
“We all played a relatively decent offensive game,” Mazzulla said, “but we all have to be better on defense.”
The Pacers trailed by nine points at halftime but finished with seven double-figure scorers. Aaron Nesmith scored 17 points, Myles Turner 16 and Buddy Hield 15.
BULLS 119, HORNETS 112, OT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Coby White scored 27 points, Andre Drummond added 21 points and 15 rebounds and Chicago overcame a 39-point performance from Terry Rozier to beat Charlotte.
Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and nine rebounds in his second game back from an injury for the Bulls (17-21), who defeated the Hornets for the second time in four nights.
Rozier had seven 3-pointers and was 12-for-12 from the foul line for Charlotte (8-26), which has lost 13 of its last 14 games.
Miles Bridges added 24 points for the Hornets, who remain without three startes due to injuries.
THUNDER 136, WIZARDS 128
WASHINGTON (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points, Chet Holmgren added 31 and Oklahoma City led most of the way in a victory over Washington.
Jalen Williams added 21 points and 10 assists for the Thunder (24-11), who avoided a third loss following defeats at Atlanta and Brooklyn to begin a four-game road trip.
Holmgren spearheaded that effort, making 11 of 14 shots and going 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Jordan Poole scored 24 points, and Kyle Kuzma added 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Washington (6-30).
HEAT 120, ROCKETS 113
MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 28 points, Bam Adebayo finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Miami topped Houston.
Kevin Love scored 15 points for Miami (21-15), while Duncan Robinson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each had 14 for the Heat.
Josh Richardson finished with 12 for Miami. Adebayo had 10 of his points in the fourth quarter.
Fred VanVleet led all scorers with 32 points for the Rockets (18-17), who opened a six-game road trip.
Alperen Sengun scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Houston.
JAZZ 132, BUCKS 116
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen had 21 points apiece and Utah staved off a second-half rally for a victory Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists for the Bucks (25-12), who have lost four of five.
John Collins, Collin Sexton and Keyonte George each had 19 points for Utah (18-20), which has won five of its last six.
Milwaukee was without guard Damian Lillard, averaging 25.1 points per game, who was out for personal reasons. Khris Middleton added 23 points and Malik Beasley 17 for the Bucks.
The Bucks, who trailed 77-46 at the half, scored 44 points in the third quarter to pull within 100-90 entering the final period.