The Pacers are frustratingly close but just can't win

INDIANAPOLIS – Pascal Siakam is waiting for the sun to shine.

His Pacers keep losing, but boy are they close to a different fate. A double-overtime loss on opening night and a miss on a potential game winner at the buzzer in Dallas are two games where one single possession would have flipped the result of a game for Indiana. Frustrating, but not a situation this team is unfamiliar with – they were on the other end of those games often last season.

On Monday, the Pacers were once again on the wrong end of a one-possession tilt. This time, it was at the hands of their Central Division rivals – the Milwaukee Bucks knocked the Pacers to 1-6 as Giannis Antetokounmpo hit a fadeaway jumper over both Isaiah Jackson and Aaron Nesmith as time expired. The final score: Bucks 117, Pacers 115.

"We've just gotta keep weathering the storm. Hopefully, we get some sunshine coming up soon," Siakam, who finished with 32 points, five rebounds, and eight assists, said after the game.

It's understandable why Siakam feels that way. Losing isn't fun. It's also a challenging emotional moment for the Pacers, who are losing but playing noble basketball. They are extremely shorthanded yet pushing teams for 48 minutes. Their fight, impressive. Their record, not.

It just hasn't paid off yet. And in five of their seven games, someone on Indiana's roster has gone down with an in-game injury. Altogether, it's draining. You lose resources, battle like hell to make up for the loss, then come up short anyway.

And it happens again and again. "It's almost laughable, you know? It's not funny. It's just a tough situation," Siakam said of the team's mounting injuries. "We had an excellent postseason, and then we come into the season and guys get injured. Things that are out of our control, how are we going to react? We can either go and cry about it, and I'm sure people don't feel sorry for us... it's life. We've just got to move on and continue to find ways to be positive and get wins."

The defeat at the hands of the Bucks featured the most dramatics. Aaron Nesmith tied the score with 15 seconds to go before Antetokounmpo played hero. The Pacers were down 11 in the fourth quarter prior to coming back to tie things up, only to fall again.

Along the way, they lost Johnny Furphy (ankle) and Quenton Jackson (hamstring) to injuries. Jackson was spectacular just two days earlier in a win over the Golden State Warriors. Furphy's defense had become a useful tool for the second unit. Without either of them, plus another half-dozen players out, the Pacers were closing an important game with hardship signee Jeremiah Robinson-Earl on the floor. Siakam and Jarace Walker both touched/neared 38 minutes of play in the seventh game of the season.

And after all that, the Pacers had to leave with a heartbreaking loss. So far, they've played in five clutch games – only Milwaukee has more this season through Monday's action. Indiana's net rating in their clutch minutes is -0.5, which ranks 14th in the NBA. Yet they are 1-4 in such games – somewhat a result from playing from behind, but still a reflection of how close they are to winning more than they have. Even with fight, pride, and a crunch-time win over the Warriors, the number of painful losses stings.

"Very good. This is all you can ask for," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of how he was feeling after his team's fight in Pacers-Bucks. "This journey is difficult but important. We've all got to keep our eye on the ball, keep fighting, and keep giving us chances."

So, the Pacers are close. If three or four plays go a different way, they could be 3-4 or 4-3 right now. There are no moral victories, but they've nearly had several. Eventually, though, they need some real wins.

More notes from the Pacers loss to the Bucks

Myles Turner makes his return to Indiana

This was obviously the major sublot of the game. After addressing the not-as-fun business parts of his business decision in the morning, Turner suited up for the Pacers biggest rivals and played against the Pacers.

Weird! As expected, there was a well-made tribute video. My personal prediction was more cheers than boos during that video, then boos for basically the rest of the game. Nope. It was probably 75-25 boos during the pregame celebration, then 100-0 boos the rest of the way.

It was clear from Turner's reaction that the ratio surprised him, at least somewhat. Player introductions took place after the video, and Turner then spent some time saying hello to the Pacers coaching staff just before tipoff.

Perhaps it was due to early-game emotions, perhaps it was tactically related, but Turner's best stretch came early. He had seven points, two rebounds, and three blocks in just the first quarter as the Bucks surged ahead. Milwaukee won his early minutes by eight.

He had just two more points the rest of the night, though they were crucial. Turner finished with nine points, seven boards, and five blocks. He heard boos on every touch and shot just 3/7 from the field.

"It was disheartening man, it was frustrating," Turner said of the reception postgame. "You give 10 years of your life, your blood, your sweat, your tears... and then sometimes that's not how stuff shakes out."

Antetokounmpo was also disappointed by the boos, and it added to his desire to win the game. He wanted to show camaraderie and encouragement for his new teammate, so he mixed in some reactions himself – including a thumbs down for the crowd.

This storyline is over now, at least at this temperature. The first Pacers game in Milwaukee this season will surely feel big. But Turner's return is done, and both sides can move on emotionally. And Turner had one more thing to add about hearing boos before the night ended.

"You take pay cuts, you survive trade rumors. You try to do everything the right way. And then sometimes, that's not how stuff shakes out," he said after the game. While I do think many of Turner's comments since leaving Indiana have been misconstrued, I don't recall him ever taking a pay cut (both of his non-rookie deals with the Pacers were extensions at more-than-fair market values), and I don't think he handled everything perfectly for the entire decade. Truly, I think he'd admit that. But this is all up for interpretation, just like most of Turner's messages since July 1. The game, and the return, are now over.

Injuries, again?

Down went Quenton Jackson after chasing Antetokounmpo down the floor. I saw him holding his head after hitting it on the court, and Tom Lewis of Indy Cornrows, sitting just a few seats away, saw him appear to strain something in his leg.

Jackson went to the locker room and didn't return. He's now out for Pacers-Nets on Wednesday with a right hamstring strain. Notably, that's the same hamstring that kept Jackson out for some preseason action and the first two games this season. It's a significant loss for the blue and gold – Jackson was their best option at point guard among their healthy players of late. He made several crucial plays down the stretch in their lone win over the Golden State Warriors.

Less than 10 minutes of game action later, Johnny Furphy was laboring around the court with an ankle injury. He, too, left the game and went back to the locker room in pain. He, too, did not return. And he, too, will miss Pacers-Nets with a left ankle sprain.

Furphy was moving around on crutches after the game, and he previously missed time with a foot injury this season. He's been banged up during a time that could be useful for him to develop and play big minutes. Instead, he'll have to sit and heal.

With those two players listed as out for Wednesday's game against Brooklyn, the Pacers will now be missing eight players that night: Furphy, Jackson, Tyrese Haliburton, Kam Jones, T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, Bennedict Mathurin, and Andrew Nembhard. One more absence and half the team would be sidelined. RayJ Dennis, who only played for about eight minutes against Milwaukee, is probable with a sprained lower back.

Athlete Of Distinction: Isaiah Jackson

Isaiah Jackson, have a night. The young center outplayed Turner and finished with 21 points plus 10 boards. It was his 13th career double-double and second-consecutive game scoring in double figures.

Jackson shared postgame that he feels like he is getting his wind back. It's noticeable. He's in a tough reality – he should be getting grace as he recovers from a torn achilles during his age 23 season. He's playing in all new lineups. But he's the team's starting center and should be judged for his effectiveness as a starting center.

Of late, he looks more like one. He's reacting to space on the court and finding openings to score, just like he did on these three baskets.

It's the same thing I said about Tony Bradley's strong game in Minnesota: simple, but effective. That's what Indiana needs from their fives.

Jackson's defense, which has always been his better side of the ball, was better against Milwaukee than it has been in other outings. He fouled just three times in 29 minutes, a major achievement, while also nabbing two steals and adding a block.

Once Toppin went down, Jackson became far more important. Unless a move is made, he's the team's best option at center until Toppin returns. And right now, the Pacers net rating when he's on the floor (+3.8) is far better than when he's off (-14.3).

He benefits from playing with the starting lineup there, but Jackson has the highest ceiling of any center on the Pacers. The team functions well when he's making plays. He has to be on the floor to do that – and he's been better about fouling and being productive of late. It's a trend worth monitoring as the Pacers keep searching for the wins they are oh-so-close to getting.

Thank you for reading. I'll have stories up soon about a Fever podcast I did recently and what I saw at the Noblesville Boom's opening action – an instrasquad scrimmage. Subscribe to not miss a thing!