Pacers win, return home to face Lakers
The Pacers tightened up the rotation and took it to the Magic to earn a win that was good for the hoops soul.
They still got it.
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.
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