Jalen Slawson?

Oh, Slawson was just the 27th and final player added to the Pacers roster this season, earning a two-way contract after the Pacers bumped Quenton Jackson from a two-way deal to a regular contract on the last day of February.

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A couple of possessions after blocking Cunningham, Slawson stole a pass from Cunningham on the wing and then found QJack for a run out layup to tie the game at 2-2. That would be as close as the Pacers came to the lead for the rest of the game as they surrendered 81 first half points with the Pistons hitting them for a pair of 40-point quarters.

Just like that the Pacers ended the season with 19 wins, a franchise worst mark, locked up the second spot in the NBA draft lottery and as a team, were ready to move on with high hopes of a healthy bounce back season following what will be a long offseason with an additional two months off compared to last year.

While Slawson represents the perfect thumbnail of this lost season, having played just 13 games but playing almost 24 minutes per game and flashing plenty of good stuff, particularly on the defensive end to find a niche in the league. It would be great if he was with the Pacers next season, likely on a two-way and even better if he remained ready but wasn’t needed in the rotation.

That is a compliment since the Pacers expect to have a healthy playing rotation that will require challenging decisions as to who fills the 8th, 9th and 10th spots. Tyrese Haliburton should be back and ready to ramp up his game alongside Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Ivica Zubac.

Ahhh…doesn’t the thought of a game with those five in the lineup playing starters minutes sound glorious after what we had to just endure?

That doesn’t mean the Pacers can exhale and expect to rise to the top four territory in the East, without struggle. Fortunately, while all of the vibes are positive as the team looks ahead, Siakam appears ready to take on the role of the team’s conscience. He’s won a championship and he’s seen a championship team crack and go the other way.

Siakam invested a lot of emotional and physical effort in this season and despite the draft position, the big fella struggled to make peace with all of the losses. Looking forward, he doesn’t want anyone to forget what they went through.

“I hope we go into the summer, with everyone just really, really mad about the situation,” Siakam said. “This was really frustrating and I hope we bring that rage into the summer. Everyone getting better individually, find some time together to stay together and work together as a team so that when we come back, we understand what it takes and we know that it’s not just going to take flipping a switch and, oh, we have everybody back and we’re going to be right back where we were at.”

The Pacers standard of play and effort that sent them to consecutive deep playoff runs has to be rebuilt and refined and Siakam is ready to lead that effort. Hopefully, that call to action is answered by the rest of the squad which certainly respects the veteran sage on the roster who is always willing to share his recipe to being a pro’s pro.

Setting that sense of urgency is critical for the Pacers as they embark on a two-year window with championship expectations. Haliburton, Nembhard and Nesmith are starting hitting their prime NBA years while Zubac is in his prime. The time is now for all of those guys to not just follow Siakam’s lead but carry more of a leadership load while all staying on the same page.

Siakam understands how tricky this can be and each season becomes its own sociological experience with varied humans working together trying to succeed as individuals and a team. That team success raises the individual value which is why everyone has to remain focused on the common goal at the end of each day.

That’s how the Pacers can start winning, again as everyone hopes will be the case next season. But the work to make that happen starts now.

Below are a few of the exit interviews from the final day of the season. Tyrese Haliburton also spoke the following day which deserved its own post which will go up shortly.

From players, coaches, team employees, media and most importantly fans of the Pacers. Time to take a bow and fist bump one another for making it through the long local nightmare that was the Pacers 2025-26 regular season.

Circumstances made this a race to the bottom season for the Pacers and with their 105-94 loss to the 76ers on Friday, the Pacers clinched a bottom three spot in the standings to maximize their odds of earning a top four pick in the NBA draft lottery on Mother’s Day.

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Hat tip to Tyrese Maxey who had a horrid shooting night from behind the arc but would not be denied and still scored 32 points to lead the Sixers to a much needed win, while also delivering the Pacers their much needed loss.

Taelon Peter seemed to take notes throughout, as he made his presence felt getting to the rim in the second half to show continued development while taking advantage of his late season opportunities to play NBA minutes. The big man duo of Micah Potter and Jay Huff have also become a productive duo, showing they may indeed be an solid inexpensive pairing to slot behind Ivica Zubac next season, capable of mixing and matching against different types of bigs when needed.

But while so many players at the bottom end of the Pacers roster have shown signs of development this season, let’s hope Sunday is the last game we see them playing significant minutes. With the 9th and 10th spots in the rotation to be sorted out among the likes of Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and at some point, Johnny Furphy, the rest of the players like Peter, Jalen Slawson, Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson have shown they can be called on in a pinch to spackle over some minutes in the rotation when needed. But for the title contending hopes of the team, keeping those top eight guys healthy and playing together is crucial.

And today, as the season winds down, that reality doesn’t seem so far away. It should be a spirited final game at the Fieldhouse, even though it appears the Pistons are playing the bulk of their main lineup for at least some minutes. Cade Cunningham needs the time to continue his return from a scary collapsed lung issue and so far only Jalen Duren is on the injury report as the Pistons try to win their 60th game of the season.

Regardless, the Pacers fans have shown out quite well all season and the team will no doubt make this a special game for those in attendance. Just don’t look at the scoreboard.

Instead, look ahead. The next home game at the Fieldhouse at the start of the 2026-27 season will be something special, even moreso after making it through this godforsaken season that mercifully ends on Sunday evening.

Pacers vs. Pistons

Where: Gianbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Sunday, April 12, 2026 - 6:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +13.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Jarace Walker, Jalen Slawson, Jay Huff

Pistons: Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Duncan Robinson, Tobias Harris, Paul Reed

Injuries

Pacers: Kobe Brown (back) - questionable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Pistons: Jalen Duren (knee) - out

That first quarter start certainly set the tone for the game against the short-handed and also, just short Nets lineup that had 7 players available with none standing taller than 6’8. The game started with Micah Potter finding a cutting Jalen Slawson for a dunk at the rim and the rim runs were on as the Pacers continued to go over and/or around the Nets repeatedly for easy bucket at the tin.

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Again, just in the first quarter, the Pacers made 2 three-pointers, 5 free throws and the remaining 20 points were at the rim in the form of layups, dunks or putback dunks. For the game the Pacers had 80 points in the paint which seems far too, low. While listening to the radio call near for some Mark Boyle comedy near the end of the first half, the Pacers legendary play-by-play man mentioned the Pacers have 63 points with 70 points in the paint. Kudos to Eddie Gill for not skipping a beat and deadpanning, “That sounds pretty official.”

The Pacers may not have wanted to win this one, instead preferring to lock up their bottom three spot in the league with a loss, but they literally couldn’t help themselves and so they leaned into the W. Obi Toppin was at the rim early and often, leading the team with 26 points and 9 rebounds in just over 18 minutes on the floor.

The Pacers center duo of Potter and Jay Huff combined for 32 points and 19 rebounds, taking full advantage of the micro Nets lineup. Jarace Walker finished with a near Lance-like triple-double, scoring 14 points with 9 rebounds and 8 assists.

Now what?

The Pacers still need to lose one of their remaining two games at the Fieldhouse to clinch that bottom three spot. Even if they won both games and lost the coin flip/blind draw tie breaker, they would still have a 48% shot at the top four and 12% shot at No. 1, compared to 52% and 14%. However, they have come this far, might as well finish the job and lock in the best possible odds in the draft lottery.

The 76ers roll into town a bit mucked up after losing their last three games and sliding down to 8th place in the East, letting go of a top six spot in the process. Joel Embiid suddenly had an appendectomy on Thursday so he will remain out. But with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecomb and Paul George on the floor, the Sixers should have enough firepower to take care of the short-handed Pacers in a game Philly needs to win.

Seems like a perfect scenario for Paul George to continue building back good will with the dwindling population of Pacers fans that still give him grief for his brutal exit from Indy. A big game from PG, leading the Sixers to a win would be much appreciated at this point in what continues to be a goofy season for the Pacers.

Pacers vs. 76ers

Where: Gianbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Friday, April 10, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +14.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Jarace Walker, Jalen Slawson, Jay Huff

76ers: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecomb, Kelly Oubre, Paul George, Adem Bona

Injuries

Pacers: Kobe Brown (back) - questionable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - out, Pascal Siakam (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

76ers: Tyrese Maxey (finger) - questionable, Johni Broome (knee) - out, Joel Embiid (appendix) - out, Cameron Payne (hammy) - out

Despite that sudden success, the Nets have the third worst record in the league and now need to lose to the Pacers to hold onto that valuable spot in the NBA lottery standings.

Oh, if you are wondering my thoughts on the Pacers 124-104 loss to the Timberwolves they are scant. Unlike the Pacers quality effort to both play well and lose to the Cavs in their prior game, the Pacers simply lost to the Timberwolves, falling behind early, turning the ball over frequently and never showing enough to threaten a W, let alone remember anything of significance.

However, I do recall taking my usual two laps around the club level during halftime and recalling a Timberwolves game two years ago which had some remarkable Anthony Edwards plays including a sudden fast break finished that made it appear he had flown down from the rafters to finish at the rim. Ant was in street clothe on Tuesday, as was the Pacers highlight machine, Tyrese Haliburton. They were missed.

So now what? Well, as mentioned above, the Pacers and Nets play in a game on Thursday night that puts a potential burden on the winner. The Pacers could certainly win and remain in a bottom three spot, but a loss locks up that spot to avoid any further goofiness over the final two games.

Both teams put forth their injury reports on Wednesday and the Pacers continue to have their top six guys out, pending your thoughts on Obi Toppin who appears available. Regardless, the Pacers have 9 of their top players (plus Kobe Brown) either out or questionable.

The Nets raised the ante by sitting their top 10 current players with ailments including a finger and rest. The starting lineup include E.J. Liddell who was a problem at Ohio State but has had a problem sticking in the NBA. Same goes for the rest of their proposed starters.

This is where Adam Silver needs to step in an add another anti-tanking measure that could turn this game, with 10 players each on the injury report, into an absolute must see event. I’m proposing both teams send reps over to Rucker Park in Harlem for an open tryout. But the catch is, each team selects the five players they want to play for the other team. Offer the chosen players a minimum day’s salary plus an extra $10,000 to the winners and let them play it out.

Forget the level of play, the competition for a win would make for a far more compelling product than the folks at Barclays Center will likely be subjected to on Thursday. Regardless, the Pacers are favorites for just the 10th time this season and the first time since facing the Grizzlies on March 1st.

Fortunately, as mentioned above, the Pacers do have a win to play with so any result will not alter the bottom line for the Pacers at this point. But since we’ve passed, ‘what are we doing here?’ territory, I figured it was time to think outside the box.

Tyrese takes another step forward

While we play out the string with the Pacers this season, there was some good news on Wednesday as Tyrese Haliburton this uplifting news on social media.

Whew, seeing that "…first time since June” hit hard considering we all know that last 5 on 5 run was in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. But the progress report is much welcomed and certainly generates positive vibes for looking ahead to next season with a healthy squad ready to get back at it. Haliburton has been shooting some prior to games and had definitely put on some bulk which hopefully he can turn into an advantage going forward while maintaining all of the bounce and goodness that makes his game so special.

Also, Rick Carlisle will be in Brooklyn but will not return to Indy for the final two games. He and his wife will be attending an event for their daughter at her University of Virginia sorority. Lloyd Pierce will assume head coaching duties for the final two home games.

Pacers vs. Nets

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

When: Thursday, April 9, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -2.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Kobe Brown, Jalen Slawson, Micah Potter

Nets: Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Jalen Wilson, E.J. Liddell, Chaney Johnson

Injuries

Pacers: Kobe Brown (back) - questionable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Nets: Nic Claxton (finger) - out, Noah Clowney (ankle) - out, Egor Demin (foot) - out, Terance Mann (knee) - out, Josh Minott (ankle) - out, Michael Porter Jr. (hammy) - out, Day’Ron Sharpe (thumb) - out, Nolan Traore (rest) - out, Ziaire Williams (foot) - out, Danny Wolf (ankle) - out

You could say the Pacers fell short, ran out of gas or did what they had to do at winning time, taking the loss to leave them with the second worst record in the league. Cleveland was missing their two starting big men and the Pacers reserve, reserve big man Micah Potter gave the Cavs fits much of the night, while Jaylon Slawson and Obi Toppin supported the Pacers front court effort in a big way.

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Potter, wearing blue shoes as a gender reveal that a baby boy will soon join the Potter fam, delivered one of his best overall efforts of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Potter dished out 4 assists and made 3 of 5 3-balls on the night. Slawson played the most minutes for the Pacers and was active inside and out, as well finishing with 19 points and making 5 of 7 threes.

Obi Toppin scored 21 points in 23 minutes off the bench with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, making a trio of open threes but also getting to the line where he made all 10 of his free throws. Obi looking like playoff Obi off the bench has been a comfort to see over the last part of the season.

After scoring 91 points in the first three quarters, the Pacers were held to 17 in the final quarter, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden teamed up for a 7-0 burst midway through the fourth to push the lead to double digits. Mitchell scored 12 of his 38 points in the fourth to go grab the W. Harden finished with 28 points and 7 assists.

The duo took care of business to nullify an otherwise strong effort for the Pacers who took pretty good care of the ball, didn’t foul a bunch, held up well on the glass. Not bad for the deep, deep bench lineup that continues to play hard while also working to show they belong in the NBA.

Now what?

The Pacers are back at the Fieldhouse to face the Timberwolves who have played 8 of their last 10 games without superstar, Anthony Edwards who is expected to be out against the Pacers. Minny is maintaining the sixth spot in the West and hoping to get fully healthy for the playoffs as they are also missing defensive problem maker, Jaden McDaniels. Local legend, Mike Conley is still going at it and has been starting for the Wolves at point guard.

The Pacers still have two wins to play with over their last four games. The Nets beat the Wizards on Sunday, so currently, the Wiz have 17 wins, the Pacers 18 wins and the Nets 19 wins, all behind the Jazz and Kings who both have 21 wins. The Pacers play the Nets next and then should expect a Pistons team resting the bulk of their lineup on the final day of the regular season. Most importantly, though…we are close to this mind numbing season being over. May we never have to math the Pacers path while mired in the bottom of the standings, again.

Pacers vs. Timberwolves

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +12.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Kobe Brown, Jalen Slawson, Micah Potter

Timberwolves: Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Ayo Dosunmo, Julian Randle, Rudy Gobert

Injuries

Pacers: Obi Topping (foot) - probable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (knee) - out, Jaden McDaniels (knee) - out

The Hornets lead by as many as 20 points in the first quarter, making 7 of 14 threes including a mini-heat by Sion James off the bench when he made 3 of those 7 treys. However, that young trio of Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball created the most havoc for the Pacers and will be group to contend with for a few years going forward.

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Of course, the Pacers will hopefully be in much better shape to face the Hornets when they renew acquaintances next season but this time playing without Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell and Jarace Walker, not to mention Hali and Zu (and FURPHY!), the Pacers had little in reserve for the Hornets once the lead was established.

It appears the final week of the season will have even more firepower sidelined after Pascal Siakam emerged from Charlotte with an ankle sprain, which at this point will likely shut down his season for the final five games. Siakam has been a pro’s pro which is honestly selling him short. Incredible, considering the circumstances gets closer but even after the Pacers were waylaid early, the Pacers leader kept grinding away and finished the game with 30 points and 7 rebounds in 34 minutes on the court. Honestly, a fitting way for his season to close out.

Ben Sheppard may also be out after tweaking his hip which Carlisle mentioned after the game, setting up the possibility he may be out. Shep remains questionable heading into the Pacers game at Cleveland.

On the good news front, Jarace Walker has been upgraded to questionable so it would be nice to see him be able to play the last few games of the season. Yep, in the context of this season, that is good news for the Pacers.

Now what?

The Pacers face the Cavs on Sunday evening with as alluded to above, will be pretty thin lineup. The Cavs have been pretty healthy of late and have settled into fourth place in the East. They trail the Knicks by 1.5 games but don’t appear too interested in jumping up to third with a second round matchup against the Celtics, instead fine to face the banged up Pistons if they can get that far.

While the full lineup has played of late, the Cavs do have front court starters Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are listed as out on the injury report along with a couple of depth pieces on the wing. That may put ol’ friend Thomas Bryant in a starring role for the Cavs against his old mates in this one. Good, bad or indifferent, Thomas Bryant is always entertaining.

As for the standings, the Pacers are in a tie with the Nets with 18 wins, as the Wizards sit at 17 wins at the bottom of the league. The Kings, God bless ‘em, won again which gives the Pacers two wins to play with while maintaining a bottom three spot. The Nets and Wiz play on Sunday which will add a win to one of their totals. The Pacers and Nets still have to play each other, as well. The Wizards also have back-to-back games against the Bulls after facing the Nets.

Pacers vs. Cavaliers

Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH

When: Sunday, April 5, 2026 - 6:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +16.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, Obi Toppin Jay Huff

Cavaliers: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Thomas Bryant

Injuries

Pacers: Obi Toppin (foot) - probable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (knee) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Cavaliers: Jarrett Allen (knee) - out, Evan Mobley (calf) - out, Sam Merrill (hammy) - out, Dean Wade (ankle) - out, Jaylen Tyson (big toe) - out

First of all, the win alone meant the Pacers swept the Bulls 4-0 in their regular season matchups this year which seems almost cruel considering the Pacers have just 18 wins. This win was earned with Pascal Siakam playing as the only regular starter in the lineup that was missing Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker and TJ McConnell.

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The Bulls called the Pacers starting backcourt of Ethan Thompson and Quenton Jackson and then raised them late in the first quarter with Mac McClung and Yuki Kawamura playing together. Thompson took advantage of his opportunity and scored a career-high 24 points in 31 minutes, making 5 of 8 3-balls while adding 5 assists.

Speaking of assists, Thompson was one of four Pacers with 5 assists. Of the 11 players, 10 had at least 3 assists while Kam Jones lead the way with 7 dimes. The team scored 83 points in the first half with 30 assists, a league leading number for the season. For the game, 49 assists were dished out as the Pacers made 57% of their shots and 42% of their threes. All of that sharing put some positive energy into the balls without a doubt.

Siakam did his part to get things going despite playing just 22 minutes, the big fella scored 25 points on just 16 shots, with 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Though few realize it outside the Pacers bubble, Siakam is playing at an All-NBA level considering the team’s circumstances averaging a tick below 24 points per game. While he’s shown some frustrations of late, the recent wins seem to have perked him up.

But…enough of this winning thing. Fortunately, the Kings also won on Wednesday, maintaining a 2-game cushion in games won over the Pacers. During the game before that result was known, I was starting to consider some conspiracy theories as to why the Pacers may suddenly win their way out of the bottom three. It is an interesting exercise though one I hope won’t be necessary over the final week of the season.

Now what?

The Pacers face a Hornets team that is trying to lock in at least the 8th spot in the East for a better play-in situation. Charlotte has won their last two games and 7 of last 10 to slide past the Magic and Heat who have both won just 2 of their last 10 games, included losses to the Pacers during that stretch.

Looking at the last six games for the Pacers, the Hornets, Cavs, Timberwolves and 76ers are plenty incentivized to win against the Pacers, which leaves the Nets as a 50/50 win possibility which would at this time pending all other results, would be the last win the Pacers could absorb and remain in the bottom three teams. The final game against Detroit will likely be goofy, as well assuming the Pistons, with a current 4.5 game lead over Boston, have locked up the East and rest their main guys.

But first the Pacers are in Charlotte where the Hornets are heavy favorites to even up the season series which the Pacers lead, 2-1 thanks to a couple of early season wins before Charlotte was able to get their young crew all rowing in the same direction.

Pacers vs. Hornets

Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC

When: Friday, April 3, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +15.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Jalen Slawson, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Hornets: LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabate

Injuries

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Hornets: PJ Hall (ankle) - questionable

Pascal Siakam rose up at winning time to lead the Pacers to a 28-11 advantage in the fourth quarter. Siakam score 10 of his 30 points, while grabbing 9 of his 11 rebounds for the game in the fourth quarter. Andrew Nembhard joined the fray midway through the fourth, making a key 3-ball and adding 6 points to fortify the final push for the win.

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The Pacers had an unusual center rotation which worked out just fine in the end. To begin the game, the Pacers started three guards and no center with Jalen Slawson joining Siakam in the front court. Micah Potter had his shot going off the bench, making 5 of 6 threes and finishing with 21 points before giving way to Jay Huff in the second half. Huff didn’t enter the game until late in the third quarter but was an active participant in the fourth quarter fun with 6 points, 4 rebounds and a couple of blocked shots.

The center duo was part of a strong effort by the bench which combined to score 77 points. Obi Toppin helped with 12 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds in just over 14 minutes. TJ McConnell continued his stellar play of late with 15 points and 9 assists in about 18 minutes of burn. He even made a pair of threes. Kobe Brown played over 33 minutes and added 18 points with a trio of 3-balls, filling the stat sheet with 5 assists, 4 rebounds, a steal and a block.

The Heat played their starters heavy minutes and were lead by Tyler Herro’s 31 points. Although, there were some Herro plays late in the game which had me wondering if he’d consulted Jason Terry prior to the game. Some odd, sloppy plays that the Pacers were able to cash in on.

Now what?

The Pacers hit the road for their next three games starting on Wednesday night at the UC in Chicago where they will face the Bulls for the final time this season. The Pacers have now won 17 games and three of those W’s came against the Bulls in the prior three matchups.

The game in Chicago also moves the schedule to April, leaving the Pacers with 7 games remaining over the first 12 days of the month and then…the offseason. The Pacers are not fooling anyone at this point and currently sit tied with the Wizards for the worst record in the league with the Nets trailing the inverse standings with one more win followed by the Kings with two more wins.

As usual, the injury report will be a factor for the Pacers. The altered starting lineup against the Heat, with Ethan Thompson, Quenton Jackson and Nembhard joining Siakam and Slawson, didn’t last long together but ultimately didn’t prevent the Pacers from finding a way to win. It appears several key players will be out for the Pacers including Nesmith and Walker who missed the Heat game, along with Nembhard, McConnell. The Pacers may need hold a lottery to determine the starting lineup.

Pacers vs. Bulls

Where: United Center, Chicago, IL

When: Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +4.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Jalen Slawson, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Bulls: Tre Jones, Josh Giddey, Isaac Okoro, Matas Buzelis, Leonard Miller

Injuries

Pacers: Pascal Siakam (knee) - probable, Obi Toppin (foot) - probable, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Bulls: Nick Richards (elbow) - questionable, Guerschon Yabusele (ankle) - questionable, Anfernee Simons (wrist) - out, Jalen Smith (calf) - out, Zach Collins (toe) - out, Noa Essengue (shoulder) - out

The 114-113 loss to the Clippers on Friday was yet another game when all who observed had to admit to never seeing what played out in front of them on the court. The Pacers entertained another stellar crowd at the Fieldhouse for much of then night, amassing a 24-point lead in the first half before the Clippers trudged their way back into the game in the second half.

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Benn Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson made their return to the Fieldhouse complete with a quality video tribute and loving ovations from the faithful. Mathurin didn’t have his best game, but delivered a lot of what made Pacers fans have his back at all times. He’s always ready to scrap and talk about it and throughout the game had those interactions with Andrew Nemhbard, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell and Quenton Jackson.

Mathurin also played a big role in the most entertaining 0.4 seconds in NBA regular season history or at least Pacers regular season history as the Pacers flipped a win into a loss but not before a wild sequence of events that made it hard to tell if both teams were actually trying to win or lose.

Kawhi Leonard capped off a 28-point night by hitting a right corner of the lane jumper over Nesmith and Jay Huff for what would be the gam winner with 0.4 seconds remaining. Incredibly, that last 0.4 seconds took about 20 minutes to play and included three different possessions and four missed free throw attempts.

On the Pacers initial side out of bounds possession, Andrew Nembhard threw up a lob for Huff to hopefully tap in. The lob appeared to high and then banked in creating a bit of chaos despite the obvious no bucket situation. There was no review of the play, but replays did show Brook Lopez grabbing Huff’s shoulder preventing any chance to jump. Fine.

The Clips then inbound to Mathurin after a bit of scrapping for position with Nesmith, quick foul moves the clock to 0.3 and sends Mathurin to the line where he is in multiple conversations about the situation with Nembhard, Nesmith and QJack. Mathurin misses the fist and then the second on purpose which Siakam rebounds with a quick timeout.

0.1 seconds remain.

On the opposite side of the floor, the Pacers run the same thing with Nembhard lobbing the ball toward the hoop and again, Huff is roughed up while attempting to jump. This time, however, he sells the contact and earns a foul. Now both teams have both had it with the refs and are laughing at the absurdity of this finish.

With two shots for the win or at least a tie, Huff capped the bizarre ending by bouncing both free throws off the back iron, game over, Clips win.

Honestly, a great result for the Pacers even though they all appeared to want to hand Benny that L. We’ll never know all of the true intentions involved in this wild ending, but it was a fitting addition to this godforsaken season for the Pacers.

Now what?

The Pacers host the Heat and enter the game with a bloated injury list after having far fewer questionable players for the Clips. Jarace Walker exited the Cilps’ game early in the first quarter after getting fouled on a spectacular left handed dunk in traffic that sent him to a painful fall on his back. He did not return and remains questionable.

All other players have their usual ailments under consideration. After the last two games, Pascal Siakam has appeared about fed up with this season, showing much more frustration than usual so a night off may do his hoops soul well.

The Heat are tied with the Hornets for the final two spots in the play-in game. They don’t have to worry about falling out of the play-in range, but remain in a tight race with Orlando and Philly for the respective 8th and 7th seeds. Aside from Norman Powell, the Heat are in good shape on the injury report.

Pacers vs. Heat

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Sunday, March 29, 2026 - 5:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +9.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Heat: Davion Mitchel, Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo

Injuries

Pacers: TJ McConnell (hammy) - questionable, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (knee) - questionable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Obi Toppin (foot) - questionable, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Heat: Norman Powell (illness) - out, Terry Rozier (not with team) - out

The game was lost much earlier in the contest as the Lakers asserted their will to win this one from the opening tip, eager to get past the sting of losing to the short-handed Pistons in their prior game which snapped a 9-game winning streak. After the tip, the Lakers scored the first 10 points of the game with all five starters scoring at least one point, including three dunks by three different players and a 3-ball by Luka Doncic to quickly stagger the Pacers.

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The Pacers quickly replied with the next eight points but they were unable to slow down Luka and the Lakers in that first quarter which saw the visitors take a 45-29 lead into the second quarter. Luka made a trio of treys in 1Q and scored 21 points as an opening salvo which had the Pacers chasing the rest of the game with deficits brushing up against 30 points along the way in the second half.

Luka finished the game with 43 points which could’ve been 60 had he continued with his early heater. Instead he was just 1 of 6 from 3-land in the second half and scored 15 points. No worries, he had plenty of help including a vibrant LeBron James who was seen running the lane at a frightening pace for his size and age. The annoying legend finished with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists in support of Luka with Austin Reaves and Jaxson Hayes also scoring over 20 points to continually frustrate the Pacers.

The home team did have eight players score in double figures but only Pascal Siakam scored at least 20 and it was 20 on the nose. Siakam also had 8 rebounds 6 fouls and 2 techs to get tossed after dealing with LeBron’s shenanigans all night pushed him over the edge.

Andrew Nembhard continued his stellar play of late running the show for the Pacers as he delivered a career-high 19 assists to go along with 14 points. Jarace Walker was 4 of 8 from 3-land and finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

Off the bench, TJ McConnell made 8 of 10 shots and finished with 17 points to give the Pacers some highlight hoops along the way. Speaking of highlights, Obi Toppin had a pair of lob dunk finishes as part of his 15 points off the pine that had me realizing his game has really rounded into shape of late which is great to see prior to the end of the season.

Now what?

The Pacers loss combined with a win by the Wizards returned the Blue and Gold to sole possession of the worst record in the league with nine games to play. Next up on the schedule will be the Los Angeles Clippers at the Fieldhouse with former Pacers lottery pick, Bennedict Mathurin. Benny will no doubt receive a warm welcome from the Fieldhouse Faithful after handling the trade like a pro and enjoying fan support that is reminiscent of the unconditional love shown Lance Stephenson and eventually Metta Sandiford-Artest aka Ronnie. Check out what Mathurin had to say ahead of his return to Indy here.

The Clippers remain in a battle for play-in positioning in the West but have won their last three games and have Kawhi Leonard along with Mathurin back in the mix. Mathurin had missed four games before returning and scoring 23 points in the Clippers last game, a win over the Raptors.

Pacers vs. Clippers

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Friday, March 27, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +8.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Clippers: Darius Garland, Derrick Jones Jr., Kawhi Leonard, John Collins, Brook Lopez

Injuries

Pacers: Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - probable, Obi Toppin (foot) - questionable, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Clippers: Jordan Miller (back) - questionable, Bradley Beal (hip) - out, Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Lisfranc tear) - out

The Pacers finally ended their franchise record 16-game losing streak on Monday night in Orlando, letting the big dogs eat and hanging on to hold off a late surge by the Magic to win, 128-126. It was fun as I expressed after the W was secured.

After knocking off the collective rust in San Antonio on Saturday, the main healthy rotation players returned and played a full game, with a nine-man rotation. With a bit of a cushion developing to remain in the bottom three spots, the Pacers had the green light to go for a full 48-minute effort and the players were more than willing to let ‘er rip. This was the type of game the team hoped would be common when they tipped off the season with a double-OT loss to the Thunder despite losing Andrew Nembhard in the first half of the game.

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No need to remind of the injury avalanche that followed Nembhard and quickly shifted the team into Plan B, but seeing this group healthy with six of the top nine players from the Finals rotation in action and playing well together, it was simply a relief to see this squad still has what it takes and will have more to offer when all are healthy next season.

Was it perfect? No, not after almost letting a 13-point lead slip away against an also short-handed Magic team. But the familiar fight and style of play to find a way to find a win was on display and it was glorious.

Pascal Siakam was in fine form with the footwork and the finishes and making the final play of the game, teaming up with Jay Huff to stone Paolo Banchero at the rim to preserve the Pacers two-point lead and the win. Siakam scored a season-high 37 points with 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks including the game winning denial. Siakam’s flow was so smooth, he even made all 9 of his free throw attempts including a pair of big ones in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers trailed by five at the half but took control of the game with a big third quarter. Aaron Nesmith delivered a burst of greatness to fuel the run, scoring 16 of his 19 points in the third quarter on just five shots which included a 4 for 4 effort from behind the arc.

Nesmith also made a ridiculous winning play in the final second of the game that was not rewarded thanks to referee incompetence. Siakam missed a midrange dagger with about 9 seconds remaining, but Nesmith came flying in on the glass to grab the rebound in traffic. After getting clobbered in the process, the refs declared a jump ball which could not be reviewed. That tip went to the Magic to set up Banchero’s effort to tie the game, but, again justice was served by Siakam and Huff.

Andrew Nembhard had a delightfully spicey game running the show with 13 points, 14 assists and 7 rebounds. He too stepped up late at crunch time after the Magic cut the deficit to three points with under two minutes to go. Nembhard worked the next possession to his sweet spot on the left side of the arc, hit ‘em with the signature double cross, step back 3-ball that splashed too halt the Magic’s momentum. Those would be the last points the Pacers scored as they held on over the final 90 seconds of the game.

With just 10 games remaining in the season, let’s hope that losing streak stands for at least another 50 years. Again, not a work of art but the big dogs mentioned above certainly set the tone for effort and guts down the stretch, you know, Pacers things they have established over the past couple of season.

While that trio set the tone with all playing at least 34 minutes, the rest of the rotation followed along starting with Jarace Walker who played 33 minutes, added 20 points and 5 rebounds with a couple of threes. More importantly, showing again that he can make an impact and be a factor while playing with Siakam, Nesmith and Nembhard. Almost like, the big brothers were all back together and he was ready to show he was ready to keep up with them.

TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin played their familiar role off the bench, finding moments to help out. McConnell was quite efficient, giving the Pacers offense a boost with 13 points on 6 shots (one 3-ball), 6 assists and 2 steals in 20 minutes. He even had a classic “McConnell” steal of the inbounds pass as part of the Pacers third quarter run to take control. Toppin made a couple of threes and held his own around the rim defensively, finishing with 8 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds.

The pure joy of winning was evident from everyone on the floor and bench for the Pacers. Yep, they still got it when they need it and they needed it on this night. Pascal Siakam gave an emotional interview right after the game on TV keeping faith that continuing to work through this awful season and stay strong as a team will eventually be rewarded.

Now what?

The Pacers are home for their next three games starting with the Lakers on Wednesday night. The injury report has all of those key players who played on Monday as probable. We’ll see if they continue to play normal starters minutes or if Kobe Brown, Quenton Jackson and/or Kam Jones are pushed back into the rotation for more minutes.

The Lakers have been smoking hot of late, but dropped their last game in Detroit to a Pistons team that had just lost Cade Cunningham. The Lakers are in third place in the West but bunched up with four other teams for the 3 thru 6 seeds, so they don’t have more margin for error. So, expect LeBron and Luka to be going for the kill at the Fieldhouse along with a few thousand Lakers fans from around the Midwest. Should be electric.

Pacers vs. Lakers

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +10.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Lakers: Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, Jake LaRavia, LeBron James, Deandre Aytone

Injuries

Pacers: Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - probable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - probable, Pascal Siakam (knee) - probable, Obi Toppin (foot) - probable, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Lakers: Rui Hachimura (calf) - questionable, Abou Thiero (knee) - questionable, (Marcus Smart (ankle) - doubtful

Things went haywire in the first quarter as the Pacers welcomed back Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard to the starting lineup all at the same time. The Pacers tried to zag against the Wembanyama factor for the Spurs and not start a regular center, with Siakam filling that role and Quentin Jackson added as a starter.

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The Pacers were outscored 42-29 in the first quarter and only two of those points came from Wemby. The Spurs set the tone for the evening by killing the Pacers on the glass which lead to more shots and naturally, more points. For the opening quarter, 19 of the Spurs’ 42 points came from their bench as they just kept attacking the Pacers who were unable to keep up.

While the lead expanded at time over the rest of the game, that early deficit was too much for the Pacers to overcome despite essentially playing them even for the remainder of the game. The Pacers were outrebounded 49 to 26 which put the possession game firmly in control of the Spurs.

The bright spot for Indiana on the night was guard Andrew Nembhard, who delivered a team-high 25 points on a highly efficient 8-of-13 shooting night, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. He also contributed 7 assists against just 1 turnover and got to the line nine times, converting seven of them. Solid effort from Nemby all around which included some impressive defensive battles against Wembanyama in the middle of the paint.

Jarace Walker also had a nice line, scoring 21 points on an efficient 8 of 10 shooting, including 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. Walker has played a lot of minutes this year with wildly fluctuating lineups around him, so it was real nice to see this type of production while playing alongside Siakam, Nesmith and Nembhard.

Siakam’s return after a long absence due to a knee sprain started strong with 10 of his 14 points for the game in the first quarter. However, he made just 2 of 7 shots for the rest of the game in which he played just under 30 minutes.

Siakam and the Starters Struggle

Pascal Siakam had a forgettable night. The veteran big man finished with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting, going 0-of-2 from three and converting just 2 of 3 free throw attempts. He did dish 5 assists, but his minus-21 plus/minus rating was the worst on the team and reflected how poorly the Pacers fared when he was on the floor. Siakam looked uncomfortable against San Antonio’s size and athleticism in the paint, and his offensive aggressiveness was notably muted compared to his better nights this season.

Obi Toppin gave Indiana 11 points and 4 assists but was plagued by 4 turnovers — a costly carelessness that the Spurs converted into easy buckets on the other end. Aaron Nesmith had a miserable night, going just 2-of-7 from the field for 5 points while fouling out and posting a minus-22 on the evening, the worst mark among any Pacer.

The Spurs were quite impressive, only needing a decent game from Wemby to dispatch the Pacers. The big fella finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks in just over 26 minutes of play. He was one of three Spurs to score at least 20 points.

Now what?

The Pacers heads into Monday as underdogs once again when they face the Orlando Magic. The Pacers remain one game ahead of the Wizards in the inverse standings but continue to improve their position to lock in a bottom three spot after the Kings beat the Nets on Sunday to put the Kings four wins up on the Pacers in that fourth spot. As usual, many key pieces in the playing rotation will be a game time decision.

Pacers vs. Magic

Where: Kia Center, Orlando, FL

When: Monday, March 23, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +13.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Magic: Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Tristan da Silva, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.

Injuries

Pacers: Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - questionable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - questionable, Obi Toppin (foot) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (knee) - questionable, Ivica Zubac (rib) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Magic: Anthony Black (abdominal) - out, Jonathan Isaac (knee) - out, Franz Wagner (ankle) - out

The Pacers almost had a rally for the ages leading to a most improbable win against the Trail Blazers. Almost.

Instead they absorbed their 15th straight loss, 127-119 which saw Ivica Zubac exit the game in the second half with a huge knot on his head from an errant elbow. The good news was that a big bump like that is always a good sign there a concussion was avoided.

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The bad news is, Zubac had also absorbed a shot to the midsection at some point in the game that was not so visible but did result in a fractured rib, which Dustin Dopirak reported will have Zubac out for the rest of the season. The ‘rest of the season’ sounds like a long time but in reality is just a bit over three weeks in real time and 12 games on the schedule.

Zubac finished the game against the Blazers with 18 points and 8 rebounds in about 23 minutes, but certainly had his hands full with Portland’s young big (and I mean really, really big) Donovan Clingan who was a monster early and finished with a career high 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Alas, while Rick Carlisle has indicated Pascal Siakam will return at some point, the benefit of seeing him alongside Zubac has suddenly vanished. Viable reasons to play the vets more than 20-25 minutes are also disappearing as the Pacers face the Spurs, Magic, Lakers, Clippers and Heat in their next five games. The best news to come from the report on Zubac is the realization that this godforsaken season is almost three weeks from completion.

As for the game against the Blazers, the visitors put up 79 first half points and appeared willing and able to sleepwalk their way to a win from there. After amassing a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Pacers deep, deep bench almost caught the Blazers sleeping while nearly catching them on the scoreboard.

The bulk of the damage was done by a small ball lineup of Kam Jones, Taelon Peter, Jalen Slawson, Jarace Walker and Kobe Brown. Their effort brought yet another solid Fieldhouse crowd to life starting with a transition 2-on-1 opportunity that had Jones throwing a lob to Peter at the very tippy top of the rook’s vertical leap, for a lob dunk.

With the lead down to 11, Peter scored five straight points including a 3-ball that had the fans excited. Kobe Brown then turned up the heat following a defensive stop with another three to cut the lead to three. Whoa!

Another stop via a Scoot Henderson charge, had the Pacers with the ball on the attack with 1:20 to go, but Jarace Walker missed a contested shot at the rim. At the other end. Jrue Holiday drained a corner 3-ball and the Blazers put out the fire for good.

Jalen Slawson continued to show up well and take advantage of his opportunity to play, both starting and finishing this game. He ended up with a career-high 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. Took just 10 shots, no turnovers and tons of effort which was among the reasons the faithful were so inspired by the team’s late run.

Now what?

As mentioned above, the Pacers schedule doesn’t lighten up after playing 6 games in 9 days. After two days off, the team will be in San Antonio on Saturday night to take on the Spurs in the first of 5 challenging games by the following Sunday.

The Spurs played their last game without Stephen Castle but rallied to take down the Heat via a Victor Wembanyama pull up game winner. Wemby will always be a problem. Hopefully, Jay Huff enjoyed his two days off to rest.

Pacers vs. Spurs

Where: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX

When: Saturday, March 21, 2026 - 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +10.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Kobe Brown, Ivica Zubac

Spurs: De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Victor Wembanyama

Injuries

Pacers: Ivica Zubac (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - questionable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - questionable, TJ McConnell (hammy) - questionable, Obi Toppin (foot) - questionable, Quentin Jackson (calf) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (ankle) - questionable, Micah Potter (triceps) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (knee) - doubtful, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Spurs: Stephen Castle (hip) - questionable, David Garcia (ankle) - out

The Pacers were able to scrounge up 11 players off of their bloated injury list to play in MSG and regardless of the names or lineups, the offense looked as comfortable as usual in the Garden during the first half. The Pacers made 11 of 18 threes in the first half to keep pace with the Knicks, but gave up four points to end the first quarter and six points to end the second quarter which had them down eight at the half. The Knicks pushed the lead to 14 points after the third quarter as both teams cooled down from behind the arc. That lead to the Knicks putting the Pacers away for good in the fourth quarter with relative ease.

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Jalen Brunson sat out for the Knicks with an ankle injury with no confirmation he was simply dodging the effort needed to play Aaron Nesmith. Josh Hart stepped up in his friend’s absence, making 11 of 12 shots including all 5 of his 3PAs to finish with 33 points. Two of those threes came in the final 30 second of the first half to expand the lead and send the Knicks to the break with plenty of good vibes.

Jarace Walker and Kobe Brown both started and lead the Pacers in minutes with Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam out. Walker finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, while Brown had a hot first half making 3 of 5 3-balls and scoring 11 of his 13 points.

Nesmith, Zubac and TJ McConnell all started and only played 9 minutes in the second half. McConnell finished with 10 points and 10 assists in 19 minutes for the game. Nesmith continued shooting it well from three, making 4 of 6 from deep to account for most of his 14 points. Zubac added his standard 11 points, 7 rebounds with a steal and 2 blocks.

Now what?

The Pacers complete the second game of a back-to-back at the Fieldhouse on Wednesday when they host the Trail Blazers for their annual visit. This will be the third game in four days for the Blazers after splitting games in Philly (loss) and Brooklyn (win) on Sunday and Monday. The Blazers have alternated between wins and losses over the last eight games as the appear locked into a play-in seed in the West, currently sitting in 10th, nine games ahead of 11th place Memphis, but only 1.5 games behind the eighth place Clippers with the Warriors in ninth.

Coming off the back-to-back, the Pacers injury report will again be chock full of questionable options with availability becoming more clear as the opening tip draws near. The Pacers maintain the worst record in the league with the Wizards and Nets keeping pace behind, actually ahead, with 16 and 17 wins, respectively. The Wiz have lost 13 consecutive games as both Washington and the Pacers face a challenging schedule for the remainder of the season.

After playing the Blazers, the Pacers are at San Antonio, at Orlando and they have the Lakers, Clippers and Heat at home with all three of those teams trending in a positive direction over their last 10 games.

Pacers vs. Trail Blazers

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +10.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Kobe Brown, Ivica Zubac

Trail Blazers: Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Jerami Grant, Donovan Clingan

Injuries

Pacers: Ivica Zubac (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - questionable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - questionable, TJ McConnell (hammy) - questionable, Obi Toppin (foot) - questionable, Quentin Jackson (calf) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (ankle) - questionable, Micah Potter (triceps) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (knee) - doubtful, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Trail Blazers: Vit Krejci (calf) - questionable, Robert Williams III (knee) - questionable, Damian Lillard (Achilles) - out, Shaedon Sharpe (fibula) - out

The fatal stretch spanned the final four minutes of the third quarter and then the first four minutes of the fourth quarter which turned a one possession game into a Milwaukee 18-point lead. Per usual, who was playing (and not playing) and when factored into the final outcome.

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Aaron Nesmith certainly played, until he didn’t, scoring 24 points in 20 minutes of burn in the first half. Nesmith has come alive lately, playing more consistently and has in some ways assumed the strong effort and production the past few games that Pascal Siakam had been delivering much of the season until the recent knee sprain has sidelined him for several games. Nesmith played just 8 minutes in the third quarter before shutting it down for the game, but not before hitting his career high for points with 32 on just 14 shots. That included making 7 of 10 threes and all five free throw attempts.

Jarace Walker delivered another solid effort as he continues to consistently produce despite the wildly fluctuating lineups around him on the floor. Walker had 14 points with 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 0 turnovers. One of those assists to Nesmith for a flush was quite nice, as was his improbable made 3-ball at the end of the third quarter which had him avoiding a face full of Giannis by flipping the ball to the hoop from the side with his left hand.

Jalen Slawson continued his NBA baptism by fire tour, playing in the starting lineup for the Pacers and being assigned to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis scored 31 points and bullied his way to the hoop, per usual but not for lack of effort from Slawson who certainly didn’t look any more out of place than others trying to guard the Greek Freak who played 23 minutes and appeared to tweak a knee after a second half dunk and did not play the fourth quarter.

Ivica Zubac played 24 minutes and finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists while Myles Tuner played a bit longer and made 3 treys to finish with 13 points and 4 rebounds. Per Tony East, Turner discussed the matchup with Zu and his fit with the Pacers following the game. Also, Rick Carlisle and Aaron Nesmith had some interesting post game thoughts here.

TJ McConnell made a rare start and finished with 9 points and 11 assists, but looked comfortable playing with Zubac. McConnell missed a few open shots but did reveal how Zubac can create some space for guards to get buckets. McConnell also snagged a steal in his time which was his 900th career steal. Not all with the Pacers even if it seems like it.

Zubac also flipped a nifty behind the back pass to a cutting McConnell at the rim who seemed stunned for a half sec with the pass which forced him to pass it out instead of laying it up before the D recovered. The ball movement still resulted in a bucket, one of Nesmith’s threes early in the game. For the game the Pacers made 21 of 42 threes which normally would provide a substantial advantage except the Bucks countered by making 23 of 44 threes. Oof.

Now what?

The Pacers will be in New York on Tuesday to play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden where they will certainly get a heroes welcome, or some kind of welcome. Jalen Brunson is questionable with an ankle issue, so the Knicks may elect to rest the feisty point guard considering the Pacers have 11 players mentioned on the injury list for the first of back-to-back games.

The Pacers did beat the Knicks in their last game at MSG which also seems like the last game the Pacers tried to win for 48 minutes with key players available. The Knicks beat the Pacers last Friday, pulling away late if you can believe it. Regardless, the Knicks are heavy favorites to hand the Pacers their 14th consecutive loss which would break the team record set earlier this season.

Pacers vs. Knicks

Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

When: Tuesday, March 17, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +16.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Jalen Slawson, Ivica Zubac

Knicks: Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns

Injuries

Pacers: Ivica Zubac (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - questionable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - questionable, TJ McConnell (hammy) - questionable, Obi Toppin (foot) - questionable, Quentin Jackson (calf) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (ankle) - questionable, Micah Potter (tricep) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (knee) - doubtful, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Knicks: Jalen Brunson (calf) - questionable, Miles McBride (pelvic core) - out

The Knicks seemed to seize control of the game in the first half and from the opening tip, Mitchell Robinson proved to be a problem, grabbing rebounds with ease. In fact, it seemed like he had 6 rebounds before there were even 6 to grab en route to 22 boards for the game. Ivica Zubac played semi-normal minutes including second half action and finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds, but admitted he was not good dealing with Robinson on the glass. Zubac did have one impressive offensive rebound and dished to Jarace Walker for a bucket, so there was that.

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After trailing by double digits at the half, the Pacers went into zombie Knicks killer mode in the second half, making things fun and making the Knicks work for a much needed W on their end. Aaron Nesmith was in maniac mode chasing Jalen Brunson around. Brunson got his with 29 points but needed 25 shots and the effort extended brought back reminders of the Pacers playoff approach. Yes, Brunson will get his but can he maintain that level of effort for 6 or 7 games? This year we won’t find out, but as noted Knicks fan lamented, the Pacers and their work on Brunson remains annoying. Classic recap below.

Jarace Walker had a solid outing with 18 points and 9 rebounds, making an impact in that third quarter which saw the Pacers take a brief one point lead. Jay Huff also had a nice third quarter stint, scoring all 9 of his points as part of the Pacers surge. While the Pacers kept it close, the Knicks closed on a 10-4 run in the final 2:40 of the game to seal up the win.

Now what?

The Pacers play in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon where Giannis Antetokounmpo remains questionable after missing the Bucks’ last game against the Hawks. Another Pacers loss and they will tie the 13 game losing streak record they set earlier this season. Goodness. The Pacers remain a game ahead of the Wizards in the inverse standings while the Kings added another win last night over the Clippers.

Pacers vs. Bucks

Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

When: Sunday, March 15, 2026 - 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +7.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Kobe Brown, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Ivica Zubac

Bucks: Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, Myles Turner

Injuries

Pacers: Ivica Zubac (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - questionable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - questionable, TJ McConnell (hammy) - questionable, Obi Toppin (foot) - questionable, Quentin Jackson (calf) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (ankle) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (knee) - doubtful, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) - questionable, Ousmane Dieng (illness) - questionable, Kevin Porter Jr. (knee) - questionable

Let’s get this out of the way right up front — the Pacers lost 123-108 to the visiting Suns, running their losing streak to 11 games with the Knicks in town on Friday night.

This game had a different feel to it, mainly because there were some different faces involved adding to the astronomical number of five man lineups the Pacers have put on the floor this season. Of course, the primary new face was center Ivica Zubac making his Pacers debut several weeks after being traded to the Pacers in early February.

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Zubac started the game alongside Andrew Nembhard, Jarace Walker, Kobe Brown and Ethan Thompson. The big fella played roughly three 5 minute stints in the first half before shutting it down for the night. In that time he scored 8 points around the rim starting with flushing a lob pass at the rim. He also tracked down 6 rebounds, including a few in traffic (really!) and had 2 assists.

Zu was also delivering on his strong screening acumen which will need further review, but Andrew Nembhard certainly appeared to have more room to operate on several possessions which he took advantage of to the tune of 23 points in 17 first-half minutes.

In 16 minutes, Zubac was certainly on pace for an easy looking double-double had he played a full game. In fact, he may have been close had he played two 8 minute stints instead of chopping up three 5-ish minute stints. Regardless, Zubac displayed his solid game in a solid debut at home.

Nembhard was fantastic, also only playing the first half. He scored inside and out, had a pick-six steal and finish while dueling Devin Booker. The first quarter ended in a 36-36 tie and it appeared at points that Nembhard and Booker were each going for a 50-piece.

With much more on the line, the Suns starters went the distance with Booker and Jalen Green forced to play around 35 minutes as the Pacers deep bench wouldn’t let the Suns put the game away until late in the fourth quarter. Booker ended up with 43 points and Green added 36.

Newly minted two-way player, Jalen Slawson made his home debut and stuffed the stat sheet in 32 minutes of playing time. Rick Carlisle appreciated Slawson’s effort, playing with force as Carlisle likes to put it, which delivered 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Straight hoopin’! You love to see it.

Now what?

The Pacers host the Knicks on Friday to complete the home back-to-back. Several players remain questionable, with Pascal Siakam expected to be out, so who will be available will likely be revealed at game time, per usual.

The Knicks are stopping in Indy for their fifth consecutive road game on the way home from their west coast swing. The Knicks beat the Jazz in their last outing after losing both games to the L.A. teams. With the Celtics newfound health, the Knicks are desperately trying to stay in touch with the C’s to jump up to the second spot in the East. Boston currently has a 1.5 game lead on the Knicks while trailing the Pistons by 4.5 games.

Hmm, been awhile since I looked at the top of the standings. Quite interesting.

Pacers vs. Knicks

Where: Gainsbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Friday, March 13, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +13.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Ethan Thompson, Kobe Brown, Jarace Walker, Ivica Zubac

Knicks: Jalen Brunson, Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns

Injuries

Pacers: Ivica Zubac (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - questionable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - questionable, TJ McConnell (hammy) - questionable, Obi Toppin (foot) - questionable, Kam Jones (calf) - out, Pascal Siakam (knee) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Knicks: Josh Hart (knee) - questionable, Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) - questionable, Miles McBride (pelvic core) - out

The battle of the severely beatens on Wednesday started out as sloppy and brow furrowing as you would expect. The Pacers without Siakam, Nembhard and McConnell leaned heavily on Aaron Nesmith who delivered a bright light of hope with his effort.

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The Pacers took a 59-42 lead to the half thanks in large part to Nesmith’s efficient 24 first-half points which saw him create a variety of buckets all over the floor with only one three-pointer among his 8 makes on 11 shots. He also made his way to the free throw line where he made all seven shots. Nesmith finished with 29 points, but only made 2 of 11 shots in the second half. Regardless, it was nice to see Nesmith find his offensive rhythm to start the game after struggling of late.

The Pacers were outscored 42-27 in the fourth quarter with Devin Carter showing up big from deep off the Kings’ bench to score 22 of his 24 points in the final quarter, leading the Kings’ parade to the paint for buckets that flipped the final result in their favor.

Now what?

Of course, considering the circumstances this loss set the Pacers up in pretty good shape to maintain a bottom three spot in the league standings assuming they avoid a two-game losing streak or two to close out the season.

With the Suns in town on Thursday the Pacers have improved Ivica Zubac’s status to ‘questionable’ which is a strong indicator he will play in front of the Fieldhouse faithful for the first time on Thursday and if not, then certainly against the Knicks on Friday. The Fieldhouse crowds have been impressive considering the results this season, so rewarding the fans with Zubac’s first game action at home is well played by the Pacers.

The Suns arrive at the Fieldhouse on a three-game winning streak as they continue hunting a top six spot in the Western Conference. The Suns currently trail the Timberwolves and Nuggets by 1.5 games.

Looking ahead to the final 17 games, only three of the 17 opponents are out of the playoff race, although it is hard to tell if the Bucks are still keeping hope alive or resigned to the near miracle run they would need (with help from teams ahead of them) to make the play in. So, even if they were grinding for W’s, the Pacers would struggle to win any of those other 14 games with the current health and minutes allotment which is unlikely to change.

Sounds like a perfect time to give Zubac some run with other starters while continuing to mix and match lineup combos pending the daily injury report.

Pacers vs. Suns

Where: Gainsbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Thursday, March 12, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +8.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Kam Jones, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Obi Toppin, Jay Huff

Suns: Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro

Injuries

Pacers: Ivica Zubac (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - questionable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - questionable, TJ McConnell (hammy) - questionable, Kam Jones (calf) - doubtful, Pascal Siakam (knee) - doubtful, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Suns: Grayson Allen (knee) - questionable, Jordan Goodwin (calf) - questionable, Haywood Highsmith (knee) - questionable, Dillon Brooks (hand) - out, Mark Williams (foot) - out

Uh…nope.

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The Pacers started out in good shape with Nembhard, Nesmith and Siakam all available, ending the first quarter tied at 30-30. But then after continuing to go back and forth for half of the second quarter, the Blazers ended up outscoring the Pacers by 17 points in the second quarter, fueled by a 18-2 run that included most of the damage done with Siakam and Nembhard on the floor. That stretch of about four minutes decided the game.

Portland scored 18 of their 56 points in the pain in the second quarter as the Pacers continue struggling keeping opponents from where they want to get shots. Siakam finished with a team high 22 points while Nembhard added 14 points and 9 assists. After the half, the Blazers maintain a big double-digit lead throughout the second half. There would be no runs by the Pacers to threaten a comeback, instead settling for some solid stretches of bucket swapping with the Blazers.

Now what?

Speaking of losing streaks, the Pacers have done a lot of that lately if you haven’t noticed. They are now riding a nine game losing streak since the All-Star break, and the 131 points given up to the Blazers is the sixth time in the last eight games the opponent has scored at least 130. Considering the other two losses were in the 120s, the average points allowed for the last 8 games is 130.8 points.

The second half in Portland saw TJ McConnell leave after tweaking (again) his hamstring and Jarace Walker do the same after tweaking an ankle. McConnell has been ruled out for Tuesday in Sacramento while Walker is probable, so should at least give it a go. Nembhard is listed as doubtful for the Kings and Siakam is out resting a knee sprain.

The Kings beat the Bulls on Sunday to join the Pacers with 15 wins, tied for the worst win total in the league. The Kings have one extra loss with gives them a half game advantage over the Pacers in the lottery standings. Needless to say, the intrigue of the two worst teams playing each other with minimal incentive to win should make this matchup interesting, if not comical to watch.

The Kings have a loaded injury report, as well with Domas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, De’Andre Hunter (eye) and Zach LaVine (pinky) among the players out against the Pacers with only Murray expected to return before the season ends. Goodness. Oh, and if you thought the Pacers may be favored to win this one, well, think, again.

Pacers vs. Kings

Where: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA

When: Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - 10:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +3.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Kam Jones, Aaron Nesmith, Ben Sheppard, Jarace Walker, Jay Huff

Kings: Russell Westbrook, Nique Clifford, Daeqwan Plowden, Precious Achiuwa, Maxime Raynaud

Injuries

Pacers: Jarace Walker (ankle) - probable, Andrew Nembhard (back) - doubtful, Pascal Siakam (knee) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Kings: Dylan Cardwell (ankle) - out, De’Andre Hunter (eye) - out, Zach LaVine (pinky) - out, Domas Sabonis (knee) - out, Keegan Murray (ankle) - out

With LeBron James in street clothes after injuring his elbow the night before in Denver, Luka Doncic took the reins from the tip and brought back memories of Klay Thompson lighting up the Pacers with 60 points in just three quarters while using just 11 dribbles. Luka used many more dribbles, but finished the first quarter on a heater that saw him dribble into a few 3-balls, draining all 5 of his 3PAs in the first quarter.

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Doncic scored 22 of his game high 44 points in the first frame and had 29 by the half. Like Klay, after adding 15 more points in the third quarter, Luka called it a nigh, sitting out the fourth quarter as the Lakers were able to hold off any serious advances by the Pacers.

Defense continues to be problem for the Pacers as the mix and match rotation pieces while struggling to find someone to slow down Luka. Jarace Walker probably had the most success dealing with Luka, which was certainly graded on a curve. But Walker’s size and length shows up well against some of the bigger offensive players. When he can stay on the ground and understand Luka isn’t going to blow by him, so he can at least give a good contest, Walker is quite useful on the defensive end. Walker also added 10 points and 9 rebounds

As for the offense, which did finish with 117 points, Pascal Siakam pumped in 26 points in just over 29 points. Andrew Nembhard bounced back from a rough outing against the Clippers to score 17 points with 8 assists while running the point.

Three pointers overall provided the Lakers with a big advantage. While Luka was 7 of 14 from 3-land, the Lakers as a team made 17 of 39 (46%) of their threes. The Pacers made just 8 of their 35 (23%) attempts.

Now what?

The Pacers move up the coast to take on the Trail Blazers in Portland on Sunday evening. The Blazers have won just 4 of their last 10 games but have plenty of incentive to win as they battle for play-in position with the Clippers and Warriors. Portland is currently in 10 place in the West, one game behind the Clips and 3 games behind the Warriors. They are also 5.5 games ahead of the Grizzlies. All of this pending the outcome of the Clippers and Grizzlies matchup on Saturday night.

It appears the Pacers remain relatively healthy with just Andrew Nembhard moving from probable to questionable on the injury report. The Nets beat the Pistons on Saturday night which pushed them a game ahead of the Pacers in the standings, leaving the Pacers alone in last place in the East.

Pacers vs. Trail Blazers

Where: Moda Center, Portland, OR

When: Sunday, March 8, 2026 - 9:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +8.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Trail Blazers: Jrue Holiday, Scoot Henderson, Toumain Camara, Jerami Grant, Donovan Clingan

Injuries

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard (back) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (wrist) - probable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - probable, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Trail Blazers: Deni Avdija (back) - questionable, Kris Murray (illness) - questionable, Damian Lillard (Achilles) - out, Shaedon Sharpe (leg) - out