NBA: Pacers edge Magic, finally end 16-game losing streak

Pascal Siakam scored 37 points as the Indiana Pacers snapped a franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a thrilling 128-126 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday.

Jarace Walker added 20 points, Aaron Nesmith contributed 19—all in the second half, including 5 of 8 from three-point range—and Andrew Nembhard recorded 13 points with 14 assists.

It was Indiana’s first win (16-56) since Feb. 11, before the All-Star break.

For Orlando (38-33), Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 39 points, Tristan da Silva added 21, and both Wendell Carter Jr. and Desmond Bane chipped in 17 points each. The Magic suffered their fifth straight loss.

Banchero hit a pair of free throws with 28.9 seconds remaining, trimming Orlando’s deficit from 125-113 to 128-126. Siakam missed a turnaround jumper with 8.4 seconds left, and a scramble for the rebound led to a jump ball between Banchero and Nesmith. Banchero won the tap, and after a timeout, his drive in heavy traffic was blocked by Siakam as time expired.

After a shaky first half, hitting just 4 of 16 from beyond the arc, the Pacers turned it around in the second half, going 12 of 19 from three-point range. Indiana jumped to a 34-24 lead after the first quarter and weathered an Orlando surge in the second period, where Banchero scored 17 points to give the Magic a 64-59 halftime lead.

The third quarter belonged to Indiana. After Carter’s dunk opened the period, the Pacers responded with a 15-3 run. Nesmith led the charge with 16 points, including a perfect 4 of 4 from three-point range, helping Indiana outscore Orlando 44-31 for a 103-95 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Indiana held on in a tightly contested fourth quarter to finally end their losing streak and hand Orlando another tough defeat.

—Field Level Media/Reuters