Tyrese Haliburton’s 11th straight double-double propels Pacers past Wolves

Tyrese Haliburton recorded a 24-point, 11-assist double-double, and the Indiana Pacers scored their fifth consecutive win with a 119-103 defeat of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday in Indianapolis.The Pacers (42-29) opened the second half on an 8-0 run, shortly followed up with a 12-0 run, helping open up a lead of as many as 21 points in the third quarter.Indiana maintained the cushion throughout the fourth quarter thanks to a stout defensive effort. The Pacers held Minnesota to 9-of-35 shooting from 3-point range while forcing the Timberwolves into 17 turnovers.The defensive effort helped improve Indiana to 4-0 on a five-game homestand and gave the Pacers their first win of the ongoing streak by more than six points.Haliburton’s 11th consecutive double-double dating back to Feb. 23 paced Indiana offensively. Obi Toppin came off the bench to score 20 points, shooting 6-of-9 from outside.Toppin knocked down three of his 3-pointers over a stretch of 2:31 to close out the pivotal third period.Aaron Nesmith shot 3-of-3 from 3-point range en route to 17 points. Pascal Siakam scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds.Bennedict Mathurin’s 11 points extended his run of double-digit scoring performances to five games, while fellow reserve T.J. McConnell added 10 points.