Rick Carlisle Clinches 1,000th NBA Win As Pacers Halt 13-game Drought

An action-packed NBA schedule on 9 January 2026 featured major milestones and tight finishes, as Indiana edged Charlotte, Minnesota extended a winning run against Cleveland, and Utah ended a slide versus Dallas, with Pascal Siakam, Anthony Edwards and Lauri Markkanen all producing standout performances for their teams.

The night’s biggest landmark came in Charlotte, where Indiana finally halted a 13-game losing streak and secured Rick Carlisle’s 1,000th NBA coaching victory, while in Minnesota and Utah, the Timberwolves and Jazz relied on strong third and fourth quarters to keep their recent positive trends moving in different ways.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 131-122, claiming a fourth straight win as Julius Randle

and Anthony Edwards led a balanced attack, with Edwards becoming the third-youngest NBA player to reach 10,000 career points, trailing only LeBron James and Kevin Durant on that all-time age list.

Randle posted 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Edwards added 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, reaching the 10,000 mark at 24 years and 156 days with a 13-foot fadeaway jumper during the fourth quarter, joining a select group of only seven players who achieve five digits before turning 25.

CONGRATS, ANT! pic.twitter.com/oQhlOouBDu Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 9, 2026

The Utah Jazz broke a five-game skid in Salt Lake City, squeezing past the Dallas Mavericks 116-114 as Lauri Markkanen delivered 33 points and seven rebounds, supported by Keyonte George with 19 points and seven assists, Brice Sensabaugh with 14 points and Kevin Love contributing a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Dallas leaned on Cooper Flagg’s near triple-double of 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, with Klay Thompson hitting six three-pointers on the way to 23 bench points and Anthony Davis adding 21 points plus 11 rebounds, yet Utah’s defence forced 21 turnovers and produced 25 points, while a 64-46 edge in paint scoring proved decisive.

nothing like winning in front of the home crowd #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/JwCLfHlIKR Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 9, 2026

NBA thriller in Charlotte: Siakam seals Pacers’ skid-ending win

Later in Charlotte, Indiana finally ended a long slump by edging the Hornets 114-112, as Pascal Siakam produced 30 points and 14 rebounds, finishing the job with a determined driving layup with 11.5 seconds left that pushed the Pacers ahead and set up Carlisle’s entry into the 1,000-win coaching group.

Carlisle, whose side had not won since defeating Sacramento on 8 December, moved his overall NBA coaching record to 1,000-891 across 24 seasons, while T.J. McConnell backed up Siakam with 23 points and eight assists, and Aaron Nesmith also played an important role by adding 16 points for Indiana.

The final seconds were frantic: after Siakam’s layup gave Indiana the lead, McConnell intercepted the inbounds pass, Ben Sheppard split two free throws, and Charlotte regained possession with eight seconds remaining, but Collin Sexton’s potential tying jumper struck the front rim and the Hornets failed to secure the rebound before time expired.

Tonight's no regular win.we're celebrating you. go inside the locker room as the squad celebrates Coach Carlisle becoming just the 11th coach in NBA history to reach 1,000 career wins. pic.twitter.com/d6jPl4q1MB Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 9, 2026

Charlotte’s attack was powered by LaMelo Ball, who came off the bench to drain seven three-pointers en route to 33 points and eight assists, but the Hornets dropped another close contest on home court for the second straight night, missing a late opportunity to either level the score or steal victory.

Across the three NBA contests, standout individual displays shaped each result, with Siakam leading the Pacers’ emotional night, Edwards and Randle steering Minnesota’s surge, and Markkanen fronting Utah’s response, while defensive pressure, late-game execution and interior scoring advantages all played crucial roles in how these tight scorelines were ultimately decided.