Saturday night marked the 14th regular-season NBA Global Games to be played in Europe and the fifth held at the Accor Arena in Paris.
Usually to get to here, Parisians would take the No 14 line on the Metro to Bercy where they would reach the venue. However, this weekend the line is shut for maintenance.
And just like the disruption underground, there was disruption at surface level too as the Indiana Pacers derailed the San Antonio Spurs train, that is driven by France’s prodigal son Victor Wembanyama, with a statement 136-98 victory.
While the focus was all on the 21-year-old conductor in the build-up to and during the match, there was no case of deja-vu for the Pacers who suffered a galling 140-110 defeat to the same opposition in the same building less than 48 hours prior.
If Thursday was a wild celebration of the NBA in Paris, Saturday was a muted one as Indiana’s two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton – who finished with a game-high 28 points, including 16-straight points – quelled the partisan crowd with a stunning array of shooting that not even the reach of 7ft 4in Wembanyama could stop.
With all the talk understandably around the homegrown hero returning to Paris this week, the Pacers changed the narrative with an emphatic bounce-back win to remind everyone that they did in fact reach the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
Tyrese Haliburton scored a game-high 28 points as Indiana Pacers beat San Antonio Spurs 136-98 on Saturday in the second match of their NBA Global Game fixtures in Paris in the week
He went on a clinical run in the third quarter to put his side in control in the French capital
Indiana’s display meant Spurs’ French hero Victor Wembanyama’s trip ended disappointingly
Just like Thursday, the Accor Arena was awash with excitement at what to expect from Wembanyama – especially after his 30-point – including four made three-pointers, 11-rebound, six-assist and five block performance against Indiana then.
Another sell-out 15,609 crowd hung on every moment of the 21-year-old, who eventually finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. This was a ‘home’ game for the Spurs and it felt like it as a massive roar bellowed from the arena as soon as the center emerged on to the court for his warm-up.
However, it was the Pacers who got off to a sizzling start showing their intent early on which was led by a quick six points from Andrew Nembhard – who was allied by Bennedict Mathurin’s three points and three rebounds.
It was clear that Spurs were trying to get their poster boy hot straight away but he missed his first two field-goal attempts. It was third time lucky though, as he drained a three-point effort to ignite the fans who hoped to see him shine once more.
Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle had bemoaned to Mail Sport that his side’s defence was ‘alarming’ in the third quarter of Thursday’s heavy loss and that adjustments would be made. They duly were in the opening quarter as they finished it with a nine-point lead and with the scoreline 33-24 in their favour.
Even though Thursday night was a Pacers ‘home’ fixture, their fans were far more noticeable inside the raucous Accor Arena 48 hours later. Every good play from Indiana hushed the dominant Spurs support, with that broken by the smattering of whooping and hollering from the small pockets of those wearing gold in the stands.
This was exemplified with a game during a time-out in the first quarter between two members of the crowd. Playing a basketball-themed version of noughts and crosses, the winner unveiled a Pacers jersey under his top to mass boos. It summed up the sentiment of the evening, Indiana were willing to be the pantomime villains.
They continued that narrative into the second quarter which begun with a ferocious dunk from their center Myles Turner.
Wembanyama had all eyes on him once again as the Accor Arena hoped he would shine again
Andrew Nembhard set the tone early on for Indiana though with six quick first-quarter points
Then came a little injection from Wembanyama. First he got the crowd hyped with a dunk on Aaron Nesmith before producing another slam which forced an Indiana time-out.
Moments later the role of antagonist switched on to Ben Sheppard as he fouled the home favourite – who went down clutching his lower left ribs to spark mass boos for Sheppard and concern for Spurs’ No 1. He soon rose to his feet, to relief from the fans as chants of ‘MVP’ rained down on the 17-minute mark. He duly replied to their rallying cry by making his free-throw.
Even though he made some eye-catching dunks, Wembanyama was unable to will his side on as Indiana took control of proceedings to going into the interval 65-50 points ahead.
If Wembanyama produced Gaelic flair in the third on Thursday, Saturday was a case of spice as the encounter became chippy which was encapsulated by words exchanged between the two teams after a technical foul from Mathurin for a shove on Stephon Castle.
The tetchiness only seemed to galvanise interim head coach Mitchell Johnson’s men. Wembanyama’s frustrations – he vented twice to the officials during this quarter – were offset by the Spurs’ run which saw them overcome the 15-point deficit to lead 77-76 with four minutes and 53 seconds left in the quarter.
This was a mini case of deja-vu for Carlisle as his side were unable to stop San Antonio, causing him to use an instant time-out. It worked though as they arrested their slide and regained momentum.
‘We had bad energy,’ Carlisle admitted post-match. ‘We were not playing with enough force, enthusiasm or tough enough. However, we were able to get the momentum back with Tyrese’s run which was a really big part of the game.’
Wembanyama drops to the floor in pain after a foul by Ben Sheppard before overcoming it
Indeed it was. It had been a rainy day in Paris and Haliburton got the memo as he rained down 16-straight points on San Antonio in a three-minute heat-check of shooting that even those cheering against him had to acknowledge and admire. That quarter he finished with 18 points, making seven out of his eight field-goal attempts and being four of four from behind the arc.
Pascal Siakam – who finished with 23 points – added a late three-pointer after Haliburton’s run to help the Pacers to lead 98-86 at the end of the third quarter.
That points differential only grew wider as the Pacers lived up to their name as San Antonio couldn’t keep up with them. With just over four minutes gone in that quarter, the scoreline had ballooned up to 116-94 with Siakam dominating – by now having already claimed 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
This was quickly becoming a blow-out win for Indiana and Spurs head coach Mitchell Johnson waived the white flag with three minutes and 30 seconds left as he substituted Wembanyama off for the last time. His last contribution to the match was to produce a turnover for his team after his pass to the corner wasn’t controlled by a team-mate.
The disappointment summed up the large feeling inside the Accor Arena with some fans leaving with minutes still to go. However, not before they gave their hero – who finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds – a rousing reception as he walked to the bench.
As both teams emptied their benches, their respective second units reignited the chippiness of the second half. After Sheppard and Mathurin, Jarace Walker became the next Indiana antagonist after hitting another Spurs French player in Sidy Cissoko across the top of the head for a flagrant one foul. Instantly came the crowd jeers.
Haliburton came alive in the third quarter with 16 straight points and 18 in total in that period
Wembanyama applauds the fans at the end of the match in an emotional week for Spurs’ star
The cheers turned into ‘ooos’ moments later as San Antonio’s Sandro Mamukelashvili was ejected for flagrant two foul on Thomas Bryant after pushing him when he was attempting a dunk. This caused some members of the Pacers bench to rise up off it in annoyance at that they had just witnessed.
There was no annoyance among themselves about their display though as they held the Spurs to just 12 points in the fourth quarter, and denied them scoring hitting triple figures overall, as they ran out 136-98 winners to the delight of those pocket of Indiana fans who could now be truly heard.
‘I didn’t necessarily feel the support either game, I just really think it was our family behind the bench,’ the 24-year-old point guard joked to Mail Sport post-match.
‘I think a cool part is when you play in a neutral crowd, but obviously this wasn’t, they just really appreciate the game of basketball and they will cheer when good things happen. We just tried to put a good product out there and it was a much better showing for us today.’
Haliburton has struck up an affinity for Paris after winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA here last summer and now being a part of this week’s action has only aided to that.
Haliburton cups his ear to the Accor Arena crowd as his thrilling third quarter quelled them
‘It’s been really fun to be here,’ he reflected. ‘It’s helping grow the game, the opportunity from the league has been amazing.
‘We just wanted to leave the city on a good note. I thought it was a really good showing from us tonight and just want to carry this momentum going forward.’
If the week belonged to Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, who will hope they get back on track soon – much like the No 14 line on the Parisian metro, then Saturday night firmly belonged to the Indiana Pacers as they made own statement.
Bienvenue to Indiana Pacers basketball.
