Pacers streaking the wrong way, again after loss to Celtics with champs up next

The Pacers loss in Boston made pushed them to 0-3 on the current road trip with no relief in sight as trade rumors continue circulating.

The Pacers lost 119-104 to the Celtics on Wednesday due to a familiar formula where they fell behind early, giving up 66 first half points to the C’s before rallying for respectability in the second half cutting a 20-plus point lead down to 10 at one point in the third quarter before settling on the 15-point loss in the end.

The loss was the third consecutive and fourth in the last five for the Pacers, as the Celtics won the season series 1-3 which was a highlight for the Pacers. No more Celtics this year. They will also close out their 2-game series with the OKC Thunder on Friday when they visit the house of horrors that is the Paycom Center to face the evil demons that befell the Blue and Gold in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June.

Good times with a gnarly winter storm bearing down on the state this weekend.

Any positives from the loss in Boston strike a familiar cord, as well with Pascal Siakam making 4 threes, scoring 32 points and adding 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, not all shot straight from behind the arc as the Pacers made just 12 of 45 3-ball attempts. Jay Huff, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard combined to make 0 of their 12 attempts.

Aaron Nesmith, in particular continues to struggle of late as he has not been great since returning from a knee injury that kept him out for 19 games. January has been particularly unkind as he had been shooting over 40% from 3-land but has now dropped to 26 percent in the last 10 games since the start of the new year. The clanks have been really bad in the last six games, as he has made just 5 of his last 37 (13.5%) 3PAs which is certainly an anchor on that overall percentage.

Nesmith’s shooting woes are a symptom of his apparent frustration on the court as he has struggled to adjust to the losing while trying to do more to help winning. A different role than he assumed while helping the Pacers to the Finals last year. Andrew Nembhard has these moments, as well, shining at times while running the show but also struggto tling as the lead orchestrator.

This pain should ultimately be good for both, and honestly in Nesmith’s case, if he’s going to have a prolonged slump, now is certainly the time. The grind will continue for the rest of the season and as long as both can find ways to grow through the pain, a phrase Carlisle has mentioned in regard to all on the team, then they should be in better shape with Tyrese Haliburton returns and also needs a more help as he gets his game back next year.

Speaking of growth, Jarace Walker continues to plow through the pain and show more and more snippets of solid growth. The 11 games Walker has played in January have seen marked improvement along with earning more minutes of late. Walker is shooting over 50% from 3-land and he’s only had one multi-turnover game which is a big improvement from when he was playing more early in the season. That one game was the disaster against Detroit which will be a major outlier for any team stats or individual stats for those that played in that one.

But, aside from the numbers, a bucket against the Celtics was worthy of note. His first bucket, in fact, when he caught the ball around the free throw line with a smaller Payton Pritchard on him. Two good dribbles and a step through allowed Walker to finish with a one-handed floater over Pritchard. An assertive move, yet so smooth and under control. Certainly was quick, but didn’t hurry.

Trade rumors

With the trade deadline fast approaching on Feb. 5, the Pacers continue to be mentioned in nearly every trade rumor, particularly anything involving a big player. Jake Fischer published a more specific mention of a potential deal between the Pacers and Pelicans involving Bennedict Mathurin and big man Yves Missi. Interesting, indeed, but the young big man wouldn’t move the needle regardless of how gun shy the Pacers front office is to offer Mathurin $20-25 mil per year in an extension.

Having just watched Missi play off the bench for the Pels against the Pacers, his greatest attribute is his age since he’s just 21 years old in his second season. Plenty of upside for the big man, but he also needs lots of further development before he could make the impact the Pacers need once Haliburton returns.

That time table makes Missi the wrong guy at the wrong time. The Pacers have a a two-year window with Siakam still cooking and Haliburton returning. They need a big that can be more impactful and consistent. Even a two year stop gap with a more veteran big like Nikola Vucevic would be better than relying on Missi as the main option.

Now, a deal with Missi with the future in mind would be fine, pending the other assets included, but the focus on the next two years is more important. There won’t be a perfect option, for example, Vuc can reliably score and rebound, but presents defensive issues. But, again, the search from some consistent production at the position to work around remains a problem in need of a solution by the end of October.

Pacers vs. Thunder

Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

When: Friday, January 23, 2026 - 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +16.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Johnny Furphy, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, Luguentz Dort, Chet Holmgren

Injuries

Pacers: Quenton Jackson (ankle) - questionable, Bennedict Mathurin (thumb) - out, Obi Toppin (hammy) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Thunder: Aaron Wiggins (groin) - questionable, Jaylin Williams (glut) - questionable, Alex Caruso (adductor) - out, Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) - out, Ajay Mitchell (ab strain) - out, Thomas Sorber (knee) - out, Nikola Topic (surgery) - out, Jalen Williams (hamstring) - out