Pascal Siakam hit a 14-foot jumper at the buzzer and finished with 24 points and nine rebounds as the Indiana Pacers beat the Chicago Bulls 103-101 on Saturday in Indianapolis.
Chicago’s Tre Jones scored on a driving layup with 7.5 seconds left to tie the game. Indiana called a timeout to set up a play for Siakam, who shot over two defenders to help the Pacers win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Bennedict Mathurin had 19 points for Indiana, which won for the fourth time in its first 20 games. Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff and Andrew Nembhard each scored 14 points.
Chicago led 99-98 after Nikola Vucevic made two foul shots before Indiana moved ahead 100-99 on Siakam’s turnaround jumper with 1:10 left. Nembhard converted one of two foul shots with 10.7 seconds remaining, and the Bulls’ pulled even on Jones’ layup.
Siakam’s game-winner capped a contest that featured six ties and 13 lead changes.
Jones and Josh Giddey led Chicago with 17 points apiece. Vucevic had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Kevin Huerter and Ayo Dosunmu each had 15 points. Giddey added 11 boards and seven assists for the Bulls, who have lost three straight and four of their last five.
Huff opened the game by scoring Indiana’s first 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Despite his scoring spree, the Pacers trailed 27-26 at the end of the first quarter.
Indiana built a 38-27 lead after beginning the second quarter on a 12-0 run. Dosunmu’s 3-pointer capped a 16-3 run and put the Bulls ahead 43-41 with 6:08 left in the opening half.
The Pacers made 12 3-pointers in the first half and held a 61-54 advantage at intermission.
Nembhard and Jackson scored eight points apiece in the third quarter for Indiana, which entered the final quarter with an 86-80 lead.
After the Pacers missed nine of their first 10 shots to begin the fourth quarter, Chicago took its first second-half lead at 90-88 on Jones’ jumper with 6:32 left.
Chicago led 97-90 with 4:51 left before the Pacers scored eight straight to regain the lead at 98-97 with 2:19 remaining.
