Pascal Siakam had 30 points and 14 rebounds, scoring with 12 seconds left to lift the Pacers to a 114-112 win over the Hornets on Thursday night at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
The victory ended the Pacers’ 13-game losing streak and ultimately gave head coach Rick Carlisle his 1,000th career win, making him the 11th coach in NBA history to reach this milestone. The Pacers currently have a record of 7 wins and 31 losses, still the worst record in the league. The Hornets lost 13-25.
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Pacers veteran point guard TJ McConnell scored 23 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals, of which Siakam stole immediately after shooting to help seal the victory. Forward Aaron Nesmith scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. Center Jay Huff scored 10 points, all in the second half. Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball scored 33 points and had 8 assists. Forward Miles Bridges scored 19 points and rookie guard Con Nupel had 18 points and 8 rebounds.
Rick Carlisle wins 1,000th game: Pacers coach’s milestone wins over the years
Pacers veterans Pascal Siakam, TJ McConnell step up when it matters most
Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell are the only two players on the Pacers roster over the age of 30, and the two veterans have almost indisputably remained Indiana’s most consistent players during one of the most brutal seasons in franchise history. Despite the Pacers’ struggles, Siakam remains hopeful of a fourth All-Star Game appearance and McConnell, 33, is having one of the most efficient offensive-per-minute seasons of his career.
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Arguably, no one on the roster can withstand a losing streak more than Siakam and McConnell, so it’s fitting that they are the ones who step up when games are on the line.
Siakam scored 15 of his 30 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the first quarter, and the Hornets wisely shifted their defensive focus to him. He only scored 3 points in the second quarter and 4 points in the third quarter, but he scored 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting in the fourth quarter, and all of those shots were huge. With 9 minutes and 59 seconds left in the game, he hit a three-pointer and the Pacers regained the lead after falling behind. With 3 minutes and 36 seconds left in the game, the two sides were tied at 106. Siakam scored in the paint and caused a foul. The Pacers led 109-106. Then he got the ball at the top of the arc, broke through the penalty area and scored a layup, giving the Pacers a 113-112 lead.
With Andrew Nembhard out, the Pacers have to rely on McConnell even more than usual. McConnell didn’t start as the Pacers elected to go a little longer with Quinton Jackson, but McConnell was productive offensively throughout the game and helped close the game out on defense. He performed very well in the mid-range, making 10 of 17 shots, including 1 of 3 three-pointers, and scored a season-high 23 points. Nine of his 10 shots were between 5 and 13 feet away from the basket because he never had a clear view of the rim. He dished out eight assists on four turnovers and had four rebounds and four steals.
The fourth one happened immediately after Siakam’s shot, and McConnell immediately turned to defense and caught the inbounds pass. The Pacers actually call this type of steal the “McConnell” because he’s recorded so many steals in his career, and this one was the game-winner.
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Ben Shepard, Aaron Nesmith replace LaMelo Ball
The Pacers had nothing to do with Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball in the first half, but they got enough help from the defender in the second half to make him uncomfortable down the stretch.
In the first half, Ball scored 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 4-for-6 from three-point range, mixed with some outstanding three-pointers and acrobatic drives. He scored at the buzzer in each of the first two quarters, hit a loose three-pointer at the end of the first quarter and had a driving layup at the end of the half.
He was still efficient in the second half, but not nearly as much as Pacers wingers Ben Shepard and Aaron Nesmith did their best to slow down Ball. He hit three three-pointers and scored 11 points, but shot 4 of 12 from the field and 3 of 9 from 3-point range.
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Nesmith also scored 16 points and hit 3 three-pointers. Sheppard only scored seven points, but he grabbed a huge offensive rebound to set up Siakam’s game-winner and then made a free throw to seal the final score.
Jay Huff scored 10 points in the second half
Pacers center Jay Huff, who has struggled to shoot for much of the season, was quiet in the first half and didn’t even take a shot. However, in the second quarter, he scored 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting, including two key three-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Pacers tie the score.
Dustin Dopilak has played all season for the Pacers. Get more coverage with IndyStarTV and the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Rick Carlisle scores 1,000th win, Pacers snap 13-game losing streak
