Brooklyn earned its first win of the season, beating Indiana 98-90 after building a nine-point cushion through three quarters.
Brooklyn beat Indiana 98-90 to claim its first win after opening the season 0-5. The Nets led 43-40 at halftime, then outscored the Pacers 28-22 in the third to take a 71-62 lead into the fourth. Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks and 4 turnovers on 7-of-16 shooting, while Julius Randle added 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks and 4 turnovers on 5-of-15 shooting. Nolan Traoré contributed 16 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks and 1 turnover on 6-of-14 shooting; Day'Ron Sharpe had 15 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks and 2 turnovers on 5-of-7 shooting, and Moritz Wagner scored 14 on 4-of-6 shooting with 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 1 block and 2 turnovers. Andrew Nembhard paced Indiana with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 3 turnovers on 7-of-19 shooting, while Pascal Siakam posted 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks and 3 turnovers on 6-of-14 shooting. Quenton Jackson scored 12 on 4-of-8 shooting with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, no steals, blocks or turnovers; Kelly Oubre Jr. had 11 on 3-of-8 shooting with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and no steals, blocks or turnovers, and Aaron Nesmith added 11 on 3-of-8 shooting with 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks and 3 turnovers. Indiana outscored Brooklyn 28-27 in the final quarter, but the Nets' third-quarter surge had already created a margin the Pacers could not erase.
Key Performers
Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn): 23 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST; 7-16 FG Julius Randle (Brooklyn): 20 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST; 5-15 FG Andrew Nembhard (Indiana): 23 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST; 7-19 FG
Standings Impact
Brooklyn moves from 0-5 to 1-5, while Indiana falls from 2-4 to 2-5.
DYMA Insight
Brooklyn's 28-22 third quarter proved decisive: its three-point halftime lead grew to nine before Indiana's late push. The win came against an Indiana team ranked 22nd in the supplied power index, while Brooklyn entered 29th.