Indiana lost 114-109 at home to Philadelphia, its second straight defeat, and slid from seventh to ninth. Siakam played like the best player on the floor, but the Pacers twice stopped moving the ball and the 76ers made them pay.
Siakam held up his end
Siakam finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds, matched only by Tyrese Maxey's 27 for Philadelphia. In his first 14 minutes he went 5 of 8 from the floor, made a steal, had no turnovers and was minus-1, the best figure on the team. Grade: A-minus. Kelly Oubre Jr. was efficient in a smaller role, 2 of 3 with his only three going in, and was minus-5 in 10 minutes. Grade: B.
Two runs, one hole
Indiana led 17-14 late in the first quarter, then Philadelphia scored eight straight, and Rick Carlisle called timeout down 22-17. Early in the second, a 31-30 game turned into 39-30 on another 8-0 burst. The gap reached 13 at 57-44 after a Joel Embiid layup, followed by an Andrew Nembhard bad pass that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope stole. Simons hit 4 of 7 threes off the bench and was plus-11. Nembhard set up teammates with six assists and made all five free throws, but he missed all six of his shots. Grade: C. Obi Toppin, cleared from a left hand issue that day, went 2 of 6 and was minus-11. Grade: D. Jarace Walker and Aaron Nesmith were each minus-6. Indiana finished with Nembhard, Oubre, Larry Nance Jr., Toppin and Siakam on the floor.
What the loss costs
At 2-3, Indiana sits ninth, a game behind 3-2 Charlotte for sixth and a half-game clear of eleventh. The current pace projects to 33-49. Fatigue played a part: the Pacers had one day of rest and four games in the previous seven days, while Philadelphia came in with two days off. Help is listed but not here yet. Ivica Zubac's estimated return is October 30 in Miami, T.J. McConnell's is November 2 against Atlanta, and Tyrese Haliburton's left hamstring keeps him out until an estimated November 13. Until he is back, the offense has to create good shots through quick passes instead of relying on one creator.
Who led the Pacers in the loss to the 76ers?
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 27 points.
When is Tyrese Haliburton expected back for the Pacers?
Haliburton is out with a left hamstring injury, and his estimated return date is November 13. ESPN reported that he will miss time.
