Siakam scores 37 as Pacers end record 16-game slide with 128-126 victory at Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 37 points and blocked Paolo Banchero's attempted layup in the final seconds Monday night to help the Indiana Pacers end their franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a 128-126 win over the Orlando Magic.

Banchero scored 39 points for the Magic, who have lost five straight.

Banchero drove to the basket with a chance to tie the game after Orlando won a jump ball with 6.4 seconds left. But 7-foot-1 Jay Huff and the 6-9 Siakam were under the basket, and Banchero could not get the shot over them.

Jarace Walker had 20 points for the Pacers, and Aaron Nemith added 19. Andrew Nembhard, who hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining for Indiana's final points, finished with 13 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds.

The Pacers, who entered with a .453 field-goal percentage, third-worst in the NBA, shot 55% overall and made 16 of 35 3-point shots (45.7%) in winning for the first time since Feb. 11.

Indiana grabbed a 109-97 lead early in the fourth quarter when Siakam and T.J. McConnell scored on three combined layups in a span of 39 seconds, the third coming after McConnell's backcourt steal.

Indiana still led by 12 when Siakam hit two free throws with 3:36 left, but the Magic scored nine straight points to get back in it.

Desmond Bane had 14 of his 17 points in the second half for the Magic. He added seven assists.

Magic guard Jalen Suggs missed his 24th game of the season, this one with an illness, and guard Anthony Black missed a ninth straight game with an abdominal strain.

Pacers: Play at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

Magic: Play at Cleveland on Tuesday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith (23) reacts after sinking a 3-point shot against the Orlando Magic during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, center, tries to move past Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker, back left, and guard Andrew Nembhard, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives against Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) grabs a rebound in front of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) and guard Aaron Nesmith during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates with teammates including forward Jarace Walker (5) and guard Andrew Nembhard, right, after defeating the Orlando Magic in an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

TOKYO (AP) — Asian benchmarks mostly rebounded Tuesday, echoing cautious relief that swept through Wall Street after President Donald Trump said the United States has talked with Iran about a possible end to their war.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.8% in morning trading to 51,908.00, recovering some of the losses it suffered the previous day.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s stock price gained 1.3% in morning trading after it announced overnight that it was investing $1 billion in its Kentucky and Indiana auto plants. That's part of a plan to invest up to $10 billion in the U.S. over the next five years that the Japanese automaker announced in November. Japanese manufacturers have been eager to show their contribution to American jobs and economic growth.

Australia's S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.4% to 8,402.60. South Korea's Kospi edged up 0.6% to 5,439.39. Hong Kong's Hang Seng jumped 1.1% to 24,656.59, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.2% to 3,820.77.

Global markets have been on a roller coaster ride over worries about the war in Iran, which began in late February, especially nations in Asia, which are severely affected by any lack of access to the Strait of Hormuz, crucial for energy shipments from the Middle East.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude gained $3.55 to $91.68 a barrel. Brent crude the international standard, added $3.83 to $103.77 a barrel, reversing course after easing overnight on Wall Street that came after Trump said the United States and Iran held productive talks “regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities in the Middle East” over the last two days.

Iran denied such talks took place and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that “fakenews is used to manipulate the financial and oil markets” in a post on X.

Over the weekend, Trump had threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if it doesn’t open up the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. The narrow waterway off Iran’s coast has become a sore point for Trump and the economy because a sharp slowdown in traffic is preventing oil tankers from leaving the Persian Gulf to supply customers around the world.

On Monday, the S&P 500 rose 74.52 points to 6,581.00. The Dow Jones Industrial Average went from a surge of nearly 1,135 points during the morning to a more modest gain of 540 before accelerating to finish with a climb of 631, or 1.4%, to 46,208.47. The Nasdaq composite jumped 299.15, or 1.4%, to 21,946.76.

Stocks of smaller companies were also strong, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped a market-leading 2.3%.

Treasury yields also eased in the bond market following Trump’s announcement. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.35% Monday from 4.39% late Friday. But it remains solidly above its 3.97% level from just before the war.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 158.61 Japanese yen early Tuesday from 158.35 yen. The euro cost $1.1585, down from $1.1610.

AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed.

A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders watch monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)