NBA Roundup: Haliburton Clutch, Risacher’s Career Night, Giannis Leads Bucks Again
The Indiana Pacers locked up home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a tight 114-112 victory over the Cavaliers on Thursday night.
Tyrese Haliburton delivered when it counted, scoring 23 points and dropping 10 dimes. He drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to put Indiana up late, and a strong defensive stand kept Cleveland from forcing OT at the buzzer.
Cleveland, already set at the top of the East, sat their stars—Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus. Ty Jerome led with 24, while De’Andre Hunter dropped a double-double with 23 points and 11 boards.
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Risacher Scores 38 as Hawks Roll Past Nets
Zaccharie Risacher turned 20 this week—and dropped a career-high 38 points right after. The rookie phenom exploded for 23 in the first half and buried six threes as the Atlanta Hawks crushed the Brooklyn Nets 133-109.
Trae Young wasn’t too shabby either, with 24 points and 12 assists for his 50th double-double of the year. The Hawks shot a blistering 57.1% from the field.
Brooklyn leaned heavily on their bench—Jalen Wilson matched his season high with 20, while rookies Tosan Evbuomwan and Tyson Etienne combined for 34 points.
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Pistons Knock Off Knicks Behind Cade’s 36
Detroit is showing signs of life late in the season. Cade Cunningham led all scorers with 36 points and eight assists as the Pistons stunned the Knicks 115-106 in a possible playoff preview.
Jalen Duren was a force down low with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Tobias Harris added 17.
The Knicks missed OG Anunoby and Josh Hart, and though Karl-Anthony Towns posted a 25-point, 10-rebound line, his seven turnovers hurt New York’s momentum.
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Giannis Dominates as Bucks Win Sixth Straight
Giannis Antetokounmpo was in MVP form again, notching 28 points and 11 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks easily beat the New Orleans Pelicans 136-111.
Giannis narrowly missed a triple-double—just five assists shy of his fourth straight. Kevin Porter Jr. added 20 for Milwaukee, which is heating up heading into the postseason.
New Orleans couldn’t keep up despite career-best nights from Lester Quinones (21), Keion Brooks Jr. (20), and Jamal Cain (20). The Pelicans have now lost five straight.
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