On Friday night, the Indiana Pacers achieved a milestone victory as they defeated the San Antonio Spurs 152-111. This marked the 900th career win for head coach Nate Carlisle, making him the fourth-fastest coach in NBA history to reach this milestone.
The Pacers were led by guard Malcolm Haliburton, who scored a career-high 32 points and added seven assists. Haliburton was instrumental in the Pacers’ offensive attack, as he shot 13-of-17 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range. His performance helped the Pacers to a season-high in points, as they shot 54.7 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from 3-point range.
The Pacers also received strong contributions from their bench, as they outscored the Spurs’ reserves 42-25. Doug McDermott led the way with 14 points off the bench, while Justin Holiday added 11 points and four assists.
The Spurs were led by DeMar DeRozan, who had 24 points and seven assists. LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points and nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Pacers’ balanced attack.
The win was a special moment for Carlisle, who is in his 16th season as an NBA head coach. He has now won 900 games with three different franchises, including the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics. He is only the fourth coach in NBA history to reach this milestone, joining Don Nelson, Lenny Wilkens, and Jerry Sloan.
The Pacers will look to continue their winning ways as they face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. With a win, Carlisle could become the third-fastest coach in NBA history to reach the 900-win mark.
