By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Indiana Pacers outdueled the Detroit Pistons in a high-octane affair, 131-123, and dealt them their 20th-straight loss of the ongoing NBA season last December 12, 2023.
With another disappointing loss, the Pistons already set a new franchise record for the longest single-season losing stretch while also equalizing the Houston Rockets’ 2020-2021 NBA campaign.
Benedict Mathurin did damage on the Pistons and recorded his season-high in points so far after dropping 30 markers, eight assists, seven rebounds, and two steals off the bench.
Mathurin immediately let his presence felt after checking in as a substitute late in the opening quarter and ended the first half with 18 big points.
Detroit tasted a slight three-point advantage heading into the second quarter but a massive counter offensive run from the Pacers helped them retake control of the ball game.
After a momentum-clinching second-quarter performance, Indiana never looked back and won the second-half battle, 65-62.
Fresh off a first runner-up finish in the NBA In-Season Tournament, the Pacers were still in their groove and got another double-double from superstar point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
In just 32 minutes of playing time, the savvy floor general tallied 14 points, 16 assists, four rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
It was also a balanced scoring effort from the explosive Indiana squad as Buddy Hield dropped 16, Aaron Nesmith delivered 13, while Bruce Brown and Isaiah Jackson chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Despite the return of veteran small forward Bojan Bogdanovic, the Pistons still struggled to maintain their defensive tenacity and are allowing opposing teams to score an average of 110 points on them.
Cade Cunningham had another impressive game for the Pistons but his 23-point performance built from an efficient 11/21 shooting from the field is not enough to get his team out of the slump.
The Pacers will look to bag another win against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 14, 2023, while the Pistons host the Philadelphia 76ers on the same scheduled date.
