LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The Indiana Pacers, fueled by a triple-double from recent arrival Pascal Siakam, snapped the Philadelphia 76ers’ six-game National Basketball Association winning streak on Thursday as Boston crushed Miami in an Eastern Conference finals rematch.
Meanwhile, another sparkling effort from OG Anunoby helped the New York Knicks thump the defending champion Denver Nuggets, 122-84, and Western Conference contenders Minnesota held on for a 96-94 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn.
The Pacers were in charge throughout on the way to a 134-122 victory in Indianapolis, where Siakam scored 26 points with 13 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the charge against the sluggish 76ers.
“We just didn’t have any kind of defensive success,” admitted Sixers coach Nick Nurse.
Philadelphia’s reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid scored 31 points, but Nurse pulled Embiid and the rest of his starters for the fourth quarter as the Pacers romped despite the continued absence of injured Tyrese Haliburton.
Siakam’s first win since he was traded from Toronto last week came against his former Raptors coach Nurse.
