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Pacers Report Card: Siakam stands out in Pacers 13-point win vs. Dybantsa, Wizards

Finally, a home win, as Indiana's frontcourt steps up

Apr 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pacers picked up their first home victory of the season with a dominant fourth quarter, where they outscored the Wizards 37-24.

Indiana had several players contribute to their 114-101 victory. Let's grade their performances.

Pascal Siakam: A+

In approximately 32 minutes of play, Siakam was senstaional with 28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. He shot a perfect 12-12 from the free-throw line and had a much more balanced scoring attack with 7 in the first, 5 in the second, 8 in the third and 8 in the fourth. This was one of (if not) his most complete games of the season.

Ivica Zubac: A

When the big man gets the ball in the paint and takes his time, he is a force to be reckoned with. He was a monster on the glass tonight after a forgetful effort in Dallas with 12. He added 20 points on 60% shooting. His two blocked shots and defensive presence around the rim were felt in all 31 minutes he played and he did a great job minimizing Anthony Davis who scored just 21 points on 7-20 shooting.

Oct 13, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (10) gestures after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kelly Oubre Jr.: A

While this man cannot throw a three into the ocean, he did everything else incredibly well tonight. In the first half, I confused Oubre for Robin Hood with how many steals he had. Those four steals were sensational and led to big buckets for the Pacers. Carlisle said it was easily his best game with Indiana and the results back that up. He was a team-best +18 in the plus-minus category and shot 7-10 from 2-point range.

Andrew Nembhard: A

The Pacers elected to go with one ball-handler with the starters tonight and this put more weight on Nembhard's shoulder. He was extremely solid in this one with 17 points on 6-11 shooting and 10 assists to just 1 turnover. But the key was that he stepped up big in the fourt. 11 of his 17 points came during that period and he went 3-4 from three. Just a solid game overall.

Aaron Nesmith: D+

I hate being critical of Nesmith after leaving the game with knee soreness, but he went just 1-6 from the field for 2 points. The only basket he made was a strong drive with his left hand in the second quarter. Other than that, he played good defense but the team was able to elevate their play without him on the floor.

Apr 12, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Jalen Slawson (18) shoots against Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jalen Slawson: A+

After playing last night for the Noblesville Boom, Slawson did not check into the game until the fourth quarter. He played all 12 minutes in the period, and was a +13 during that stretch. He only scored 2 points but had 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. His dunk in transition was a real energy booster for the crowd and once again his consistent hard play led to another terrific showing.

Jarace Walker: D

Over the last four games, Walker has been the 10th or 11th player inserted into the rotation. Tonight, he was a team-worst -9 in the plus-minus category and was ripped by Coach Carlisle after a poor defensive possession in the first half. He scored just 1 point, had 1 rebound and was outplayed by Nance and Slawson with their fourth quarter showing. His minutes were already low at 7, but they might continue to trend down if he doesn't step up his play.

Jay Huff: C

After not playing against Dallas, Huff was the first big off the bench tonight. In 11 minutes he played okay, but didn't provide much. He had a terrific few plays that really energized the crowd: a reverse dunk off a beautiful Nembhard dime and a blocked lob attempt to Davis. But similar to Walker, the team got outplayed when he was on the floor (-8). Huff is at his best when he is spreading the floor and making threes and the team needs a better showing of that.

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball while Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

T.J. McConnell: B+

This was a pretty solid showing from McConnell tonight as he played an increased number of minutes after returning against Denver on Saturday. In 14 minutes, he had 7 assists, 0 turnovers and went 3-6 from the field. He also had a steal in his first defensive play of the game that really energized the crowd. With Haliburton out at least the next 4 games, the Pacers will need more performances like this from their veteran guard.

Obi Toppin: C+

I thought Obi played a solid game tonight but also had some not-so-great moments. During the 3rd quarter, Zubac had defended Davis well at the rim and he missed the shot. After the shot ricocheted off the rim, Toppin lollygagged to get the defensive rebound and Davis was able to pick the loose ball up and score. Carlisle immediately called a timeout and gave Toppin an earful. That can't happen when rebound has been an emphasis with this team all year long. Toppin finsihed with 8 points on 3-7 shooting and went 1-2 from three.

Oct 13, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson (29) stands on the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Quenton Jackson: B-

I thought Q had a nice game tonight even though he didn't light up the boxscore. It was a weird offensive game from him as he only took four shots, but he did drill one of the Pacers 9 made threes in a crucial part of the game. Overall, there was nothing extraordinary about his game, but he played hard, gave a ton of effort, and was still a 0 in the plus-minus when most of the bench unit had negatives.

Larry Nance Jr.: A

Last but certainly not least is Nance. He played just 5 minutes in the fourth quarter, but he was a part of a unit of Siakam, Nembhard, Slawson and Oubre that turned a tie game into a double-digit lead. He made both of the shots he took: one was a corner three and the other was a terrific backdoor cut that got him a wide-open dunk. Zubac relieved him of his responsbilities in the fourth with 7 minutes to go, but he was a +12 during that huge run. Excellent showing from him in the small portion of the game he played.

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