Myles Turner scores 34, Pacers avenge Friday's loss to Miami with 119-110 win over Heat

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Myles Turner scored a season-high 34 points, and Bennedict Mathurin added 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 119-110 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday.

Pascal Siakam added 23 points for the Pacers, who shot 52% from the field, and Tyrese Haliburton finished with 16 points and 13 assists.

Tyler Herro scored 28 points, and Bam Adebayo had 24 for the Heat, who were without six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler because of a sprained ankle. Miami was outscored 62-28 in the paint.

The Pacers bounced back from Friday’s debacle, a 124-111 loss to the Butler-less Heat that coach Rick Carlisle said left him “ashamed.” Indiana never trailed in the rematch.

Heat: Although Butler may return Monday for the start of a three-game homestand, Miami lost Jaime Jaquez in the third quarter due to a sprained right ankle. X-rays were negative, the Heat said. Injuries have been an unfortunate theme in Miami’s 5-7 start.

Pacers: Indiana has shown ability to overcome its own injury woes with Mathurin coming into his own. The third-year wing, starting at small forward because of the absence of Aaron Nesmith, has scored at least 20 points in four of his past six games.

Haliburton has shot unusually poor (39.3% from the field, 29.4% from long range) to start this season, and that continued Sunday when he missed eight of his first 10 shots. Haliburton atoned by making back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter after the Heat briefly came back to tie the game at 97.

Thirty of the Pacers’ 44 buckets were assisted, and Haliburton and T.J. McConnell combined for 18 assists. In contrast, no Heat player had more than four assists.

The Pacers visit Toronto on Monday, the same day Miami returns home to face Philadelphia.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) tips the ball away from Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic shoots in front of Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) tries to get past Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) shoots in front of Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives on Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson reacts after a basket against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Miami Heat guard Josh Richardson (0) shoots over Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) shoots in front of Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) grabs a rebound behind Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tayson Hill couldn't hide his irritation over two early turnovers against the Cleveland Browns, so New Orleans Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi took a moment to address it.

“He was taking it personal and I just told him on the way out at halftime, ‘You’re going to keep getting the ball, so, we’re going to need you here,’” Rizzi recalled. “Fortunately for us, he made some big runs.”

Hill capped a career-best 138-yard, three-touchdown performance on the ground with a 75-yard scoring run, and the Saints improved to 2-0 under Rizzi with a 35-14 victory over the Browns on Sunday.

Hill's two other touchdowns went for 10 and 33 yards — the second on fourth and short — to more than balance out the deep interception he threw and the fumble he lost.

“It was one of those things where I had to take a step back and say, there’s nothing that I can do about it now,” said Hill, who moved into ninth place in franchise history with 44 total TDs. “So, let’s go do what I can do to help us win this game, and fortunately I continued to get some opportunities.”

The 34-year-old Hill also completed an 18-yard pass and returned a kickoff 42 yards. His 50 yards receiving on eight catches gave him 248 yards combined as a runner, passer, receiver and returner.

“He sure didn’t look 34. He looked more like a 24 year old today,” said Rizzi, comparing the do-it-all versatility of Hill to that of Harold “Red” Grange, a Chicago Bears star nearly a century ago.

“He’s kind of an ageless guy," Rizzi said in reference to the breakaway speed Hill exhibited on his longer runs. "He keeps himself in phenomenal physical shape.”

Derek Carr passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns for New Orleans (4-7), highlighted by Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s 71-yard catch and run on a short crossing route.

Jameis Winston passed for 395 yards and two TDs for the Browns (2-8) in his return to the city he called home for the previous four NFL seasons.

His scoring throws including a short pass during a scramble that Jerry Jeudy turned into an 89-yard TD. He also hit Elijah Moore in the back of the end zone with a 30-yard pass, and followed that with a completion to tight end David Njoku for 2-point conversion that tied the game at 14 in the third quarter before the Saints pulled away late.

“In this game, you have to play clean on all three sides of the ball, and certainly in the fourth quarter we did not do that," Browns Kevin Sefanski said. "Anytime you lose like we did by 21, you don’t feel good about anything.”

Jeudy finished with six catches for a game-high 142 yards receiving.

The Saints rushed for 214 yards as a team, with Alvin Kamara contributing 67 yards on 16 carries.

Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak “called a great game,” Hill said. “He created a lot of unique opportunities for me to make plays and I think as you start to look at what we’re doing offensively, the more things we do that way, the harder it is for us to be defended.”

Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins pulled field goal attempts of 51 and 27 yards wide left in the second quarter, allowing the Saints to take a 14-6 lead into halftime. Hopkins' second official miss came a few plays after he'd missed from 32 yards, but got a brief reprieve because of a Saints penalty. Those misses came a week after Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo missed two field goals and had another blocked in the Superdome — a stadium normally viewed as kicker-friendly.

Saints rookie left tackle Taliese Fuaga, a first round draft choice out of Oregon State, prevented Myles Garrett from getting a sack — with a little help from a scheme that had various teammates help him block the Browns' star defensive end.

“What a great challenge for him, right? Because we did leave him out there a couple of times,” Carr said. “What an experience for him to go against one of the more dominant players our league has ever seen and to just grow in confidence.”

Browns: Left tackle Dawand Jones, who was getting a spot start for scratched tackle Jedrick Willis Jr., was carted off the field with an air cast on his broken left leg. He was replaced in the lineup by Germain Ifedi.

Saints: In his first game back from a groin injury that sidelined him for eight weeks, center Erik McCoy got up slowly after Valdes-Scantling's long TD early in the second quarter. He was treated on the sideline, pedaled a stationary bike and briefly returned — but left the game again for good in the second half, replace by Shane Lemieux. Rizzi said McCoy might have been capable of playing more that the staff wanted to be smart about not pushing him too hard, too soon.

The Browns host Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

The Saints enter their bye week, followed by a home game against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 1.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, left, and New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi , right, meet after their NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi gestures as he walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill speaks during a news conference following an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) gestures to fans as he walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) gestures to fans as he walks off the field in after an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill, left, celebrates a touchdown with quarterback Derek Carr (4) in the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, right, carries a pass from quarterback Jameis Winston into the endzone for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) passes in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, left, celebrates an interception in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) is brought down by Cleveland Browns safety Juan Thornhill, rear, as he scores in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) is tackled by Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit, left, in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (4) rolls out in front of Cleveland Browns linebacker Elerson G. Smith (52) to pass to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, center, recovers a fumble by New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

A number of New Orleans Saints defenders attempt to block a field goal by the Cleveland Browns in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. The field goal was no good. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling looks over his shoulder at Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush (30) as he scores in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) passes under pressure in the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (7) scores as Cleveland Browns safety Juan Thornhill (1) defends in the first half of an NFL football game in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)