LeVert, Sumner star in Pacers’ 116-111 victory over Pistons
INDIANAPOLIS — Caris LeVert scored 28 points and the Indiana Pacers snapped a six-game home losing streak with a 116-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
LeVert’s fourth 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining clinched the victory. It’s the first time LeVert has surpassed 20 points in seven starts with the Pacers since being acquired in a three-team trade.
The Pacers (20-23) ended their worst winless stretch at home since losing six in a row in 1985. The Pistons (12-31) have the Eastern Conference’s worst record.
Edmond Sumner scored 18 points off the bench and Malcolm Brogden scored 16 for the Pacers.
Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 29 points. Saddiq Bey and Wayne Ellington each scored 16.
Levert accounted for the Pacers’ last eight points of the first half for a 57-51 lead. The guard scored 15 of 17 first-half points in the second quarter.
The Pistons rallied to cut the deficit to 78-76 with 2:15 remaining in the third, but the Pacers bench responded as reserves George Bitadze and Jeremy Lamb sank 3-pointers. The Pacers finished the quarter with an 86-79 lead.
The Pistons tied the game at 92 on a jumper by Ellington with 8:23 remaining.
Detroit had a chance to tie or go ahead in the final minute, but Delon Wright committed a turnover.
Caris LeVert on Edmond Sumner: “He’s a very, very special piece for us off the bench, and he came up huge for us tonight. I don’t know if we get that win without Edmond.”@Pacers | #AlwaysGame pic.twitter.com/JFeMq05osl
— FOX Sports Indiana (@FSIndiana) March 25, 2021
TIP-INS
Pistons: After making a season-low 4 of 25 3-pointers in Sunday’s home loss to Chicago, Detroit had four 3-pointers by the early minutes of the second quarter and were 6 of 15 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Pacers: Have had a winning record at home for 31 consecutive seasons, but must finish 11-5 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to extend that streak.
UP NEXT
Pistons: Host Brooklyn on Friday.
Pacers: Visit Dallas on Friday.
