Pacers close out Rockets, Haliburton minimizes ankle concerns

Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty ImagesFor just the fourth time this season, two NBA teams have played in a game where neither side reached 100. Such contests can often be a showcase for elite teams, but sometimes the reason for the low score turns out to just be bad basketball. Without overtly stating that was the case for tonight’s game, it’s worth pointing out the Indiana Pacers did defeat the Houston Rockets despite scoring just 10 points in the first quarter.

The Pacers needed four points from Bennedict Mathurin in the final minute of the first to even reach that low bar, but despite how bad it was (4-22 shooting, 0-7 from three, seven turnovers), they only trailed by 15 at the end…