Rockets use third-quarter surge to top struggling Pacers

Alperen Sengun had 31 points and 12 rebounds and the Houston Rockets used a third-quarter surge to beat the visiting Indiana Pacers 130-113 on Wednesday.Sengun, who notched his 12th double-double of the season, helped the Rockets reclaim control midway through the fourth quarter after the Pacers sliced a 23-point deficit to 102-89 on Quenton Jackson’s basket with 9:22 left to play. Sengun completed a three-point play at the 7:52 mark and added four free throws before his close-range shot pushed the Rockets to a 119-95 lead with 6:07 left.Jabari Smith Jr. added 23 points and eight rebounds while Fred VanVleet chipped in 18 points and six assists for Houston, which has won six of its past seven games. That tandem played a critical role in the Rockets’ 24-6 run in the third that enabled them to seize control and snap a nine-game skid to the Pacers.Jackson scored a career-high 24 points for the Pacers, who have lost four five. Pascal Siakam scored 16 of his 21 points in the second quarter to keep Indiana afloat before Houston carved out a 62-53 halftime lead. T.J. McConnell produced 17 points and four assists off the bench.Tari Eason finished with 11 points and nine rebounds for Houston, which led 30-23 after the first quarter.Siakam scored 13 of the Pacers’ first 17 points of the second period, and his 3-pointer at the 2:25 mark cut Indiana’s deficit to 50-48.