The Indiana Pacers keep finding the same script in preseason: strong first-half work, then a late fade and another gut-punch finish.
Saturday night against the Milwaukee Bucks followed that pattern. Indiana built a 15-point lead behind its starters, including a second quarter in which the Pacers poured in 42 points in 12 minutes, only to watch Milwaukee chip away. The Bucks outscored Indiana by 12 in the third quarter and by three in the fourth, turning the game into yet another one-possession loss that felt painfully familiar.
There are two ways to read that kind of outcome. One is to take heart in the fact that the starting group has been good enough to create those big advantages in limited minutes. The other is to look straight at the bench and worry about what happens once the starters sit, because nobody beyond the first five has really steadied the ship.
Pascal Siakam gave Indiana a much-needed lift after a rough preseason stretch. He finished with 24 points in 21 minutes, hitting 8 of 10 shots and 5 of 7 from three. His plus-23 on/off differential was the best on the team.
But the larger issue showed up in the numbers around him. The three lowest performers on the Pacers roster were tied at minus-14: center Jay Huff, former first-round pick Ben Sheppard, and recent standout Quenton Jackson. That creates a 37-point swing between Siakam and that group.
For a team trying to win, a bench doesn’t have to become a headline act. It just has to hold the line, preserve what the starters build, and avoid turning an advantage into a scramble. The Pacers’ reserve group hasn’t done that consistently, and that’s the part that stands out most right now.
Tyrese Haliburton’s health has been tested as much as it can be in five games. Evita Ops is fitting in and helping the team work toward something more cohesive. Those questions have at least started to settle.
The one that hasn’t is the bench, and that’s the worry hanging over Indiana after another frustrating finish.
In Other News...
Braden Smith Is Giving Pacers Fans A Real Backup Guard Debate
Braden Smith keeps making a case for himself in the Pacers backcourt picture, and Fridays preseason game against the Bucks gave fans another reason to pay attention. In 14:22 of regulation, the two-way guard handed out 6 assists, showed the kind of live-dribble vision Indiana likes, and flashed the baseline creativity that has helped him stand out as he works to sharpen his aggressiveness and passing.
Tyrese Haliburton was quick to notice the playmaking, praising Smiths ability to create for others and likening his feel for getting to the baseline to T.J. McConnells, even with McConnell sidelined because of an undisclosed issue. The Pacers lost in overtime, but Smiths minutes only added to a debate that already feels like it could last beyond preseason if he keeps stacking nights like this. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburtons Fiery Bucks Exchange Looks Even More Personal Now
Tyrese Haliburtons preseason night against Milwaukee already carried more edge than most exhibition games, and the back-and-forth with Ryan Rollins gave it a sharper tone. After a hard foul sparked a heated verbal exchange, Haliburton was hit with a technical foul, then answered with a three-pointer before appearing to keep the conversation going in Rollins direction.
The Pacers and Bucks wound up needing overtime before Milwaukee escaped with a 128-127 win, though neither player was on the floor for the extra session. In a game that otherwise could have blended into the preseason background, the exchange stood out as one of the more personal moments between two teams that will see plenty more of each other. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Title Hopes Could Depend On Two Lingering Roster Concerns
The Pacers have spent the offseason shaping a roster with championship intentions, and the top end of that group still looks good enough to support those hopes. Tyrese Haliburton is back healthy after dealing with some minor preseason injuries, which helps stabilize the offense and keeps Indiana on the kind of track it envisioned when it put this roster together.
Still, the margins could matter once the season gets rolling. Indiana has leaned on a committee to handle the backup center role, and there is a chance the front office looks for help there before the deadline, while the situation behind veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell also bears watching because of health and depth concerns. Those are the kinds of issues that can fade in October and become a real problem by spring if they are not addressed. [Read more 🡒]