Pacers break losing streak and game between Bulls and Heat is suspended due to court conditions

LOS ANGELES. – The Indiana Pacers ended a streak of 13 consecutive losses this Thursday by defeating the Charlotte Hornets, 114-112, on an NBA day also marked by the suspension of the game between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat due to the poor condition of the court.

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The triumph held special value for Indiana, as it allowed coach Rick Carlisle to reach the mark of 1,000 victories in the NBA, becoming the eleventh coach to achieve it in the history of the league. The Pacers, current NBA runners-up, hadn’t won since last December 8 and were going through the worst streak in their history. The drought ended in Charlotte thanks to a solid performance by Pascal Siakam, who contributed 30 points and 14 rebounds, and substitute point guard T.J. McConnell, who added 23 points and 8 assists. For the Hornets, LaMelo Ball led with 33 points and 8 assists, despite having started the game from the bench for the first time in six years. Charlotte had chances to seal the victory in the last minute, but a key turnover allowed Indiana to take control of the closing and secure the win. Despite the victory, the Pacers remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with a record of 7-31, in a season in which they have had to play without their main figure, Tyrese Haliburton, who remains injured.

Anthony Edwards achieves historic figure

In another of the night’s featured matchups, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 131-122, with an outstanding performance by Anthony Edwards, who reached the figure of 10,000 points in his career at 24 years and 156 days, becoming the third youngest player to achieve it, only behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Edwards finished the game with 25 points and 9 assists, while Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 30 points. With the victory, Minnesota placed in the fourth place of the Western Conference.

Match suspended in Chicago

The day was limited to four games and one of them, the one that the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat would play, was postponed because the court of the United Center presented excessive humidity, which made it impossible to play safely. After almost two hours of attempts to condition the court, the NBA decided to postpone the match to a date not yet announced. Both players and coaches expressed their concern about the condition of the floor.