Pascal Siakam takes over in the 4th as Indiana Pacers pick up massive win over New Orleans Pelicans

The Indiana Pacers are competing for a playoff spot in the East and so far, their midseason acquisition of Pascal Siakam is paying off. In this game, Spicy P took over in the 4th quarter as he led his squad to a crucial 123-114 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The dynamic duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Siakam is thriving, as both of their games mesh together. Hali is an amazing facilitator while the former Raptor can drive, cut, or spot up from deep. Both players love to play at a high pace which provides them opportunities for lots of points on the break.

In this game, the 2 stars shined again, as the 1-time champion finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds while the 2-time All-Star ended with 17 points and 13 assists. To close out the game, these 2 took over on 4 straight possessions to close out the game, proving that their chemistry is continuing to grow each day.

Myles Turner had 14 points and 10 rebounds while Bennedict Mathurin scored 16 points. Obi Toppin came off the bench and had 16 points, including highlight dunks that pumped up the fans and his teammates.

For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram had a team high 30 point while Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum each scored 23. All 3 of these players were questionable for tonight’s game but ultimately they suited up. Herb Jones finished with 14 points and after a big scoring night in his previous game, Trey Murphy had just 11 points off the bench in this one.

This win improves the Pacers to 34-26, which makes them 7th in the Eastern Conference. Indiana is tied with the 5th seed Heat and 6th seed 76ers in the games back column, but due to the tiebreaker they sit at 7. This is a big deal because every team is trying to avoid the play-in, so every game matters and this victory was huge. They are 7-3 over their last 10 games and will have a rematch against the Pelicans on Friday.

Meanwhile, this loss drops the Pelicans to 35-25, which makes them 6th in the Western Conference. New Orleans is 6-4 over their last 10 games and they are in a competitive playoff race as they can either rise or fall in the standings after every single game. This loss hurts, but they will get a chance to redeem themselves on Friday at home.