The Indiana Pacers rose to new heights last season when they reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. However, the run ended brutally when they lost cornerstone Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles tear in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After Haliburton was eventually sidelined for this year’s campaign with that injury, the Pacers were somewhat prepared for a quiet season.
Even then, they might not have expected to sink to the low they are currently in. Following their Jan. 2 loss to the Spurs, the Pacers are now on an 11-game losing streak with an NBA-worst 6-29 record. This has now prompted some straight-faced comments from head coach Rick Carlisle.
Rick Carlisle Calls for Better Execution After Pacers’ Losing Streak Reaches 11
Carlisle has been stuck at 999 career wins for close to a month now. That win No. 999 came on Dec. 8, when the Pacers defeated the Sacramento Kings 116-105. Since then, the team’s performance has only gone downhill. They had a chance to turn it around Friday as they faced a Spurs team without Victor Wembanyama. However, they could not stop the Spurs’ young guards.
After the loss, Carlisle said, “It’s difficult to put together four great quarters. In our situation, we’re down a couple of guys, and we still have guys that are getting back into it. Those are obvious reasons, but execution has to be better, simple as that.”
“Execution has to be better. Simple as that,” Carlisle said, in part, when I asked about why the Pacers haven’t put together a 48-minute game in a whie.
Noted attention to detail was something they talked about at halftime in a later answer.
— Tony East (@TonyREast) January 3, 2026
In the first half, the Pacers shot 58.5% from the floor (24 of 41), including 6 of 13 from 3-point range, but their offensive efficiency was 1.08 points per possession because of the 11 turnovers. The Spurs shot worse in this half (51.9%), but they had 13 more field goal attempts because of their nine offensive rebounds to the Pacers’ zero and 16 second-chance points to the Pacers’ zero. That gave them a 71-58 halftime lead.
The Pacers cut the lead to six points because they performed better on the glass and reduced their turnovers, but the Spurs hit just enough shots to take the game away. De’Aaron Fox led San Antonio’s charge with 24 points, while young guards Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle added 22 and 19, respectively. The Spurs scored 60 points in the paint, mainly off the dribble. Turnovers and the Spurs’ offensive rebounds contributed to the Pacers’ misery.
Apart from Haliburton, the Pacers are missing Obi Toppin for at least another month after foot surgery. The team now stands on the verge of a record it would want to avoid. If they lose to the Orlando Magic in their next game, they will tie the franchise record of 12 losses in a row. This has happened three times previously, in 1983, 1985, and 1989.
Pascal Siakam leads the Pacers with 23.5 points a game, but Indiana ranks last in the NBA in field-goal percentage (43.8) and 3-point percentage (33.2). The squad expected Bennedict Mathurin to carry a share of the offensive load. He has been putting up a career-best 17.8 points a night, but scored only two against the Spurs in 19 minutes while battling foul trouble.
Notably, Carlisle was clear about his expectations of Mathurin. “Look, this is the opportunity of a lifetime for Benn Mathurin,” Carlisle said, per the Indianapolis Star. “He’s starting, he’s second on the team in minutes played with, I think 33 a game. There’s a great opportunity here. And we have to work at helping him adjust to his level of responsibility. This is a lot.”
The Pacers will look to bounce back Sunday afternoon when they travel to face the Orlando Magic (19-16) at 3 p.m. ET. They will then return home to host the Cleveland Cavaliers (20-16) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
