Many hands pitched in to combine for a comeback win that was a reminder the good times enjoyed at the Fieldhouse last spring.
The Pacers beat the Bulls on Wednesday night, 113-110 after trailing most of the 48 minutes. Instead of fading away after falling behind by 14 points midway through the fourth quarter, the Pacers found a way to make all of the requisite plays needed to catch and surpass the Bulls.
That path to the dub required all hands on the court pitching in with positive plays at both ends of the floor which helped supercharge the surge into the lead and had the Fieldhouse expressing joy about defeating their rivals up north while also bringing back fond memories of so many never-say-die wins shared last April, May and June.
When Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith returned to the floor with about 7 and a half minutes left and the Pacers down 14, I figured Siakam would be working on getting his current 8 point total up to 20 for the game. Sure enough, Siakam score 8 of the Pacers next 11 points, which also cut the deficit to a more manageable 8 points with 5 minutes to go.
Then everyone turned up the heat.
A Furphy block lead to a Jay Huff signature dunk and the juices were really starting to flow in the gym. Furphy and Huff would join Siakam, Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard in the closing lineup as all five took turns making key plays.
The Pacers were still down 6 with 2:30 to go when Nesmith hit a 3-ball which set up a highlight sequence in the comeback. Huff was able to gather a steal from a sloppy pass attempt by Nikola Vucevic. Nembhard missed a long three, but Siakam made a strong effort to tap out the rebound and keep that possession alive which quickly lead to a Huff three and a tie game with 2 minutes to go.
The lead went back and forth a couple of times with Siakam answering with a bucket and then Nembhard getting into his midrange back to score a patented fade away in the paint. But a banked 3-ball from Vucevic had the Bulls up one before Nesmith was able to alter his dribble on the baseline to get by Vuc for a slick reverse layup that gave the Pacers the lead for good.
Nesmith closed up shop on Coby White at the other end of the floor which left Furphy at the line with two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to seal at worst overtime and at best the win. Furph knocked ‘em down in a pressure moment which added to his defensive presence down the stretch accounted for all five players rising up to deliver the win. As Carlisle said after the game, “We are a sum of the parts team.”
Oh, and Siakam did get his 20.
While the last five minutes of the game was THEE game, have to mention Benn Mathurin’s effort in the third quarter to keep the Pacers within touch. Mathurin scored 11 of his 15 points in the third which included a trio of treys and two rebounds. He finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds off the bench.
Jarace Walker had some more solid offensive plays as part of a strange game for him. Walker seemed a bit off overall, but did score an efficient 16 points in just over 21 minutes of run. However, looking at the box score, it is hard to see if he did anything else considering he had zero rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. He even had zero fouls! That combined with Huff’s solid play battling Vucevic is why Walker was involved in the crunch time run.
Now what?
The Pacers are back in action at the Fieldhouse on Saturday night to play the Hawks, again for the first of three home games in four nights. The Pacers begin the day with just Obi Toppin and Tyrese Haliburton on the injury list and Toppin was seen getting up shots at practice on Friday. The Hawks will be without Onyeka Okongwu this time around.
Tony Bradley completed his second and last 10-day contract with the Pacers on Wednesday, so he will not be returning pending the health of the remaining centers on the roster. Considering the Pacers haven’t even been starting a center of late, keeping four on the roster was overkill with Isaiah Jackson returning and remaining healthy. The move also keeps a roster spot open should the team need the space over the remainder of the season.
Pacers vs. Hawks
**Where:**Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Saturday, January 31, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +1.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Johnny Furphy, Pascal Siakam
Hawks: Dyson Daniels, CJ McCollum, Nickeil Walker-Alexander, Jalen Johnson, Mouhamed Gueye
Injuries
Pacers: Obi Toppin (hammy) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out
Hawks: Jalen Johnson (calf) - questionable, Zaccharie Risacher (knee) - questionable, Onyeka Okongwu (dental surgery) - out, Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) - out
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