Pivotal Pacers Star Sidelined: Siakam’s Elbow Trouble Hits at Key Moment
The Indiana Pacers just hit a speed bump on their drive to the playoffs. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam is sitting out for Saturday's showdown with the reigning-champion Denver Nuggets, after developing right olecranon bursitis. For those keeping score, it’s only Siakam’s second missed game all year—a rare gap in a season where he’s held the team together through thick and thin.
Since landing in Indiana, Siakam has done exactly what the Pacers were hoping for: put up reliable numbers night after night. He’s clocking just over 20 points and 8 rebounds per contest, doing the dirty work inside while throwing in some clutch buckets when things get tight. Don’t forget, much of his heavy lifting has come when the team was down bodies, especially during the weeks Tyrese Haliburton was battling his own injuries.
This elbow flare-up couldn’t have come at a more inconvenient time. The Pacers aren’t just fighting for a playoff spot—they’re jostling for better seeding. Haliburton is finally back to looking like himself again, igniting the offense and reminding everyone why he’s in the All-NBA conversation. The idea was that Indiana’s top duo would carry the load, but now coach Rick Carlisle has to tinker with the rotation again and look deeper down the bench for answers.
What Siakam’s Absence Means for Indiana’s Playoff Hunt
It’s no secret that Siakam’s presence can tilt a game’s momentum. He’s strong enough to bully his way to the rim, smart enough to make the extra pass, and steady enough to anchor a defense that has spent most of the season trying to find its footing. Without him, the Pacers lose a key matchup weapon, especially against physical teams like Denver, who lean on the brute force of Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon up front.
The silver lining is that the Pacers have gotten used to adversity this year. Several players have stepped up in surprise fashion—expect Isaiah Jackson and Obi Toppin to get more minutes, while veterans like Myles Turner will be counted on to take on more of the scoring and leadership load. Fans will also be watching to see how Haliburton navigates playmaking without his familiar running mate patrolling the paint.
While Siakam’s elbow injury isn’t expected to sideline him long-term, his absence highlights just how thin the margin is in the Eastern Conference race. Indiana has barely missed a beat since Siakam arrived, and with only a handful of games left, every lineup adjustment matters that much more. One thing’s for sure: there’s no easing up, even with a sore elbow keeping the Pacers’ key offseason addition off the floor.