Pascal Siakam delivered a monster performance when Indiana needed it most.
Siakam poured in 30 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and scored on a driving layup with 11.5 seconds remaining as the Pacers edged the Charlotte Hornets 114-112 on Thursday night. The win snapped Indiana’s 13-game losing streak and gave head coach Rick Carlisle the 1,000th victory of his NBA career.
Carlisle had been stuck on 999 wins since Dec. 8, when an injury-riddled Pacers squad defeated Sacramento. He now owns a 1,000-891 record across 24 NBA seasons.
T.J. McConnell provided a huge spark with 23 points and eight assists, while Aaron Nesmith added 16 points for Indiana.
Charlotte nearly spoiled the milestone behind LaMelo Ball, who came off the bench for the first time since Jan. 30, 2021. Ball drilled seven 3-pointers and finished with 33 points and eight assists, but the Hornets suffered a second straight heartbreaking home loss.
After Siakam’s go-ahead basket, McConnell came up with a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass. Ben Sheppard split a pair of free throws, giving Charlotte the ball down two with eight seconds left. The final possession unraveled, though, as Collin Sexton’s jumper rattled off the front rim and the Hornets couldn’t secure the rebound.
Charlotte was coming off a 97-96 loss to Toronto on Wednesday night, when Immanuel Quickley hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Hornets coach Charles Lee opted to bring Ball off the bench on the second night of a back-to-back, starting Sexton at point guard in an effort to manage Ball’s workload after multiple ankle injuries. Brandon Miller was ejected with 9:49 left in the third quarter after arguing with officials and finished with six points.
Up next, the Pacers host Miami on Saturday night, while the Hornets travel to Utah.
