The Nightmare is Over: Indiana Pacers Finally Remember How To Win
Let’s be honest, things were getting pretty bleak in Indianapolis. When you’re sitting at 1-13, staring up at the rest of the league from the very bottom of the barrel, “optimism” starts to sound a lot like “delusion.” But on Wednesday night, the Indiana Pacers finally decided they were tired of being the league’s punching bag.
They snapped an ugly eight-game losing streak with a 127-118 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, and for the first time in weeks, the locker room vibes didn’t feel like a funeral.
It wasn’t just that they won; it was how they played for the first 36 minutes. It looked like a completely different team out there. But, true to form for a struggling squad, they almost gave fans a heart attack in the fourth quarter. Let’s break down how Indiana finally got back in the win column.
Mathurin Walks the Walk
If you’re going to talk a big game when your team has one win, you’d better back it up. Bennedict Mathurin did exactly that. Before the game, Mathurin was dropping quotes about how the season wasn’t over, asking, “Why can’t we be a team that wins 10 games in a row?”
Most people rolled their eyes. Then he went out and dropped 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. That is what you call putting your money where your mouth is.
It wasn’t a perfect game—he had a scary moment late (more on that in a second)—but Mathurin provided the spark and the swagger this team has been desperately missing. When your young star plays with that kind of “glass-half-full” energy, it’s contagious.
The Offense Finally Woke Up
For three quarters, the Pacers looked like the offensive juggernaut NBA fans thought they might be. They were shooting the lights out. We’re talking video game numbers. They didn’t shoot below 60% from the field in any of the first three quarters.
Pascal Siakam was his usual steady self, chipping in 22 points, but the real surprise of the night was Jay Huff. Who had “Jay Huff dropping 20 points off the bench” on their bingo card? Not me. But he was fantastic, hitting a season-high and looking like a legitimate weapon.
When you have the bench unit stepping up and the starters clicking, usually, you cruise to an easy win. The Pacers were up by as many as 24 points. It should have been garbage time by the mid-fourth quarter.
A Classic “Hold My Beer” Collapse Attempt
Because nothing comes easy for a 1-13 team, the Pacers decided to make things interesting. And by interesting, I mean terrifying for their fans. Credit to the Charlotte Hornets. Despite losing their fourth straight game, they didn’t quit. Rookie Kon Knueppel (28 points) and Miles Bridges (25 points) led a furious charge. LaMelo Ball added 18, and suddenly, a 20-point blowout turned into a nail-biter.
The Hornets went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter. You could practically feel the collective groan from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd. “Here we go again,” right? The lead shrank to six. The ghosts of the last eight losses were haunting the building.
The Defensive Play Of the Year (So Far)
This is where the game was won. With under four minutes to go and the lead dwindling, Mathurin made a mistake. Collin Sexton picked his pocket. It looked like an easy layup for Charlotte, which would have cut the lead to four and blown the roof off the pressure cooker.
Instead of hanging his head, Mathurin spun around, chased Sexton down, and swatted the shot from behind.
It was pure hustle. It was redemption. It was the kind of play that stops a losing streak dead in its tracks. If Sexton made that layup, who knows? Maybe the Pacers lose. But the block preserved the lead, stabilized the energy, and Indiana made enough free throws down the stretch to ice it.
What This Means For the Indiana Pacers
Look, they are 2-13. Nobody is planning the championship parade route yet. But you have to start somewhere. As Mathurin said, they’ve played less than 15% of the season.
This win proves they can score with anybody when the shots are falling. It proves they have young guys who care. And most importantly, it proves they remember what it feels like to walk off the court with a W.
For Charlotte, it’s back to the drawing board. They crashed the offensive glass hard (17 offensive rebounds) and showed a lot of heart in the comeback, but you can’t let a team shoot 60% for three quarters and expect to win. The Pacers live to fight another day. The streak is dead. Long live the new streak? We’ll see.
