Carlisle earns 1,000th win as Pacers beat Hornets

The Indiana Pacers snapped a 13-game losing streak and delivered head coach Rick Carlisle his 1,000th career victory with a 114–112 win over the host Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.

Pascal Siakam scored 18 of his 30 points in the first half and converted the go-ahead basket on a driving layup with 11.5 seconds remaining to seal the Pacers’ victory.

Siakam finished 12 of 23 from the field, knocked down three 3-pointers and pulled down 14 rebounds in a dominant all-around performance.

T.J. McConnell provided a spark off the bench with 23 points, while Aaron Nesmith added 16 points and Jay Huffchipped in 10.

Collin Sexton missed a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer, as Charlotte lost in the final seconds for the second straight night.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 33 points, including seven 3-pointers, while coming off the bench for the first time since Jan. 30, 2020, his rookie season.

Miles Bridges scored 19 points, Kon Knueppel added 18 and Sexton finished with 11 for Charlotte.

The Hornets trailed 109–108 with under two minutes remaining before Knueppel made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt.

Moussa Diabate added a free throw to extend Charlotte’s lead before McConnell hit a jumper with 51.1 seconds left, setting up Siakam’s decisive basket moments later.

Charlotte committed a turnover on the ensuing possession, but Indiana’s Ben Sheppard split a pair of free throws with eight seconds remaining.

Ball was listed on the pregame injury report due to ankle soreness, prompting Sexton to start in his place, though Ball scored 20 points in his first nine minutes and had 22 by halftime.

Ball was the lone Hornet in double figures until the final 1:30 of the third quarter, as Indiana built an early 18–6 lead and shot 53% in the first half.

The Pacers led 60–58 at halftime despite committing 13 turnovers in the opening two quarters.

Timberwolves outlast Cavaliers in high-scoring win

The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away in the third quarter to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 131–122 on Thursday night in Minneapolis.

Julius Randle tallied 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Jaden McDaniels scored 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting as Minnesota won its fourth straight game.

Anthony Edwards added 25 points, and Rudy Gobert posted 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 30 points and eight assists, while Sam Merrill scored 22 off the bench and Jarrett Allen recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Minnesota shot 57.3% from the field and 52.6% from 3-point range, while Cleveland finished at 52.7% overall but just 33.3% from beyond the arc.

After trailing 67–63 at halftime, Minnesota outscored Cleveland 43–22 in the third quarter, opening the period with a 9–0 run to take control.

Randle scored the Timberwolves’ first seven points of the second half, as Minnesota converted 16 of 23 shots in the third quarter.

Before tipoff, the Timberwolves observed a moment of silence for Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by a federal agent less than four miles from the Target Center a day earlier.

Minnesota coach Chris Finch described the incident as an “unspeakable tragedy.”

Jazz rally past Mavericks to snap skid

The Utah Jazz closed on a 16–7 run to edge the Dallas Mavericks 116–114 on Thursday night in Salt Lake City.

Lauri Markkanen scored 33 points on 14-of-26 shooting and added seven rebounds and four assists to lead Utah, which snapped a five-game losing streak.

Keyonte George had 19 points and seven assists, while Brice Sensabaugh scored 14 and Kevin Love recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Cooper Flagg paced Dallas with 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Klay Thompson added 23 and Anthony Davis posted 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Dallas led 107–100 with 4:39 left before Utah responded with a decisive run to move ahead 116–111 with 29 seconds remaining.

The Jazz committed fewer mistakes down the stretch, as Dallas finished with 20 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in its last seven games.

Utah played without Jusuf Nurkic due to a toe injury and Ace Bailey because of a hip issue, while Dallas lost Brandon Williams to illness in the second quarter and P.J. Washington missed his second straight game with an ankle sprain.