Pascal Siakam drops 34, but Pacers fall for 12th straight loss

Indiana played well offensively, but it wasn't enough to snap their streak.

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam drives to the basket against Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers remain in the lost column after a 135-127 loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon inside the Kia Center.

The Pacers built an early lead against the Magic, but their struggles on defense continued in the second quarter when Orlando began to hit some shots. The Pacers didn't panic, but they struggled to get the lead back. They allowed 41 points in the second quarter, which is a hard blow to overcome.

In the second half, the Pacers got to within three points late, but that was as close as they would get to beating the Magic.

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. is fouled by Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Pacers fall short vs. Magic

Pacers star Pascal Siakam led all scorers in the game with 34 points, while Aaron Nesmith had one of his best games of the season with 25. Andrew Nembhard also showed up in the stat sheet with 20 points of his own.

The team was efficient on offense, making over 55 percent of their shots from the field, including 44 percent of their 3-point shots, but it wasn't enough to pull out the win because the defense was simply not up to par. The Magic made 56 percent of their shots and 46.9 percent of their 3-point buckets.

Oftentimes games come down to defense, but this one was just about who made more shots, and that ended up being the Magic, who have drastically improved their offense within the past couple of months since acquiring Desmond Bane, who scored a team-high 31 for Orlando.

The Magic were also supplemented by a 28-point, 12-rebound double-double from former No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero and 27 points from Anthony Black, who is emerging as one of the Most Improved Player of the Year award candidates. Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. also contributed with 18 points and 12 rebounds for the win while rookie Jase Richardson added 12.

The Pacers are proving they can compete with some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but it is still not translating to wins. The team is still looking for its first win since Dec. 8 when the Sacramento Kings came to town.

The Pacers are back in action on Tuesday when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.