Looking to secure a winning record on their five-game road trip, the Pacers took a 62-61 lead into halftime on Monday night in New Orleans.
Despite playing without leading scorer Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans got off to a hot start offensively. The hosts connected on seven of their first nine attempts on Monday, jumping out to an early 17-10 lead.
The Pacers charged back and surged ahead later in the opening frame, using an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the night at 27-23. Rookie guard Chris Duarte scored four points over that stretch and racked up 11 in 10 first-quarter minutes.