Pacers slip past Pelicans despite Elfrid Payton’s 21 assists

Tyrese Haliburton had 34 points and 13 assists and the Indiana Pacers held off the New Orleans Pelicans 114-110 on Monday night in Indianapolis.Myles Turner added 17 points, Pascal Siakam scored 14 and Bennedict Mathurin and Quenton Jackson had 12 each for the Pacers. Both Turner and Mathurin grabbed nine boards.Elfrid Payton had 21 assists, the most in a game by any player this season, and added 14 points for the Pelicans. Rookie Yves Missi had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Trey Murphy III scored 24 and CJ McCollum returned from a 13-game absence due to a strained adductor to add 23 for New Orleans, which lost its fifth straight.Murphy and McCollum made consecutive baskets to start the Pelicans’ third-quarter scoring and pull them even at 61.Haliburton broke the tie by making a 3-pointer before Missi made consecutive dunks to produce the first of six lead changes in the quarter.Indiana took a seven-point lead before Brandon Boston Jr. made a 3-pointer to get New Orleans within 87-83 at the end of the third quarter.Jeremiah Robinson-Earl hit a trey to start the fourth-quarter scoring and Payton added two baskets and two assists to help the Pelicans take a 95-93 lead.Turner converted a three-point play and Jackson and Haliburton made consecutive 3-pointers to propel Indiana ahead 102-95 with 5:28 left.