Aaron Nesmith delivered at both ends in the closing seconds, lifting the Indiana Pacers to a 113-110 comeback win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
Nesmith capped Indiana’s rally with a go-ahead reverse layup with 13.9 seconds remaining, then sealed the victory by blocking Coby White’s close-range attempt with 2.9 seconds left as the Pacers erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 20 points, Andrew Nembhard scored 18, Jarace Walker added 16 and Bennedict Mathurin finished with 15. Nesmith chipped in 14 points for the Pacers, who improved to 3-0 against Chicago this season and have won two of their last three games.
Chicago appeared in control late, taking a 101-87 lead on Jalen Smith’s layup with 7:14 remaining. Indiana responded with an 18-4 surge, capped by Jay Huff’s 3-pointer that tied the game at 105 with two minutes to play.
Nikola Vucevic paced the Bulls with 25 points, while Matas Buzelis added 20. Vucevic’s 3-pointer with 33.5 seconds left gave Chicago a 110-109 edge, but Johnny Furphy answered with two free throws to put Indiana back in front for good.
Josh Giddey recorded seven assists for Chicago, becoming the 15th player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career assists by age 23 or younger.
Up next:
Bulls: Host Miami on Thursday night.
Pacers: Host Atlanta on Saturday night.
