Victor Wembanyama Nearly Posts Five-by-Five as Pacers Lose 16th Straight

The Indiana Pacers continued their losing streak, falling to the San Antonio Spurs, 134–119.

Indiana has now lost 16 consecutive games, more than it has won all season (15).

If there was any good news, the Pacers were relatively healthy. Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam returned to the lineup, leaving Tyrese Haliburton, Johnny Furphy and recently injured Ivica Zubac as the only unavailable players on the 15-man roster.

Before the game, head coach Rick Carlisle provided clarity on how Zubac suffered his season-ending rib injury.

“It happened in the first quarter of the Portland game. He’s not exactly sure when it happened, but later that night, he had a lot of difficulty sleeping. Didn’t get much sleep at all. Came in the next day, got the MRI, and there’s a non-displaced fracture. If you’ve ever had rib stuff, it’s kind of the worst because breathing bothers it. Coughing bothers it. Sneezing is impossible, and laughing — you just can’t do it. He’s going to be uncomfortable for a while, but he will make a full recovery. But it’s a tough break for us because we were looking forward to seeing as much of that core group together as possible, and now it’s not going to happen.”
Rick Carlisle on Zubac Injury

Zubac’s injury is another setback in what has been a difficult season for Indiana. His arrival generated intrigue about how his physical interior presence would mesh with the Pacers’ core, particularly alongside Siakam, but that pairing will now have to wait.

From Tyrese Haliburton’s injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City to now, the Pacers have struggled to find momentum. Even the Zubac trade, while intriguing, came with added pressure due to the risk tied to Indiana’s 2026 first-round pick.

On the floor, there were still some positives.

Nembhard impressed in his return, finishing with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line in 28 minutes. Siakam showed some rust, scoring 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting while adding five assists.

Jarace Walker delivered one of his most efficient offensive performances of the season, scoring 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three-point range. He also contributed four assists and four rebounds.

Pascal Siakam was a bit rusty in his return, scoring just 14 points on 6-14 shooting, but he did have 5 assists, and had a stretch where he rattled off seven-points in a row.

wemby — Mar 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

For San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama nearly recorded a five-by-five performance. After entering the game as questionable, he finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, five blocks and one steal.

Keldon Johnson provided a major spark off the bench, scoring 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting, while Dylan Harper added 24 points of his own on 9-of-13 from the field.

fox — Mar 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) goes up for a shot behind Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

San Antonio controlled the game physically, out-rebounding Indiana 49–26 and dominating the paint with a 76–48 advantage.

The Pacers did move the ball well, finishing with 38 assists (on 44 made shots) and just nine turnovers, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Spurs’ interior dominance.

Indiana will look to snap its losing streak Monday night against the Orlando Magic.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.