NBA: Obi Toppin's big game guides Pacers past Nets in also-ran matchup

Reserve Obi Toppin delivered a season-high 26 points and nine rebounds as the Indiana Pacers controlled the game from the opening quarter and cruised to a 123-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in New York.

The matchup featured two teams with the NBA’s second- and third-worst records. Indiana improved to 19-61, snapping a difficult stretch with just its fourth win in the past 25 games while also defeating Brooklyn for the second time in three meetings this season. The Pacers, who entered the night with two more wins than the league-worst Washington Wizards, secured their second-largest margin of victory this season.

Obi Toppin was highly efficient, shooting 11 of 14 from the field in 19 minutes of action. He highlighted his performance with a powerful alley-oop dunk late in the game as part of a rotation-heavy lineup featuring limited available players. The forward appeared in his 22nd game of the season and made his fourth start.

Micah Potter added 18 points and 14 rebounds for Indiana, which shot 52 percent from the field, scored 80 points in the paint, and dominated the boards 66-43. Ethan Thompson contributed 15 points, while Jarace Walker finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Jay Huff also scored 14 points.

The Brooklyn Nets (20-60) dropped their 13th loss in 16 games and remained just ahead of Washington in the race to avoid the NBA’s worst record with two games left in the season.

E.J. Liddell led Brooklyn with a career-high 26 points and a personal-best 10 rebounds, shooting 10 of 16 from the field. He has now set a new career scoring high in three consecutive games. Rookie Ben Saraf added 19 points, while Tyson Etienne scored 14 as the Nets shot 38.5 percent and were held under 100 points for the 26th time this season.

Obi Toppin helped set the tone early, scoring 12 points in the first quarter as Indiana built a 31-14 lead. The Pacers steadily extended their advantage, reaching a 26-point halftime lead at 63-37 after a dominant opening half.

Indiana never allowed the margin to dip below 18 points in the third quarter and entered the fourth with a commanding 98-72 advantage before closing out the decisive victory. -Field Level Media/Reuters