Pascal Siakam leads the way in Indiana Pacers win over Houston Rockets

Pascal Siakam had an efficient night as he led the Indiana Pacers to a 132-129 victory over the Houston Rockets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Pacers are having a breakout season this year thanks to the play of All-Star Tyrese Haliburton. In just his 4th season, the guard from Iowa State is proving to be one of the elite players in today’s game. He’s leading the league in assists at 11.8 per game while also scoring 22.6 points a night. Indiana reached the inaugural In-Season Tournament Finals and is now competing for a playoff spot so to increase their chances of success, they traded for All-Star forward Pascal Siakam on January 17, 2024. With one of the top offenses in the NBA and now 2 All-Star caliber players to go along with their elite role players, Indy can compete in the East with the best of teams.

Spicy P had a great game, finishing with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists on 69% shooting. Leader Tyrese Haliburton ended the game with 18 points and 7 assists, including the dagger floater with around 20 seconds remaining in the ball game. Myles Turner recorded 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

For the Rockets, Jalen Green led the way with his 30 points on 60% shooting. Alperen Sengun had an all-around game, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Jabari Smith Jr. ended with 20 points and 9 rebounds in his 40 minutes of play.

This win improves the Pacers to 29-23, which makes them 6th in the Eastern Conference. Indiana is now 2.5 games behind the 5th seeded Philadelphia 76ers and 1 game above the 7th seeded Orlando Magic. They are 5-5 over their last 10 games and currently on a 2-game winning streak. Their next game will be on Thursday night against the Golden State Warriors.

Meanwhile, this loss drops the Rockets to 23-27, which makes them 12th in the Western Conference. Houston is now 0.5 games behind the 11th seeded Golden State Warriors and 5 games above the 13th seeded Memphis Grizzlies. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games and currently on a 2-game losing streak. They will look to turn things around on Friday night against the Toronto Raptors.