‘I play almost every game’
Pascal Siakam turn off any notion of tanks of the Indiana Pacers throughout the entire 2025-26 NBA season.
Tanking became a hot topic during the All-Star break, especially after the league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 for intentionally ejecting a starter in the fourth quarter. Indiana was caught in the fray, being fined $100,000 for not properly reporting players who would be out of the game due to injury.
The league was cautious about the subject of wrestling, trying to keep the integrity of the game intact. However, teams that know they’re not going to compete this season are itching for a top pick, which makes the aspect of losing games more appealing as the season winds down.
i am hungry revealed his thoughts on tanking during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio. He believes he’s giving every effort he can during every game he’s played this season, not understanding why the Pacers are getting fined by the league.
“I don’t know where it comes from … I play almost every game, I get the most minutes,” Siakam said.
“I don’t know where it came from… I play almost every game, I have the most minutes.”
Pascal Siakam says he doesn’t want to be in ‘tanking’ talks 😳
(via @SiriusKSMNBA)
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 15, 2026
What’s next for Pascal Siakam, Pacers
Pascal Siakam was active throughout the campaign, earning his fourth All-Star selection for the Pacers. However, when it comes to tanking, Indiana has reason to be in the tight spot they are in.
The Pacers were one win away from winning the first NBA title in franchise history. However, star guard Tyrese Halliburton tore his right Achilles, costing him and the team in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton has been out for the entire campaign, and Indiana has suffered multiple departures and injuries in its top rotation. As a result, the Pacers will not make the playoffs this season as they will need to regroup in a significant way to return to playoff contention for the 2026-27 campaign.
Indiana is 15-40 on the season, ranked 14th in the Eastern Conference standings. They have the tiebreaker lead over the Washington Wizards, but trail the Brooklyn Nets by one game and the Milwaukee Bucks by nine games.
The Pacers remain on break until the All-Star Weekend festivities come to a close. They will continue their action on the road when they face the Wizards back-to-back on February 19th at 7:00pm ET and February 20th at 7:00pm ET.
2026-02-15 04:45:00
