Pacers Win BIG in Chicago: 49 Assists and a Tanking Dilema

The Pacers put together one of their most complete performances of the season in a win over Chicago, powered by elite ball movement and a true team effort. Indiana racked up 49 assists—the second-most in franchise history—including an incredible 30 in the first half, while extending their record to 9 straight games with 30+ assists. Simply put, the ball was flying. Pascal Siakam set the tone early, while Ben Sheppard caught fire in a stunning stretch that helped break the game open. The bench and two-way players stole the spotlight as well, with Ethan Thompson dropping a career-high 24 points and Jalen Slawson filling up the stat sheet in a do-it-all performance. It was a big win—and the Pacers have now taken 3 of their last 5—but it also raises a bigger question…Are they winning themselves out of better lottery odds? With Indiana now just 1.5 games out of 4th in the tank standings, we break down what this stretch means, whether the momentum is sustainable, and the ongoing tension between development, winning, and draft positioning.

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