Pelicans face Pacers tonight in Indianapolis, Siakam leads Pacers offense

Pascal Siakam leads the Pacers into an NBA matchup tonight against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Pacers (9-32) aim to extend their recent momentum, while New Orleans (10-33) looks to sweep the season series. Tip-off is 7:00 PM ET Friday, January 16, 2026.

Siakam Carrying Injured Pacers Toward Shot at Redemption

Pascal Siakam has been the Pacers’ anchor all season without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. The 2025 NBA Finals team lost their franchise player to an Achilles injury in the offseason. Siakam responded by elevating his game significantly in January, averaging 23.9 points with 8.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Coach Rick Carlisle praised Siakam for playing at “an All-Star level.”

Indiana snapped a 13-game losing streak with three consecutive wins before Wednesday’s 115-101 loss to Toronto. The Pacers have held opponents to under 118.3 PPG in their last four games. Despite missing Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Isaiah Jackson, Indiana finds momentum heading into tonight’s matchup.

Trey Murphy’s Breakout Campaign Powers Surging Pelicans

Trey Murphy III has emerged as a genuine All-Star candidate this season for New Orleans. The fifth-year wing scored 34 points against Brooklyn on Wednesday, marking his fourth time eclipsing 30 in his last five games. His January average of 31.7 PPG trails only Luka Doncic’s 33.8 across the entire league. Murphy is shooting an elite 55% from the field, 42% from three, and 85% from the free throw line.

Zion Williamson complements Murphy perfectly, scoring 22.4 PPG on 57.9% shooting. The Pelicans beat Brooklyn 116-113 despite playing the second night of a back-to-back, after Williamson shot 11-for-14 and added 25 points. New Orleans won their last matchup against Indiana 128-109 on December 20, with Williamson scoring 29 points off the bench.

Matchup Comparison and Key Storylines

Factor	Pacers	Pelicans
Record	9-32	10-33
Star Player	Pascal Siakam (23.9 PPG)	Trey Murphy III (22.2 PPG)
Recent Form	3-4 in January (improved)	2-2 last 4 games (surging)
Head-to-Head	30-22 all-time	Seeking first sweep since 2019-20

Andrew Nembhard has been critical for Indianapolis in January, averaging 18.3 PPG and 8.7 APG while shooting 50% from the field and 44% from three. The Pacers’ versatile guard was restricted to 7 points on 2-of-11 shooting in the December matchup. Aaron Nesmith has regained the starting lineup after injury and remains vital for closing games.

“We’re seeing some young guys make some real progress. That’s important. The three wins we had were uplifting and so we’re going to keep competing to win.”

— Rick Carlisle, Pacers Head Coach

Both Teams Fighting From Injury-Plagued Seasons

Indiana remains severely shorthanded without Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered his Achilles tear in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The former Western Conference winners also miss Bennedict Mathurin with a thumb sprain and Obi Toppin with a foot stress fracture. Johnny Furphy, the young forward, recorded his first career double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) on Wednesday against Toronto.

New Orleans battles their own injury crisis, missing Dejounte Murray with an Achilles rupture, Herb Jones with an ankle sprain, and Jose Alvarado with an oblique strain. Despite three significant absences, Zion Williamson has now played in 17 straight games, his longest streak since the 2023-24 season. Yves Missi on the boards has been crucial, grabbing 6.8 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes recently.

Can Two Struggling Teams Find Their Rhythm?

Tonight’s matchup features two franchises searching for stability after difficult seasons. The Pelicans won their season-series opener 128-109 and are hunting their first season sweep of Indiana since 2019-20. New Orleans is 6-9 versus the East but struggles significantly against the West at 4-24. Indiana shows opposite trends, going 2-12 against the West but improving against the East at 7-20.

Murphy acknowledged the reality of their situation after his 34-point performance, stating that individual accolades mean little without team success. Both franchises must prove their recent improvements represent genuine turnarounds or merely statistical flukes in historically disappointing seasons.

Sources

• NBA.com – Official game preview and team statistics for Pelicans vs Pacers
• ESPN – Player stat lines and performance trends for Trey Murphy and Pascal Siakam
• Pelicans.com – Official gameday update with injury reports and matchup analysis