Welp, that was no fun.
What started out as an impressive effort for the short-handed Pacers turned ugly in Milwaukee, eventually ending with the thud of a 110-102 loss the Pacers had to drag home with them on the short flight.
After a solid when in Brooklyn, the injury news took a turn for the worse on Monday with news of meniscus surgery for Ben Sheppard and a neck/back strain which would keep Andrew Nembhard from playing. This on top of the Ivica Zubac sprained ankle while the Pacers continue to wait for TJ McConnell to get healthy enough to play.
Whew, no way to go into a back-to-back regardless of the opponent.
But even with all of that, the Pacers were able to take an 11-point lead to the half, leaning heavily on Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin to deliver the goods.
However, the game is 48 minutes and that crew would need some help from the untested depth that remained available and that help never arrived. With the focus on Siakam and Hali, the duo were able to create plenty of open shots but the misses were plentiful.
After Jay Huff and Larry Nance Jr. looked good off the bench in Brooklyn, neither was ready for a starter-type role. The duo missed all eight of their combined 3PAs, including 3 in the fourth quarter. Jarace Walker had a solid first half with a pair of threes and 9 points, but would only score one more point and miss a trio of treys when needed down the stretch. Despite those misses, Walker shooting an open three late in the fourth quarter when the Pacers needed a desperate boost would’ve been preferable to the Huff and Nance 3PAs. However, on one such opportunity, Walker balked at the chance and tried to drive into the lane to make some thing happen. The confidence and assertive effort he showed earlier in the game had vanished.
Why were all of these guys playing down the stretch? Well, the depleted depth created the situation which included Aaron Nesmith being on a 20 minute playing limit on the second night of a back-to-back. That created situations where Siakam would make a nice move into the lane, draw defenders and then zip a pass out to the perimeter for an open three. But the shooter was Nance and it just wasn’t happening.
Along with the offensive struggles in the second half, the Pacers were killed on the glass. They didn’t fail to miss out on every long rebound that was up for grabs, but it sure seemed that way. That lead the the Bucks enjoying a 24-8 advantage in second chance points for the game (17-6 in second half).
Ol’ friend, Myles Turner had just six points but was a strong presence in the second half finishing with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks while disrupting things for the Pacers in the paint and at least keeping rebound alive for the Bucks to gather in traffic.
Haliburton played 35 minutes and Siakam was in for 36 minutes, so hopefully there is now trickle down impact from the heavy load. Would imagine going forward that Haliburton may be on at least some sort of minutes restrictions on back-to-backs, if not resting. The rash of injuries on the roster, let alone across the league, offers plenty of reasons to make sure the Pacers key players are ready for key moments.
Speaking of which, the Pacers return home to see their schedule difficulty ramp up with the 76ers in town for a nationally televised game on ESPN. Haliburton and Nembhard are questionable on the injury report while LeBron and Embiid are not. No doubt the Pacers will need Hali, Nembhard, Nesmith and Siakam to battle the loaded starting lineup for Philly
Pacers vs. 76ers
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +1.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Aaron Nesmith, Kelly Oubre Jr., Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff
76ers: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid
Injuries
Pacers: Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, TJ McConnell (hamstring) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (neck/back) - out, Ben Sheppard (meniscus) - out, Aaron Nesmith (hamstring) - out
76ers: Ariel Hukporti (Achilles) - out, Dominick Barlow (back) - out