Tyrese Haliburton scores 22 points to help send playoff-bound Pacers past Hornets 119-105

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton had 22 points and 10 assists, Aaron Nesmith scored 16 points and Pascal Siakam added 15 on his 31st birthday, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 119-105 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

The playoff-bound Pacers have won three of four and eight of 10. They clinched their second straight playoff spot Tuesday when Atlanta lost to Portland. Myles Turner also had 15 points and nine rebounds.

Miles Bridges scored 18 points to lead Charlotte, which has lost six of seven. Seth Curry and Mark Williams each scored 16 points and Williams had 12 rebounds.

Indiana controlled almost the entire game after making seven 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Charlotte cut the deficit to four midway through the second, watched Indiana extend the margin to 64-49 early in the third and then charged back within one at 68-67. But Indiana closed the third on a 19-6 run to pull away and the Hornets never really got close again.

Hornets: Charlotte gave Indiana problems in the teams' two previous matchups this season, but this is a very different team than the one the Hornets faced in November and December. And it showed.

Pacers: Indiana, meanwhile, continued its hot shooting and strong regular-season finish. The Pacers started the day in position to earn home-court advantage in the first round for the first time since 2014 and delivered again with the stakes high.

A Hornets turnover led to a bounce pass alley-oop from Haliburton to Obi Toppin, giving Indiana an 81-71 lead and bringing the crowd to its feet. The Pacers only allowed one more basket in the quarter as they built an 87-73 cushion.

Charlotte had 18 turnovers, compared with six for Indiana, and the Pacers took full advantage by outscoring the Hornets 29-4 in points off turnovers.

Charlotte hosts Sacramento on Friday, while Indiana hosts Utah on Friday.

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Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) drives on Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson (25) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) get a basket on a dunk over Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (30) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) shoots over Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (30) and forward Miles Bridges (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) holds off Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun (31) as he drives during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) makes a pass over Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry (30) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) shoots between Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) and guard Josh Green (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) makes a pass over Charlotte Hornets guard KJ Simpson (25) and forward Josh Okogie (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (11) is fouled by Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) as he shoots during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) strips the ball from Charlotte Hornets forward Josh Okogie (12) as he drives on Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives on Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Microsoft has fired two employees who interrupted the company's 50th anniversary celebration to protest its work supplying artificial intelligence technology to the Israeli military, according to a group representing the workers.

Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

The protests began Friday when Microsoft software engineer Ibtihal Aboussad walked up to a stage where an executive was announcing new product features and a long-term vision for Microsoft's AI ambitions.

“You claim that you care about using AI for good but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military," Aboussad shouted at Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. "Fifty-thousand people have died and Microsoft powers this genocide in our region.”

The protest forced Suleyman to pause his talk, which was livestreamed from Microsoft's campus in Redmond, Washington. Among the participants at the 50th anniversary of Microsoft's founding were co-founder Bill Gates and former CEO Steve Ballmer.

“Thank you for your protest, I hear you,” Suleyman said. Aboussad continued, shouting that Suleyman and “all of Microsoft” had blood on their hands. She also threw onto the stage a keffiyeh scarf, which has become a symbol of support for Palestinian people, before being escorted out of the event.

A second protester, Microsoft employee Vaniya Agrawal, interrupted a later part of the event.

Aboussad was invited on Monday to a video call with a human resources representative at which she was told she was being terminated immediately. Agrawal was notified over email, according to the advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid, which has protested the sale of Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform to Israel.

An investigation by The Associated Press revealed earlier this year that AI models from Microsoft and OpenAI had been used as part of an Israeli military program to select bombing targets during the recent wars in Gaza and Lebanon. The story also contained details of an errant Israeli airstrike in 2023 that struck a vehicle carrying members of a Lebanese family, killing three young girls and their grandmother.

In February, five Microsoft employees were ejected from a meeting with CEO Satya Nadella for protesting the contracts.

“We provide many avenues for all voices to be heard,” said a statement from the company Friday. “Importantly, we ask that this be done in a way that does not cause a business disruption. If that happens, we ask participants to relocate. We are committed to ensuring our business practices uphold the highest standards.”

Microsoft had declined to say Friday whether it was taking further action. Aboussad told the AP she lost access to her work accounts shortly after the protest and had not been able to log back in.

Dozens of Google workers were fired last year after internal protests surrounding a contract that the technology company has with the Israeli government. Employee sit-ins at Google offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California were targeting a $1.2 billion deal known as Project Nimbus providing AI technology to the Israeli government.

The Google workers later filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board in an attempt to get their jobs back.

CORRECTS DATE - A pro-Palestinian demonstrator, Ibtihal Aboussad, is escorted away by security as they interrupt Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman during a presentation of the company's AI assistant, Copilot, ahead of a 50th Anniversary presentation at Microsoft headquarters, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Redmond, Wash. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)