Obi Toppin scores 22 points and Pacers defeat reeling Nuggets 125-120 without Siakam

DENVER (AP) — Obi Toppin scored 22 points in his second start of the season and the Indiana Pacers overcame the absence of Pascal Siakam to hand the reeling Denver Nuggets their fourth consecutive loss Sunday, 125-120.

Myles Turner's 24 points led the Pacers, who overcame a 13-point first-half deficit and an off-night by Tyrese Haliburton, whose nine points on eight shots were less than half his scoring average.

The Nuggets lost their fourth straight despite Nikola Jokic's 41 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists and a career-high 30 points from Christian Braun.

Jokic was charged with a crucial backcourt turnover with the Nuggets trailing 122-120 with 15 seconds remaining but it was Braun who misread the dribble-handoff from Jokic and caused the turnover just as Jokic was passing to Russell Westbrook.

Jamal Murray missed his fifth consecutive game for Denver with a strained right hamstring and coach Michael Malone said “hopefully” his star point guard will be back for the start of the NBA playoffs.

The Pacers were without Siakam (right elbow) and trailed by 13 in the first half. Haliburton came in averaging 18.6 points per game but was held scoreless until his 3-pointer with 3:43 left in the third quarter tied it at 84-all, and his floater gave Indiana a 98-97 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Nuggets entered Sunday in fourth place in the bunched-up Western Conference, just a game ahead of the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies.

Pacers: Indiana showed it can win without Siakam and that depth should prove beneficial in the playoffs. The Pacers are solidly in the fourth place in the East.

Nuggets: Denver is falling fast. The Nuggets were in second place not that long ago and now could be facing a play-in game just to make it into the playoffs.

Jokic's bad pass to Westbrook in the closing seconds was the Nuggets' third turnover in the final 2 minutes and sixth of the fourth quarter.

Malone successfully challenged two foul calls on Denver in the first half, one on Jokic and the other on Christian Braun.

The Pacers return home to play the Washington Wizards on Tuesday. The Nuggets visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

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

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, left, collects the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., right, defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, front, drives to the basket past Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., front, drives past Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, center, holds onto the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and guard Jalen Pickett, right, defend in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook, left, tries to steal the ball from Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., left, shoots for a basket as Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin, right, defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, drives past Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, inflation and uncertainty.

Since the U.S. military raid to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump has quickly pivoted to portraying the move as a newfound economic opportunity for the U.S., seizing tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, saying the U.S. is taking over the sales of 30 million to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil and will be controlling sales worldwide indefinitely.

On Friday, U.S. forces seized their fifth tanker over the past month that has been linked to Venezuelan oil. The action reflected the determination of the U.S. to fully control the exporting, refining and production of Venezuelan petroleum, a sign of the Trump administration's plans for ongoing involvement in the sector as it seeks commitments from private companies.

It's all part of a broader push by Trump to keep gasoline prices low. At a time when many Americans are concerned about affordability, the incursion in Venezuela melds Trump’s assertive use of presidential powers with an optical spectacle meant to convince Americans that he can bring down energy prices.

The meeting, set for 2:30 p.m. EST, will be open to the news media, according to an update to the president's daily schedule. “At least 100 Billion Dollars will be invested by BIG OIL, all of whom I will be meeting with today at The White House,” Trump said Friday in a pre-dawn social media post.

Trump is set to meet with executives from 17 oil companies, according to the White House. Among the companies attending are Chevron, which still operates in Venezuela, and ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips, which both had oil projects in the country that were lost as part of a 2007 nationalization of private businesses under Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

The president is meeting with a wide swath of domestic and international companies with interests ranging from construction to the commodity markets. Other companies slated to be at the meeting include Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Singapore-based Trafigura, Italy-based Eni and Spain-based Repsol.

Large U.S. oil companies have so far largely refrained from affirming investments in Venezuela as contracts and guarantees need to be in place. Trump has suggested on social media that America would help to backstop any investments.

Venezuela’s oil production has slumped below one million barrels a day. Part of Trump's challenge to turn that around will be to convince oil companies that his administration has a stable relationship with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as well as protections for companies entering the market.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are slated to attend the oil executives meeting, according to the White House.

Meanwhile, the United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of r estoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday.

The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, the State Department said in a statement.

Trump also announced on Friday he’d meet with President Gustavo Petro in early February, but called on the Colombian leader to make quick progress on stemming flow of cocaine into the U.S.

Trump, following the ouster of Maduro, had made vague threats to take similar action against Petro. Trump abruptly changed his tone Wednesday about his Colombian counterpart after a friendly phone call in which he invited Petro to visit the White House.

President Donald Trump waves as he walks off stage after speaking to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)