In their efforts to evade the play-in tournament, the Indiana Pacers are in dire need of scoring and triumphs by any available means.

Lately, Indiana has been driven by the consistent performance of Pascal Siakam. Siakam has consistently recorded over 25 points in the initial four games of the team’s five-game journey, contributing to the Pacers’ 3-1 record during that period.

As the Pacers strive for further success in closing their journey on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, Siakam’s ongoing positive approach will be crucial after his 31-point performance in Monday’s 133-116 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers.

“It’s whatever’s open out there,” Siakam said. “I think, obviously, taking pride in being a three-level kind of player. They did a decent job of taking me out of going to the rim, so I took the shots that were there and I’m comfortable with those shots. It’s going to look good every night. It’s just a matter of having that energy.”

As of Tuesday, Indiana (41-32) holds the sixth position in the Eastern Conference, where teams ranking from seventh to tenth partake in the play-in tournament.

In the conference, the Bulls (34-38) currently occupy the ninth spot, leading the Atlanta Hawks by 1 1/2 games as the tenth seed.

Both the Bulls and Pacers comprehend the necessity of intensifying their efforts in the concluding phase to retain their respective positions in the playoff contention.

On Monday, Indiana’s Myles Turner exemplified this by enhancing his performance. Following a slump with a 4-for-15 3-point shooting performance in the previous four games, Turner showcased a remarkable improvement, going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc against both the Lakers and Clippers.

“I work on my shot too much not to trust it,” said Turner, who scored 24 points against the Clippers. “My teammates were gassing me up. Coaches were running plays for me. That just makes it easier.”

Chicago aims to halt a three-game losing streak by clinching the season series against Indiana.

Following a split in the initial two encounters, the Bulls secured a 132-129 overtime triumph over the Pacers on March 13, led by DeMar DeRozan‘s impressive 46-point spectacle. The dramatic fourth quarter witnessed 12 lead changes.

This victory marked the culmination of a period that saw the Bulls secure four wins in six games, yet they encountered a setback afterward, losing more games than they won.

Continuing their downward spiral, Chicago suffered a narrow 107-105 defeat against the Washington Wizards on Monday, a team with the second-lowest win tally in the NBA. With several key contributors absent, including four starters, the Bulls missed a significant opportunity.

“We shouldn’t drop games like this right now. We’re resilient, but we can’t live on the edge every single game,” DeRozan said. “We’ve got to leave it out there these last 10 games. We can’t have no more excuses. Play like your life depends on it; simple as that. It (stinks) because all these games matter. You want to be playing good basketball towards this part of the season.”

“In the circumstance we are under, everything matters so much more. We’ve got to be more desperate. Not just the beginning of the game, but every single game here on out.”

DeRozan has maintained a streak of scoring at least 20 points in five successive games against Indiana, contributing to the Bulls’ triumph in two of the last three season series encounters with the Pacers.