13

Jan

Aussies in the NBA

Furphy was +12 in 16 minutes as Pacers sink Boston

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basketball.com.au

Furphy was +12 in 16 minutes as Pacers sink Boston
Furphy was +12 in 16 minutes as Pacers sink Boston

Johnny Furphy #12 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on January 13, 2026 (AEDT) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images

Second-year Australian NBA wing Johnny Furphy continues to grow into starting role at Indiana

NBA Box Score: Boston Celtics 96 Indiana Pacers 98

Rising Australian star Johnny Furphy started again at small forward for the Indiana Pacers and was +12 in Indiana's two-point win against the Boston Celtics.

The Indiana Pacers edged the Boston Celtics 98–96 at home, holding firm late after Boston erased a double-digit second-half margin.

Indiana trailed by three at quarter time before flipping the game in the middle periods, winning both the second and third quarters to take control. While Pascal Siakam and Jay Huff carried the primary scoring load, Furphy’s minutes were quietly effective within the Pacers’ flow. Siakam hit the game winner off a runner in the lane.

Furphy played 16 minutes and finished with four points on 1-of-1 shooting, adding 2-of-2 at the free-throw line, five rebounds, an assist, a steal, and +12 in plus/minus. His impact came less through usage and more through activity — crashing the defensive glass, moving the ball quickly, and maintaining defensive positioning on the perimeter.

Furphy did not attempt a three and took only one field goal, reflecting his role as a low-usage connector rather than a floor-spacer hunting shots but it was clean, mistake-light, and net-positive — exactly the type of performance that continues to earn trust in a rotation built around stars and veteran ball-handlers.

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