{"id":676484,"date":"2026-03-24T14:56:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T14:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/676484\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T14:56:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T14:56:25","slug":"pacers-snap-16-game-losing-streak-on-pascal-siakam-block-rick-carlisle-updates-ivica-zubac-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/676484\/","title":{"rendered":"Pacers snap 16-game losing streak on Pascal Siakam block; Rick Carlisle updates Ivica Zubac injury"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Pascal Siakam helped the Pacers end losing skid in his offseason home of Orlando. (Photo: FDSNI)<\/p>\n

It had been a dark and gloomy 40 days for the Indiana Pacers.<\/p>\n

The losses piled up almost as bad as injuries had all season, and they hadn\u2019t tasted victory since the other side of the All-Star break, in Brooklyn on Feb. 11.<\/p>\n

There had been several new injuries, including a season-ending rib fracture<\/a> to newcomer Ivica Zubac, and several others in and out of the lineup. But what we saw after Monday\u2019s game was pure joy experienced by the Pacers.<\/p>\n

At last.<\/p>\n

It was a reminder that this team was not that bad, this wasn\u2019t a group that should lose a franchise record 16 straight games, as they did.<\/p>\n

The Pacers traveled to Orlando on Sunday, refocused, and were challenged by the coaching staff ahead of the second of this road trip before returning home for six of their final 10 games this season.<\/p>\n

\u201cA very competitive game,\u201d head coach Rick Carlisle said afterward. \u201c… It felt like a playoff-type game.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said they were all disappointed with their performance in San Antonio and the players were challenged to make a stand and raise their collective will. A simple message, but not so easy to execute when they\u2019re already out of contention for the playoffs.<\/p>\n

The players delivered.<\/p>\n

Led by a season-high 37 points from All-Star Pascal Siakam, the Pacers captured their first win of the month \u2014 and in 40 days.<\/p>\n

It all came down to the Pacers, who have allowed 127.7 points per game over the last 15 games, getting a stop.<\/p>\n

The Magic, trailing by two, called timeout and then got the ball to Paolo Banchero with five seconds remaining. Banchero had his way and produced a season-high 39 points. He drove the right baseline, Jay Huff came over to help, then Siakam recovered to get the block from behind.<\/p>\n

A Pacers win, finally, 128-126.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gotta get some wins, man,\u201d Siakam said during his on-court interview on FanDuel Sports Network Indiana<\/a>. \u201cWe gotta keep building on the team. It\u2019s been tough; it\u2019s been a tough year for us, man. It shows your character, it\u2019s gonna test you, but that\u2019s life. We\u2019re not gonna back down, we\u2019re gonna keep fighting for each other, keep working.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Interesting to me, it was done in the same city where the group first gathered, last September, for a players-only camp at Siakam\u2019s home.)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Pacers (16-56) led by 10 points after 1 by shooting 63% and keeping the Magic to a 31% clip. But their second quarter woes reappeared and the Pacers allowed 40, which sent them into the locker room trailing by five points.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had been allowing too much paint penetration in the second quarter,\u201d said Carlisle. \u201cWe had let a double-digit lead turn into a five-point deficit at halftime. I told the guys we\u2019re still in good position, here are the two or three things we\u2019ve got to do better.\u201d<\/p>\n

They then leaned on Aaron Nesmith out of the break. He scored 16 of his 19 points in the third, helping the Pacers erupt for a season-high 44 points in the period. They rode his playmaking.<\/p>\n

Point guard Andrew Nembhard was solid all night \u2014\u00a0finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds, and 14 assists while also defending Desmond Bane.<\/p>\n

By this point, it was clear the Pacers were all-in on a victory in this one. None of the three two-way players were active, Kobe Brown did not play for the first time since making his Pacers debut, and Carlisle\u2019s rotation was just nine.<\/p>\n

That also meant four of the five starters played at least 34 minutes, well above what they have been at recently.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s undoubtedly been a difficult month for the team. They need to experience winning again and hope that reinforce their core principles.<\/p>\n

More than anything, a standard has to be upheld.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s another thing Siakam reiterated in his postgame interview.<\/p>\n

\u201cContinue to focus on the basics,\u201d he said. \u201cLike I said, and I\u2019m going to keep saying it, it\u2019s been a hard year for us. So trying not to lose identity, who we are, Pacer basketball. Some of the things that I fell in love coming here and playing for the Pacers, we just want to keep that. It\u2019s something special.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s hard and the fans have been so awesome with us, sicking sticking with us, and I just think that at the end, it\u2019s gonna be a reward. I don\u2019t know what it\u2019s gonna be yet, but I just know that with the fight and continue to work and just continue to battle, we\u2019re gonna get out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The reward the Pacers would like to see? Keeping their top-four pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, then good health next season.<\/p>\n

But for now, on this night, the Pacers locker room got to experience winning together for the first time in too long.<\/p>\n

\"X<\/p>\n

Tyrese Haliburton@Hali<\/p>\n

Went to text the guys who played at Kentucky about this game and forgot they think they Arkansas alum now\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n

8:43 PM \u00b7 Mar 22, 2026 \u00b7 3.49M Views<\/p>\n

525 Replies \u00b7 2.83K Reposts \u00b7 43K Likes<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Haliburton\u2019s latest color way of his Hali 1 shoe came out last week<\/a> and it was special to see Carlisle wearing it for several games. I\u2019m not sure anyone took notice, but I sure did. Those little things matter.<\/p>\n

And while I mentioned college basketball, I\u2019ll be keeping tabs on Ronald Nored as a potential hire at Butler University after Thad Matta announced his sudden decision to retire one week ago as basketball coach. I wrote about Nored four years ago<\/a> and the story is still true. \u201cAs talented a young coach as I’ve ever been around,\u201d Rick Carlisle said then.<\/p>\n

Micah Potter was wearing what appeared to be padding under his right arm sleeve.<\/p>\n

Myles Turner was on another podcast and discussed his exit. If that\u2019s still of interest you, watch it here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Former Pacer Fred Hoiberg’s magical season as head coach at Nebraska continues… A 28-6 record, recording the program\u2019s first NCAA Tournament win, and now a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.<\/p>\n

Greg McDermott, father of former Pacer Doug McDermott, announced his retirement from coaching on Monday. He\u2019s the all-time winningest coach in program history at Creighton and is moving on after 16 seasons.<\/p>\n

IU head coach Darian DeVries was a longtime assistant on his staff from 2001-18.<\/p>\n

The term sheet was finalized by the WNBA and WNBPA on Friday and the players union shared that 100% voted to ratify the deal \u2014 with 93% participation from membership. So yes, the players are thrilled with the deal.<\/p>\n

A vote of team owners will come this week.<\/p>\n

Condolences to Boom head coach Tom Hankins and his family. He was away from the team this past weekend after his mother passed away. Associate head coach Justin Wetzel served as acting head coach.<\/p>\n

With a loss on Sunday, the Boom were eliminated from the playoff conversation. They had reached the postseason in each of the last three seasons.<\/p>\n

Just one more Boom game left at home this season: Thursday v Cleveland Charge at 7 ET.<\/p>\n

Pacers rookie Taelon Peter attended an Indy Ignite volleyball match last week.<\/p>\n

\"X<\/p>\n

Indy Ignite Pro Volleyball@IndyIgniteVB<\/p>\n

Shoutout to @Colts players Daniel Jones, Alec Pierce, Hunter Wohler & Ben Nikkel, and @Pacers’ Taelon Peter for pulling up and bringing the energy \ud83d\udd25<\/p>\n

#IndyIgniteVB | #WePlayWithFire <\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

1:25 AM \u00b7 Mar 20, 2026 \u00b7 36.3K Views<\/p>\n

6 Replies \u00b7 37 Reposts \u00b7 410 Likes<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

A member of one of Indiana\u2019s most prominent business families has died.<\/p>\n

David Simon, chairman, CEO and president of Simon Property Group, died March 22 following a battle with cancer, the company announced Monday<\/a>. He was 64.<\/p>\n

Simon was the son of the late Mel Simon, who died in 2009, also from cancer.<\/p>\n

In 2006, a $50 million donation<\/a> led to the renaming of the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center in his honor.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>David Simon was an IU graduate and led Simon Property Group. (Photo: SPG)<\/p>\n

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Simon Property Group grew into the world\u2019s largest retail real estate company under David Simon\u2019s leadership. He was named CEO in 1995 at age 33 and was a 1983 graduate of Indiana University\u2019s Kelley School of Business.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family and I are deeply saddened by my nephew David\u2019s passing,\u201d Pacers owner Herb Simon said in a statement. \u201cI was proud to see him grow into an exceptional and transformative leader whose vision, dedication and discipline helped shape Simon Property Group into the world\u2019s leading retail real estate company. His impact on our family, our community and the real estate industry will be felt for generations to come. We will miss him greatly.\u201d<\/p>\n

David and his wife, Jackie, had five children: Eli, Rebecca, Hannah, Sam and Noah.<\/p>\n

(Disclosure: As an Indianapolis native, I own shares of SPG.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Before leaving Indianapolis last Friday for a two-game road trip, the Pacers announced that center Ivica Zubac had suffered a rib fracture and would miss the rest of the season.<\/a><\/p>\n

The first time he discussed the injury came Saturday night in San Antonio before the team\u2019s 134-119 loss, their 16th in a row. Here\u2019s what Carlisle shared pregame.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt happened in the first quarter of the Portland game. He\u2019s not exactly sure when it happened. But later that night, he was having a lot of difficulty sleeping. Didn\u2019t get much sleep at all. Came in the next day and then got the MRI and there\u2019s a non-displaced fracture.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve ever had rib stuff, it\u2019s kind of the worst because it breathing bothers it, coughing bothers it, sneezing is impossible and laughing \u2014 you just can\u2019t do it. He\u2019s going to be uncomfortable for a while, but he will make a full recovery. It\u2019s a tough break for us because we were looking forward to seeing as much of that core group together as possible and now it\u2019s just not gonna happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Several times this season, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has said he\u2019d like the NBA to seriously consider shortening the schedule from 82 games.<\/p>\n

The game is played at a different speed, and despite teams\u2019 first-class amenities, can the league make such an adjustment? Carlisle, a Hall-of-Fame worthy coach, was asked for his perspective on March 17 while in New York City.<\/p>\n

A change would certainly disrupt records and history, but adaptation is key. As Carlisle noted, the biggest factor is whether it can work financially \u2014 because neither players nor owners will want to lose significant revenue.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019d be great if it was possible to do that,\u201d he said before the Pacers\u2019 136-110 loss (via SNY<\/a>). \u201cThere would be a lot involved with it. An obvious big revenue shift. You\u2019re talking about 10-12% of the games being eliminated. \u2026 the question is, would everyone be willing to do that if it was deemed that it would really help the game? It\u2019s a lively conversation. I\u2019ve heard Adam (Silver) talk about the possibility of shortening the season slightly, going back a few years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe game has changed. One of the compelling aspects of it to me is that when the effort was made to eliminate back-to-backs, in order to have the space to do that, you needed to shorten training camp. So training camp essentially became three weeks instead of four. That extra week to build a base in terms of strength, many layers of protection that you can get for the body, I\u2019ve always wondered if the effort to have less back-to-backs was really worth it. Essentially, you\u2019re playing every other day. But these are all questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of great things about today\u2019s game (and) schedule. The longer All-Star break has been a real positive\u2026. To get to the heart of the matter, you\u2019re going to have to talk about the finances of it. I certainly am in agreement that it\u2019s conversation worth having\u2026. (The exact solution) is hard to say\u2026 but the nature of the game has changed significantly. Steve is right on point with that. The speed and everything is quite different than it was 5-6 years ago, 3-4 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you think?<\/p>\n

Leave a comment<\/a><\/p>\n

Players on two-way contracts may be active for up to 50 games. To be clear, it\u2019s being designated as active \u2014 and not whether they play or not.<\/p>\n

Just 10 Pacers games left this season after playing in Orlando, where none of three were active.<\/p>\n

Taelon Peter: 9<\/p>\n

Ethan Thompson: 9<\/p>\n

Jalen Slawson: 8<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Lloyd Pierce visits with his alma mater and head coach Herb Sendek back in 2019. (Photo: Santa Clara Broncos)<\/p>\n

Indiana Pacers lead assistant coach Lloyd Pierce was on the verge of seeing his alma mater pull off a stunning upset to begin the 2026 NCAA men\u2019s basketball tournament.<\/p>\n

With the Pacers not having a game on Friday, Pierce made the trip over to St. Louis \u2014 about a four-hour drive from Indianapolis \u2014 to support the Santa Clara Broncos. He played for the university from 1994-98, and he was part of the program\u2019s last NCAA Tournament appearance in 1996.<\/p>\n

Click here to read more.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Eddie White (left) with Matt Asen and Raptors super fan Nav Bhatia.<\/p>\n

You may know him as the host of \u201cPacers Overtime,\u201d which he refers to as \u201cThe World\u2019s Greatest Postgame Show\u201d on 107.5 The Fan. Or you may remember when he co-hosted \u201cKravitz & Eddie\u201d on the same station more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n

Eddie White has seen and done it all in his sports career \u2014\u00a0and he\u2019s set to receive a special honor this summer.<\/p>\n

White will be one of 10 individuals inducted into the Luzerne County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame on June 7 in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.<\/p>\n

White, who truly knows just about everyone in sports, spent time at Notre Dame before becoming the director of public relations for the Miami Dolphins. He then worked with NFL and NBA teams while working for Logo Athletic, Reebok and Adidas before moving into media.<\/p>\n

Eddie is proud of his Pennsylvania roots and is the most-connected man in Indy. He\u2019s one of 10 members of the Class of 2026.<\/p>\n

From the announcement:<\/p>\n

EDDIE WHITE III – Sports communications – A native of Wilkes-Barre, a Bishop Hoban High School and Wilkes University grad, White has promoted athletes, coaches and teams through sports communications and marketing on various collegiate and professional levels for 45 years. He lives in Indianapolis, where he works for Pacers Sports & Entertainment, the Indiana Pacers and the Indiana Fever as a senior communications professional. Among his many duties, he hosts the Pacers Overtime post-game radio show. His previous employers included Wilkes, Notre Dame, the Miami Dolphins, Logo Athletic, Reebok, Puma and Adidas. He also hosted a radio show in Indy for ESPN. A popular MC for charity events in Indy, White worked 26 Super Bowls in various capacities for the NFL. He has also performed PR duties at the NBA and WNBA All-Star Games, the NBA and WNBA Finals; and numerous national championship events for multiple NCAA sports, including the NCAA men\u2019s and women\u2019s Final Four; PGA and LPGA events, MLB All-Star Games and major college bowls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pascal Siakam helped the Pacers end losing skid in his offseason home of Orlando. (Photo: FDSNI) It had…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":676485,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3774],"tags":[7,113,126,3866,6,114],"class_list":{"0":"post-676484","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-indiana-pacers","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-indiana","10":"tag-indiana-pacers","11":"tag-indianapacers","12":"tag-nba","13":"tag-pacers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116284740413395651","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=676484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/676485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=676484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=676484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=676484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}