The Finals team has fallen to the bottom of the Eastern Conference! The Pacers have tied their franchise record with a 12-game losing streak: Carlisle still misses his 1,000th win milestone.

On January 5th Beijing time, the Pacers fell 127-135 to the Magic, enduring their 12th straight loss and equaling the franchise's record for consecutive defeats. Coach Carlisle is still one win short of becoming a "1,000-win coach."

In this game, three Pacers scored over 20 points: Siakam shot 14 of 21 for 34 points, along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists; Nesmith contributed 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists; Nembhard added 20 points and 11 assists. Despite this, they lost by 8 points to the Magic once again. On the Magic's side, three players also scored 20+: Bane made 12 of 17 shots for 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists; Banchero posted 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists; Black recorded 27 points, 3 rebounds, and 10 assists.

The Pacers started strong in the first quarter, leading 36-28, but the Magic exploded in the second quarter with a 41-22 run, taking a 69-58 lead by halftime. In the second half, the Pacers failed to reverse the situation and eventually lost on the road.

Carlisle’s career wins remain at 999, and the 12 consecutive losses have delayed his milestone of 1,000 victories. In NBA history, only 10 coaches have reached at least 1,000 wins. Leading the list is Popovich with 1,390 wins. Among active coaches, only Bucks’ coach Rivers is on the list with 1,177 wins, ranking 6th all-time in total victories.

Coach Carlisle has always had a strong reputation, but even he cannot stop the downward spiral. After 12 straight losses, the Pacers’ record has dropped to 6 wins and 30 losses, placing them at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Last season’s Finals team is now last in the East, which is quite disheartening. The absence of core player Haliburton has clearly weakened the team’s competitiveness, and few expected such a dramatic decline.