Pacers are back home again after winless road trip
The Pacers return to Fieldhouse after losing all five games on the road trip out west to run their current losing streak to 10 Ls in a row.
The Pacers were unable to hold onto a 20-point lead over the Kings, letting the big margin slip away over the final 17 minutes of the game in Sacramento ending in a 114-109 loss. That 10th consecutive loss combined with a Kings win pushed the Pacers into last place in the NBA, holding at 15 wins with 17 games to play.
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.
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