Pacers outlast Celtics 122-112, advance to NBA Cup semifinals behind Haliburton triple double

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Boston Celtics 122-112 Dec. 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis to advance to the semifinals of the NBA In-season Tournament in Las Vegas. The Pacers are the first team in NBA history to advance out of the group stage and are the first team to advance to the semifinals of the newly formatted tournament. “Our expectation is to win. We are a young, hungry group, but we want to win every night,” Haliburton said in an interview following the win against the Celtics. “We are not just complacent being there [Las Vegas], but we want to win.” In a night of many firsts, Haliburton notched the first triple double of his career, putting up 26 points, ten rebounds and 13 assists on impressive shooting splits of 55/45/100. “You don’t play on national TV if you don’t win games,” Haliburton said following his first nationally televised game on TNT. Earlier this year, Haliburton signed a supermax with the Pacers for five years valued at nearly $260 million. Veteran Pacers center Myles Turner believed the atmosphere of Gainbridge Fieldhouse was unfamiliar but amazing. “I haven’t seen this place in like three or four years,” Turner said....