The Pacers landed the first punch — and it was a haymaker. Indiana poured in 42 points in the opening quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, sprinting to an early cushion that looked like it might bury the Los Angeles Clippers before the night ever settled.
But the Clippers never blinked. They chipped away in the second, surged in the third, and held on in the fourth to steal a 114-113 win Thursday, snapping Indiana’s grip on a game it controlled early and reinforcing Los Angeles’ ability to win ugly late in the season.
How the game turned
Indiana’s 42-21 first quarter was the defining starting point — a dominant, high-octane burst that put Los Angeles in immediate catch-up mode. The Pacers’ advantage, though, proved fragile once the Clippers tightened the screws after the break.
Los Angeles’ 36-point third quarter was the swing. After trailing at halftime, the Clippers used that third-period avalanche to seize control, outscoring Indiana 36-28 and forcing the Pacers into a fourth quarter that became a possession-by-possession grind.
Quarter-by-quarter snapshot
First quarter: Pacers hit the gas
Indiana’s 42-point opening frame created separation instantly and set a pace that dared the Clippers to match it.
Second quarter: Clippers stabilize
Los Angeles steadied the game with a 29-18 edge, cutting into the deficit and shifting the feel from track meet to tug-of-war.
Third quarter: The flip
The Clippers’ 36 points in the third quarter changed everything. What began as an Indiana runaway became a one-score game with Los Angeles dictating the terms.
Fourth quarter: Los Angeles closes, Indiana comes up short
Los Angeles won the fourth 28-25, just enough to stay in front as Indiana tried to reclaim the lead late. The Clippers finished the job by a single point.
Ball movement vs. control
Indiana’s offense leaned heavily on connectivity: the Pacers logged 34 assists, a massive number that reflected consistent creation and a willingness to move the ball to generate clean looks.
Los Angeles, by contrast, finished with 20 assists — a lower total that matched the game script after the first quarter. The Clippers didn’t need to win the aesthetics; they needed to win the possessions that mattered, especially coming out of halftime when the third quarter swung the outcome.
What it means going forward
For the Clippers (38-36), the comeback win fits the profile of a team finding ways to survive in tight games — particularly on the road — and it extends a strong recent run (WWWWL entering the night). The resilience after a 21-point first quarter is the type of response that travels.
For the Pacers (16-58), it’s another painful entry in a season filled with them. The early explosion showed what Indiana can look like when everything clicks, but the inability to sustain that level — especially through the third-quarter swing — underscores how thin the margin is for a team still searching for consistent closing habits (LLWLL entering the night).