INDIANAPOLIS — On a night when they wore city connect jerseys meant to resemble throwbacks to the 80s and 90s, the 2025-26 Pacers claimed a piece of unwanted franchise history for themselves.

Wing R.J. Barrett and center Jakob Poeltl scored 22 points each to lead the Raptors to a 129-111 win over the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night, giving Indiana its seventh straight loss and a 1-12 overall record. Each of the last five defeats have come by at least 17 points.

That stands alone as the worst 13-game start in franchise history. The 1988-89 Pacers started 1-11 but won their 13th game and eventually started 2-13 en route to a 28-54 record. These Pacers are coming off an NBA Finals run, and even though they didn’t have a good start to last season, they didn’t lose their 12th game until Dec. 1.

Forward Brandon Ingram added 19 points for the Raptors and forward Scottie Barnes had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 30 points, guard Andrew Nembhard added 22 but the Pacers didn’t get a third player in double figures.

Here are three observations.

Raptors dominate on the break, in the paint

The Raptors built their roster on long, athletic wings who can run the floor and get to the paint at will with R.J. Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram going 6-6, 6-7, 6-8 at positions 2-4 in the starting lineup and more length coming off the bnech. The Pacers were missing a lot of their wing depth with Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin out, and as a result the Raptors managed to run all over the Pacers and score at the rim whenever they wanted.

Toronto outscored the Pacers 78-38 in the paint and 33-18 on fast-break points and the Pacers could never come up with a defensive answer either in transition or in the half court. The Raptors spread the wealth with seven scorers in double figures. The Raptors made 39 of their 50 shots in the paint while the Pacers were 19 of 33 there.

The Raptors also won 46-40 on the glass and posted 19 second-chance points to the Pacers’ 13.

Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard did their part

With Aaron Nesmith newly out with a left knee sprain, Bennedict Mathurin still out with a great toe sprain, and of course Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin out until next season and at least Feb. 1, respectively, Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard knew they had to put a lot of points on the board to make this one even remotely competitive and they obliged. The Pacers’ two most decorated healthy players at least did their parts.

Both players had some added motivation playing against the Raptors with Siakam having played 7 1/2 seasons there and Nembhard having grown up in the suburbs of Toronto. They both certainly played like it. Siakam scored 30 points on 10 of 19 shooting including 5 of 10 from 3-point range while also grabbing four rebounds and two steals and dishing out three assists. Nembhard scored 11 of the Pacers’ first 22 points and ended up with 22 on 7 of 12 shooting including 4 from 5 from beyond the arc to go with four rebounds and five assists.

The rest of the team, not so much

In the first half, Siakam and Nembhard combined to score 31 of the Pacers’ 53 points, combining to shoot 12 of 20 from the floor and 7 of 12 from 3-point range while the rest of the team was 8 of 24 and 2 of 10. For the game, Nembhard and Siakam finished with 52 points and were 17 of 31 from the floor, 9 of 15 from 3. The rest of the team was 20 of 56, 6 of 28.

Heading into the third quarter, the Raptors had six players in double figures while the Pacers only had Nembhard and Siakam. At that point, just four other players had multiple field goals. Just two — T.J. McConnell and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl — had at least three and McConnell was the only one with four. By game’s end …. but still, the production from the Pacers’ supporting cast wasn’t nearly what the Pacers need it to be to have a chance. McConnell ended up with nine points, forward Jarace Walker had eight and Jay Huff had eight, but nobody else managed 10.

This, of course, is the challenge that the Pacers face. Siakam and Nembhard were the only players available on Saturday who averaged double figures last year. But at least until Bennedict Mathurin gets back — which may be this week — the Pacers need anyone else to score the ball. They’ve had reason to hope that would be Jarace Walker, but after an 0-of-10 shooting performance on Thursday against the Suns and a 1 of 9 outing against the Jazz, he was 2 of 9 on Saturday for eight points. He had eight rebounds, two assists and two steals but four turnovers.