Indiana Pacers enjoy no deja-vu in Paris as Tyrese Haliburton inspires an emphatic 136-98 bounce-back NBA win over San Antonio Spurs - as Victor Wembanyama is denied a dream au revoir, writes LUKE AUGUSTUS
Indiana Pacers enjoy no deja-vu in Paris as Tyrese Haliburton inspires an emphatic 136-98 bounce-back NBA win over San Antonio Spurs - as Victor Wembanyama is denied a dream au revoir, writes LUKE AUGUSTUS
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Saturday night marked the 14th regular-season NBA Global Games to be played in Europe and the fifth held at the Accor Arena in Paris. Usually to get to here, Parisians would take the No 14 line on the Metro to Bercy where they would reach the venue. However, this weekend the line is shut for maintenance.
![[He went on a clinical run in the third quarter to put his side in control in the French capital]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/02/94521157-14324875-image-a-2_1737857590755.jpg)
And just like the disruption underground, there was disruption at surface level too as the Indiana Pacers derailed the San Antonio Spurs train, that is driven by France's prodigal son Victor Wembanyama, with a statement 136-98 victory. While the focus was all on the 21-year-old conductor in the build-up to and during the match, there was no case of deja-vu for the Pacers who suffered a galling 140-110 defeat to the same opposition in the same building less than 48 hours prior.
![[Indiana's display meant Spurs' French hero Victor Wembanyama's trip ended disappointingly]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/02/94521263-14324875-image-a-6_1737857855098.jpg)
If Thursday was a wild celebration of the NBA in Paris, Saturday was a muted one as Indiana's two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton - who finished with a game-high 28 points, including 16-straight points - quelled the partisan crowd with a stunning array of shooting that not even the reach of 7ft 4in Wembanyama could stop.
![[Wembanyama had all eyes on him once again as the Accor Arena hoped he would shine again]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/02/94521341-14324875-image-a-7_1737858036442.jpg)
With all the talk understandably around the homegrown hero returning to Paris this week, the Pacers changed the narrative with an emphatic bounce-back win to remind everyone that they did in fact reach the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Tyrese Haliburton scored a game-high 28 points as Indiana Pacers beat San Antonio Spurs 136-98 on Saturday in the second match of their NBA Global Game fixtures in Paris in the week.
![[Andrew Nembhard set the tone early on for Indiana though with six quick first-quarter points]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/26/02/94521409-14324875-image-a-8_1737858310871.jpg)
