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Short-Handed Pacers Top Thunder

Malcolm Brogdon had 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists, and Caris LeVert scored 28 points as the severely short-handed Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 122-116 victory over reeling Oklahoma City - despite playing without anyone taller than 6-foot-7.

 

Indiana was missing three starters - two-time All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis, center Myles Turner and forward T.J. Warren - and four backups. But Brogdon and LeVert delivered in a game they needed to.

 

Darius Bazley matched his career high with 26 points and Svi Mykhailiuk had 20 points to lead the Thunder. Oklahoma City has lost 12 in a row overall, seven straight on the road and is still seeking its first April victory.

 

Indiana took control early, finishing the first quarter on a 16-6 run to make it 34-28 and extended the margin to 13 late in the second quarter. Oklahoma City never led again.

 

Oklahoma City fought back in the second half.

 

The Thunder pulled to 73-72 on Moses Brown's three-point play with 6:59 left in the third - only to watch Indiana answer with a 13-4 spurt. And when they closed to 105-104 midway through the fourth, LeVert broke the game open with a five-point flurry to make it 110-104.

 

Oklahoma City got one more chance after Brogdon threw the ball away and Theo Maledon's 3-pointer with 24.5 seconds left got the Thunder within 118-116. But Brogdon closed it out by making four free throws.

 

Brown finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Mykhailiuk also had nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Kenrich Williams had 15 points off the bench. 

 

In addition to Sabonis (lower back), Turner (right foot), Warren (left foot), the Pacers played without Goga Bitazde (left ankle), Jeremy Lamb (left knee) and Doug McDermott (left ankle). JaKarr Sampson sat out, too, after league officials suspended him for one game for headbutting Patty Mills during Monday's loss to San Antonio.

 

The Pacers can complete a three-game sweep of Detroit by winning Saturday at home.

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