Pacers’ Spiral Continues as Siakam Carries Weight of 13th Straight Loss

The Indiana Pacers are running out of ways to explain the slide. Tuesday’s 120–116 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers — a team missing Donovan Mitchell — marked their 13th consecutive defeat, extending a stretch that has turned frustration into routine.

This is not a group lacking effort. The Pacers compete, scrap and hang around games longer than their record suggests, but the margins have evaporated late, often with the same result.

At the heart of the struggle is Pascal Siakam, whose nightly workload has ballooned as injuries have stripped the roster of reliable scoring options. The forward has missed only one game all season, a testament to both his durability and his sense of responsibility.

Yet even his resilience has not been enough to stop the bleeding, and with each loss, the weight on his shoulders grows heavier.

1. Siakam’s Uneven Night

Siakam finished with nine makes on 23 attempts against Cleveland, a line that might invite criticism in isolation. Context, however, tells a different story. With the Pacers depleted, opposing defenses can load up on Siakam without fear of being punished elsewhere. Traps, help defenders and double teams have become the norm, forcing him into difficult looks late in the shot clock. Despite the inefficiency, Siakam continued to attack, diving into traffic and fighting for position in the paint, fully aware that passive nights are not an option for this version of Indiana. For a player who built his reputation on deep postseason runs and championship-level expectations, the disconnect between effort and outcome has been jarring.

2. Carlisle’s Public Support

Head coach Rick Carlisle has not hidden his admiration for Siakam’s commitment. After the loss, he made a point of singling him out. “The guy I feel for the most is Siakam,” Carlisle said, emphasizing how much his star forward wants to deliver wins for a fan base starved for optimism. Carlisle’s words were less about one box score and more about a season-long burden. Siakam has been the Pacers’ constant, even as the rotation around him has been reshuffled by injuries. In a year where morale is fragile, Carlisle’s message served as a reminder that, inside the locker room, Siakam’s effort is not being taken for granted.

3. From Promise to Collapse

The contrast between opening night and the present is stark. Indiana pushed the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to the brink in its season debut, a performance that hinted at a competitive, playoff-caliber squad. Then the injuries began to pile up, eroding depth and continuity. What once looked like a balanced roster slowly transformed into a patchwork lineup searching for answers. The losses mounted, the margins tightened, and the Pacers found themselves chasing the same game scripts — close early, unravel late — on a near nightly basis. For Siakam and the remaining veterans, the rapid unraveling has been as disorienting as it has been discouraging.