18-Win Pacers Complete Season Sweep of Bulls With 145-126 Rout

Pascal Siakam scored 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting, Ethan Thompson added 24, and the Indiana Pacers dismantled the Chicago Bulls 145-126 on Wednesday night at the United Center. The Pacers tallied 49 assists — one shy of a franchise record — shot 56.9 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three in their highest-scoring game of the season. Indiana completed a 4-0 season sweep of the Bulls and improved to 18-58, pulling a game ahead of Washington for second-to-last in the NBA. Guerschon Yabusele led Chicago with 20 points, Collin Sexton had 18, and Matas Buzelis posted 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists without Josh Giddey (left hamstring tightness). The Bulls have now lost five straight and fall to 29-47.

Indiana's Ball Movement Overwhelmed Chicago From the Start

The Pacers assisted on 30 of their 33 first-half field goals. That number is not a typo. Indiana shot 61.1 percent from the floor before intermission and led 83-66 at the break — a season high for points in a first half. Siakam had 23 first-half points on 10-of-13 shooting while Jay Huff went 5-of-6, including four threes, and added three assists. Six Pacers finished with five or more assists for the game — Kam Jones dished 7, Quenton Jackson and Kobe Brown each had 6, and Siakam, Thompson, and Jalen Slawson each had 5. Brown added 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting with 8 rebounds, and Huff finished with 17 on 6-of-8 (5-of-7 from three) in just 17 minutes. Every Pacers starter posted a plus-minus of +18 or better.

Chicago briefly showed life late in the first quarter, when a lineup of Yuki Kawamura, Mac McClung, Tre Jones, Buzelis, and Lachlan Olbrich sparked an 8-0 run to cut Indiana's lead to six. But the Pacers responded with a 44-point second quarter, converting 12 Bulls turnovers into easy opportunities. By the third quarter, Indiana's lead ballooned to 28. Chicago outscored the Pacers 34-28 in the fourth with reserves on the floor for both sides, but it was long over by then. The 20 Bulls turnovers led to 32 Indiana points, and the Pacers racked up 29 fast break points compared to just 13 for Chicago.

Buzelis Steps Up, Dillingham Gets Extended Run Without Giddey

Giddey sat with renewed tightness in his left hamstring — the same injury that cost him 19 games earlier this season. Coach Billy Donovan said he is day-to-day but acknowledged the team is weighing the risk of bringing him back with the season ending April 12. In his absence, Buzelis took on a larger playmaking role and nearly posted a triple-double — 17 points on 5-of-11, 3-of-7 from three, a perfect 4-of-4 from the line, plus 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Rob Dillingham played 29 minutes off the bench — his most extended run in weeks — and scored 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Seven Bulls reached double figures, but the turnovers (20) and the 49-to-22 assist disparity painted the real picture.

Isaac Okoro was quietly efficient — 14 points on 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-4 from three. Tre Jones had 15 on 7-of-11 but managed just 1 assist against 3 turnovers, which was a departure from the 5.7 assists per game he had averaged over his previous six contests. Patrick Williams had another rough outing — 0 points on 0-of-4 from the field and 0-of-4 from three in 13 minutes with 3 turnovers.

Looking Ahead

The Bulls are 29-47 and have now lost five straight — at Philadelphia (157-137), at Oklahoma City (131-113), at Memphis (125-124), at San Antonio (129-114), and now at home against Indiana. Chicago sits 26 games behind Detroit in the Central Division with six games remaining. Giddey's status going forward is uncertain, and Donovan is clearly prioritizing player health over wins at this point. Chicago travels to New York to face the Knicks on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT.