Too many turnovers and too much fouling was, again on display in the first half for the Pacers, but this time they were able to right the ship before the end of the half, taking a 9 point lead and a boost of momentum to the break after trailing following the first quarter.

A 21-point burst over the final five minutes of the half did the trick and the Pacers kept it rolling in the second half. There wasn’t much fight left in the Nets who were playing on a back-to-back after a tough loss in Cleveland on Saturday.

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Pascal Siakam made the Nets pay to pacers the good guys in the second quarter with 10 points on 3 of 3 from the floor. Siakam even made 3 of 4 free throws in the process eventually finishing with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

Tyrese Haliburton took over the heavy lifting in the second half, including a run out opportunity he bounced to himself for a two footed dunk. That added a jolt of energy to the squad as wells as Hali himself. The star guard scored 20 of his 24 points and 6 of his 10 assists in the second half, as the third quarter take over had the Nets fading for good without bothering to put Julius Randle nor Michael Porter Jr. back in the game for the final quarter and change.

Ivica Zubac scored the Pacers first bucket, a transition hoop at the rim no less, but that would be his only points on the night. Seven minutes into the game, Zubac and Kelly Oubre Jr. got tangled up going for the ball and Zubac turned his ankle. After the game, Rick Carlisle revealed x-rays were negative for anything other than a sprain but he will likely miss the game in Milwaukee on Monday, at a minimum.

With Zubac out, Jay Huff and Larry Nance Jr. filled in admirably. Huff, who played sparingly if at all in the first two games, was ready when his number was called, finishing with 14 points. The center duo combined for 20 points and 8 rebounds while making 3 of 4 shots from behind the arc. Huff really stood out for his active play and how comfortable he seemed on the floor. That effort could earn him a start in Zubac’s absence, but if not, at least a longer look as a reserve big going forward.

Kelly Oubre and Jarace Walker were two players who showed up better, as well. Both will get plenty of run in the near future with the current injury situation so seeing them appear more comfortable and looking to make plays was quite pleasant to see. Also, I keep forgetting to mention Obi Toppin because he’s so consistently solid in his role off the bench, it is almost a given. But that consistency can not be taken for granted and his 16 points and 6 rebounds in 20 minutes deserve kudos.

The Pacers now move on to Milwaukee where they play the Bucks on Monday night. Haliburton was asked about his back-to-back status and he emphatically said he plans to play and wants to keep playing through any fatigue to build up his game shape. Plus, he didn’t want to pass up the chance to play in Milwaukee.

Pacers vs. Bucks

Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

When: Monday, October 26, 2026 - 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: DAZN

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -4.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Jay Huff

Bucks: Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jacquez, Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner

Injuries

Pacers: Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, TJ McConnell (hamstring) - out, Ben Sheppard (knee) - out

Bucks: None

Then the game started. When the game ended, the Pacers lost 121-105 to the Mavericks in a game that was not nearly as close as the score may appear.

The Pacers seemed to leave all of their juice in the pregame festivities as they gave up 44 first quarter points to the Mavs, a team that scored just 38 points in the first half of their first game two days earlier.

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The Pacers played a big role in ushering in the depth and effort era and one major characteristic of these games it that it exposes the team unable to give the requisite effort for 48 minutes. In New Orleans, the Pacers were able to survive a long scoreless stretch in the second quarter and stay on the grind to end up swiping a win.

Another 5-plus minute scoring drought against the Mavs in the second quarter, extended the 17-point deficit after the first quarter to as much as 37 points in the second quarter. The Pacers struggled to get good shots and then when they did really struggled to make shots. At the half, the Pacers were 2 for15 from behind the arc while the Mavs were 10 for 19 and feeling quite comfortable on the floor.

To the Pacers credit, they did improve in the second half, holding the Mavs to 44 points while cutting the 34-point halftime deficit inside of 20 points. In fact, Jalen Slawson had a chance to cut the lead to 11 and make things sexy in the fourth quarter. But Slawson missed two free throws and the Mavs quickly scored four points to reclaim control of the game.

By the way, the missed FTs were the only blemish on Slawson’s night as he was exceptional playing off the bench. Not only did he play with excess effort but he was really hunting plays and along with Quenton Jackson who was scrapping away in the second half, were the only two Pacers with a positive plus/minus for the game.

On a night when Jarace Walker started but really struggled to impact the game, Slawson likely earned a much longer look in the rotation with his energy on the court which included diving on the floor to steal the ball from Kyrie Irving which eventually lead to an Obi Toppin dunk that allowed the incredible Fieldhouse faithful to get raucous.

Walker once again was unable to get in play hunting mode and was not able to give a positive impact to the starting unit. Aaron Nesmith did not start the game, but did start the second half and assuming his health holds up should remain in that familiar role going forward.

Walker has work to do to keep the minutes he’s been getting so far. The opportunities should remain with Ben Sheppard out indefinitely with a torn meniscus. But Walker stood out for the wrong reasons, including a possession when he picked up Cooper Flagg full court. Flagg just started dribble full speed up the court and Walker waited a beat before realizing he had to turn and run. Flagg finished at the rim with Walker looking for help from behind. No bueno.

At the top of the playing rotation, Pascal Siakam had 23 points but 5 turnovers. Tyrese Haliburton had 18 points on 17 shots, 7 assists and 3 turnovers. The Pacers gave up 31 points on turnovers for the game, with 22 of those points in the first half. Ivica Zubac had 9 points and 11 rebounds but also had 3 turnovers and struggled just hanging onto the ball at times.

Kyrie Irving lead the Mavs with 24 points while Cooper Flagg had 14 points in the first half before Nesmith had a chase down block effort on Flagg that was ruled a flagrant 1 foul. Flagg ended up hurting his shoulder on the floor which created a little dust up between the teams as the Mavs rushed Nesmith to support their franchise guy.

That type of effort by Nesmith, not giving up on a play and spilling guts to try to make a play is what the Pacers were missing for most of the first half. The good news is they know what needs to be done to improve their play. The guts spilling effort is the only way out as they continue to work in new faces in different roles throughout the rotation. While that effort may remain an uncomfortable process, the only way to make it better is to work harder, smarter, better.

The next opportunity to do so comes on Sunday evening when the Pacers take on the Nets at Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the first of back-to-back games on the road. The Nets are one of the lower rated teams in the league, but guys like Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle can get on heaters which the Pacers have to find a way to slow down. No freebies in this league this year.

Time to bounce back after an embarrassing game in front of an electric crowd who came to get crazy but had no other option than to boo their favorite team after witnessing their first half effort.

Let’s hope it is all cheers for the blue and gold at the Fieldhouse going forward.

Pacers vs. Nets

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

When: Sunday, October 25, 2026 - 6:00 p.m. ET

TV: DAZN

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -7.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac

Nets: Egor Demin, Keon Ellis, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle, Day’Ron Sharpe

Injuries

Pacers: Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, TJ McConnell (hamstring) - out, Ben Sheppard (knee) - out

Nets: Tyler Bilodeau (shoulder) - out

But winning is what matters most and the Pacers 123-120 win over the Pelicans made for a fun and exciting way to tip off the season and welcome back Tyrese Haliburton to basketball games that matter.

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Immediately following the game, Haliburton joined Jeremiah Johnson for the Pacers walk off interview and as JJ was setting up his question, Haliburton’s face turned stoic. Normal joyous smile and bright eyes gone. Instead the gravity of the moment and realization that his 16 month journey to that moment had finally arrived and everything went as well as anyone could expect.

Hali’s struggled to speak and his eyes watered up forcing him to take a minute to let out that pent up emotion in front of Pacers Nation.

What a moment!

Haliburton earned that moment with a 23 point, 12 assist effort that required plenty of heavy lifting in the fourth quarter and crunch time when he scored 13 points, making all four of his shots by attacking the paint and drawing an additional five free throws which he also made. Perfect shooting effort at the perfect time. Of course.

Pascal Siakam played almost all of the final quarter and added 12 of his game high 30 points in the final frame, most working off Haliburton as the duo forced defensive switches and then took turns taking advantage.

While those two scored the bulk the buckets down the stretch, the play of Andrew Nembhard at both ends of the floor was fantastic for the full 48. Nembhard finished with 18 points and 9 assists and when ran the reserve group quite well in the second half after a struggle earlier in the game.

The Pacers put themselves in a hole with a rough second quarter effort, getting outscored 35-18 after a 37-point first quarter which Rick Carlisle thought was fools gold since he didn’t like the level of compete he saw from his crew. The reserve rotation really struggled across the board in the first half. Too many guys appearing to play just to fit in without hitting the standard effort Carlisle expects.

Larry Nance Jr. looked out of place on the offensive end and only played 5 minutes. Jarace Walker was unable to build on his preseason performance, resorting back to more passive play and mind numbing turnovers in the first half. It seems real simple for Jarace. He has to be on the constant hunt to make plays when he’s on the floor. Playing not to screw up or just fit in doesn’t work, instead making him loose with the ball and late with the pass. It probably would’ve helped if an early shot dropped but alas, it didn’t and he has to play at a higher level whether the offense is flowing or not.

Quenton Jackson also didn’t appear ready for prime time in the first half, filling in some reserve guard minutes with TJ McConnell out. Fortunately, all of the reserve improved their play in the second half but none more so than QJack. Carlisle call him the hero of the game for his role in give the Pacers a quick boost when he joined the second half fray and earned crunch time minutes.

The Pacers were constantly looking for a spark as they trailed by 10 to three points forever before finally getting over that three-point hump. Q and Tyrese made noteworthy plays to get over that hump. Jackson had 6 points and 3 steals in the final quarter and made two critical free throws to put the Pacers up by the final score, 123-120 with 45 seconds remaining.

From there the Pacers hung one by earning defensive stops to cover up for a turnover and missed free throws the rest of the way.

Wasn’t easy. Wasn’t pretty. Just win, baby!

Siakam (0-4) and Ivica Zubac (0-2) missed all six of their fourth quarter free throws to make things interesting. Fortunately, Jackson, Nembhard and Hali combined to make all nine of their freebies. Hopefully, the bigs can be decent at the line going forward because they will likely earn their share of trips to the line in tight games.

Zubac started out a little slow in his official Pacers debut, but eventually delivered exactly what was needed. He struggled to finish with his left, but was an absolute presence around the rim on both ends, finishing with 16 points and 15 rebounds. That included battling for an OReb off a Siakam missed free throw early in the fourth quarter for a put back dunk. Instead of Pelicans with the ball up eight, the lead was trimmed to six points which was all part of the grind the Pacers went through to fight their way back to eventually earn the win.

All wins a good and the Pelicans presented plenty of problems with a healthy Dejounte Murray and plenty of active length to create problems for the Pacers. Zion Williamson made his presence felt looking much more fit having lost a lot of bad weight while maintaining strength and size where it matters in his upper body and backside.

Bennedict Mathurin was active and engaging as you’d expect against his former team, playing a familiar game off the bench contributing 11 points and 3 rebounds in about 18 minutes. Derick Queen was a problem off the bench with a loud 10 points and 10 rebounds along with a running dialog with Haliburton. Hali had the last say, before the ultimate last say, heading to a timeout and chirping Queen which stopped the young big fella in his tracks where he was eagerly met by a bevy of Pacers players off the bench.

Full team effort in a team win.

Home Opener

The Pacers return home to what should be a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse for their home opener against the Mavericks on Friday night. The Mavs took an absolute haymaker out of the gate, falling behind 70-38 in their eventual loss to the Rockets on Thursday night. Pride alone should have the Mavs more dialed in and ready to go against the Pacers.

After playing the Mavs, the Pacers have back-to-back road games against Brooklyn and Milwaukee before heading back home to face LeBron and the Sixers (will never not sound weird) on Wednesday. The season is rolling, but these first four games for the Pacers present an opportunity to work through the issues that showed up in game one and continue building for what will be a challenging schedule over the remainder of the calendar year.

Pacers vs. Mavericks

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Friday, October 23, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: DAZN/CBS4

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -5.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Kelly Oubre Jr., Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford

Injuries

Pacers: Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, TJ McConnell (hamstring) - out, Aaron Nesmith (hamstring) - out

Mavericks: Santi Aldama (knee) - questionable, Tarik Biberovic (heel) - questionable, Jett Howard (calf) - questionable, Caleb Martin (thumb) - questionable, Dereck Lively II (foot) - out

Yes, day. NBC is trying to turn the start of the NBA season into an all day (almost) affair, so they are starting with a businessman's special in Detroit at 3 p.m. ET, where the Pistons will host the Celtics in the first of three intriguing matchups. That game will be followed at 7 p.m. ET by the 76ers and Knicks at MSG before ending the night in San Antonio at 9:30 p.m. ET where the Thunder will rekindle their rivalry with the Spurs. If only all six could somehow take a loss.

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For Pacers fans, these are all just JV games before the Varsity plays on Wednesday when the Pacers visit the Pelicans for what should be a relatively healthy start to the season for the Blue and Gold pending some TJ McConnell minutes here and there.

The Pacers low profile opener will present plenty of problems considering the Pelicans have plenty of talent in search of direction and with the revised lottery rules wiping out tanking incentives they will certainly be a problem on any given night all season if actually trying to win. What a concept!

We know Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray and even ol’ friend Bennedict Mathurin off the bench, can cause problems for any opponent. Murray should be a key player in making that starting unit run. He sat out most of preseason with a balky toe but is planning to play in the opener. Mathurin averaged 17 minutes and over 9 points per game in preseason, so those numbers should bump up with regular season rotations in play.

Benny will have to earn those minutes considering additional talent on the roster and new coach Jamahl Mosely’s emphasis on the defensive side of the ball. The Pels starting group is long and athletic which can create matchup problems against any team if they can come together as a team defensively. The preseason results were certainly promising.

But enough about the problems the Pels present. The Pacers have a little talent to run out there, as well. With the regular starting unit back together plus Ivica Zubac, the squad appears more than ready to pick up the regular season pace and remind hoop heads how good and tough this team can be.

While Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are just entering their prime, they feel like savvy vets at this point paired with Pascal Siakam and Zubac who both define savvy veteran status. This group should be pushing the pace on the Pels in an effort to speed them up and test how strong that new defensive disposition in New Orleans really is over 48 minutes. All of the talking is done, it is time to show out in a season where wins over most, if not all 82 games will have to be earned.

All of the Pacers games will be broadcast on DAZN this season which included the preseason games that are also available to rewatch quite easily which worked out well for me to catch up after attending a wedding for one game and then college football on Friday. The home opener against the Mavericks on Friday will also be broadcast locally on CBS4 as part of 15 games scheduled to be shown one of two local sister stations, FOX59 and CBS4. \

The first injury report will alter the Pacers rotation with both TJ McConnell and Aaron Nesmith expected to be out due to hamstring injuries. That bumps Kelly Oubre Jr. to the starting lineup while Jalen Slawson and Kobe Brown will likely be available, if needed.

Requisite hype video…

Pacers vs. Pelicans

Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 - 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: DAZN

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -3.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Kelly Oubre Jr., Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac

Pelicans: Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Yves Missi

Injuries

Pacers: Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, TJ McConnell (hamstring) - out, Aaron Nesmith (hamstring) - out

Pelicans: None

Nearly nine months later, a healthy Haliburton showed up ready to move past that moment both physically and emotionally.

That he did and then some.

Haliburton started the game in OKC right where he left off. Running the show, draining threes and pushing the Pacers to an early lead while teaming up with Ivica Zubac to put the league on notice that not only can these two guys play well together, they can do so at an elite level.

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Haliburton made a trio of threes, scoring 11 points with 2 assists in his initial seven minute stint of play. One of those first quarter threes came courtesy of a screen from Zubac who added 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in that same seven minute stretch.

In the second quarter, Zubac set a screen that swallowed up Jared McCain, allowing Haliburton to make another three in rhythm off the dribble. Opponents will need to work on a switching scheme if they want to drop on Zu while he’s setting screens on the perimeter or it will be the Pacers easiest way to create a shot. McCain started bear hugging Zu to try to keep him from rolling which was unnecessary. However, Zu may want to start selling that contact from the smaller defenders to add in a foul on the play.

Mark Montieth pointed out the wild familiarity of Haliburton’s first quarter effort showing he did indeed pick up where he left off.

Haliburton ended up scoring 24 points in his 18 minutes of burn while Zu had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Regular season ready, put ‘em on ice until heading to New Orleans.

The Pacers were dealing with some nagging injuries which had Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, TJ McConnell and Jarace Walker out. McConnel has an undisclosed ailment but on Thursday, Rick Carlisle said he hopes he’ll be ready for the opener. Nesmith is dealing with a hamstring issue and will not play against the Bucks on Friday despite being able to practice on Thursday and appearing ready to roll next week.

It appears Nembhard and Walker were resting without any reported additional injury concerns. Those two may want to play the preseason finale and no doubt, Walker should play plenty if he’s feeling good. Nembhard? Maybe a first quarter stint before shutting it down.

Regardless of how the the Pacers close preseason against the Bucks, the regular season opener in New Orleans is now a few days away and the Pacers appear ready to roll to begin the season. Consistency will be key to get through the first 20 games but after a highly entertaining preseason performance, this squad is ready to continue that extremely watchable brand of ball when the games start to count

Rick Carlisle hopped on JMV’s afternoon show on Wednesday for an interesting chat. Check it out here: Rick Carlisle on JMV

Pacers vs. Bucks

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Friday, October 16, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: DAZN

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -9.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac

Bucks: Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner

Injuries

Pacers: Johnny Furphy (knee) - out

Bucks: TBD

The Pacers starting unit, with Kelly Oubre, Jr. sliding into the starting lineup while Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard slid down to the two guard spots, was a net positive for the game while playing together. In fact, to start the game the Pacers made their first six shots with all five making a bucket. They even got crafty, scoring a three with two seconds remaining on the half.

That’s an improvement over game one and also done against a lengthy and athletic Hawks defensive squad. Overall, that defensive pressure forced the Pacers into 17 turnovers.

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In fact, the Hawks tipped their hand that they are fully embracing the depth and effort movement by defensively picking up the ball full court. Makes perfect sense considering the addition of Lu Dort to add to Dyson Daniels, Jalen Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who did not play against Pacers) and rooking Kingston Flemings. The Pacers get a boost against this strategy when it counts with both Haliburton and Nembhard available to initiate offense.

For the Pacers, they had their struggles on the defensive end. Oubre with the starting unit was an adjustment and there was real-time confusion expressed as they tried to get in sync. On the reserve unit, Larry Nance Jr. played his first minutes for the Pacers taking some of the reserve center minutes for Jay Huff. Nance showed up pretty well, particularly his ability to go get rebounds in the air. In just over 11 minutes, Nance finished with 6 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

Obi Toppin (11 points) and Jarace Walker (10 points, 7 rebounds) continued their solid play off the bench, as the group also welcomed back Quenton Jackson. Overall, there were defensive lapses that are familiar as the team keeps working in new players.

Haliburton’s status for the remaining preseason schedule will likely remain in flux. He may be wanting to save his first game at the Fieldhouse for the home opener. The Pacers play in OKC on Tuesday night and he may also not want to return to the scene of his injury until the game counts, as well.

Haliburton didn’t make the trip to OKC last year, but it seems like making that trip now will be the final step in turning the page on a moment he (nor anyone associated with the Pacers) will never forget. At least going to the arena and doing some pregame work would be worthwhile even if he doesn’t play.

The Thunder will be playing the Pacers on a back-to-back after playing the Hawks in Atlanta on Monday. Their first two preseason games were on a back-to-back, as well and in the first game most of the starters sat out while in the second game more starters were in the lineup. A peek at the injury report for the Thunders shows 12 players not expected to play against the Hawks. So the Pacers may see a stronger lineup which is part of OKC’s preseason plan according to coach Mark Daigneault.

"We are going to not travel a number of guys just based on the rhythm of preseason and the fact that it's a back-to-back,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “A large amount of our returning rotation players, if not all of our returning rotation players, will not travel and will not play — just in the interest of having them physically ready to go against Indiana. We'll travel the rookie players, the two ways and the Exhibit-10 guys. We'll have nine total guys in Atlanta."

Hmm, Tyrese may want to play after all!

Pacers vs. Thunder

Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

When: Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: DAZN

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +10.5 (Please don’t wager on preseason)

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac

Thunder: Cason Wallace, Shai Gigeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams, Aday Mara

Injuries

Pacers: Johnny Furphy (knee) - out

Thunder: TBD

The Pacers and Wolves did not disappoint, delivering a spirited effort with all of the stars for both teams playing a solid chunk of time for a preseason game. The Pacers ‘usual’ starters with Ivica Zubac at center were a bit out of sync to begin the game but not for a lack of effort. Pascal Siakam made sure to get Haliburton the ball in transition for the Pacers first bucket and Aaron Nesmith kept the early offense afloat looking like the sniper we saw in MSG that made the Hali choke game happen.

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On recent interviews after the game, Haliburton mentioned how the team felt good about their initial outing despite knowing they had work to do. While discussing some of those details in Ames, according to Hali, Siakam zoomed out from the details to share that it was great to be back. Yes it was and the players feel confident they know how to make what they have work.

Speaking of work, Jarace Walker put it in, rising to the challenge from his coach to be a great system player by leading a reserve lineup effort that had the Pacers back in the lead by the end of the first quarter. Making the easy plays look both smooth and easy, with four of his game-high assists in that first quarter stint.

The Wolves ran their starters an initial stint after the half while the Pacers went full bench mode. That had Walker also guarding Anthony Edwards while dishing out another four assists. The highlight play of the night saw Jarace escape jail around the free throw line by throwing the ball off the backboard to himself and then finishing with a jump pass to Jay Huff for a dunk.

This is a version of Jarace Walker that could not only fortify the reserve unit but continue to have a winning impact on the Pacers. We’ve seen flashes of this before, but this felt different, again easier. He maintained his effort to hunt plays and be a factor on the floor which is the key. Maintaining that consistent effort throughout the game and then from game to game.

The Pacers continue preseason play on Saturday night when they host the Hawks who will present another long and athletic opponent for the Pacers to deal with at both ends. Seems the starting unit (and coaches) would want to get back in a game environment to keep working on the details. So a similar minutes load should be expected. TJ McConnell and Quenton Jackson were practicing this week so may be available, as well.

This won’t be the hyped return game for Tyrese Haliburton that the regular season home opener against Dallas will be. But no doubt, it will be a strong dress rehearsal when his name is announced in front of the Fieldhouse faithful.

Preseason can be fun!!!

Pacers vs. Hawks

Where: Gainsbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Friday, October 10, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: DAZN

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -2.5 (Please don’t wager on preseason)

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac

Hawks: CJ McCollum, Nikiel Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Aaron Wiggins, Onyeka Okongwu

Injuries

Pacers: Johnny Furphy (knee) - out

Hawks: TBD

Haliburton has already worked to make for a festive atmosphere by purchasing all available tickets for students to win in a lottery. Say whatever you want about Tyrese, but the man can sell!

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Considering the circumstances, the first preseason question regarding the Pacers should be easy to answer. Tyrese Haliburton will no doubt play in their first preseason game and surely enjoy the warm embrace from the crowd in Ames. Around 12 to 16 minutes seems reasonable, as long as they are all with Ivica Zubac, but he’s hoping for a half. Regardless, Hali will probably take over arena MC duties once his work is done.

That should also covers the second question up for review: How will Hali and Zu look together on the court? The Fan Jam sneak peek was certainly promising so time to see it against another opponent.

Questions about Siakam, Nembhard and Nesmith don’t seem as pressing, although that starting five logging minutes together will be valuable for all involved and a pleasure to see on the floor. But those three guys are ‘wake me when the regular season tips’ type of guys with no concerns that they will be ready when it matters.

A healthy Obi Toppin and newly acquired Kelly Oubre Jr. hope to provide a reliable burst of excitement and more importantly, scoring off the bench. Oubre’s length is intriguing for a Pacers team that needs his size off the bench. He’s also accepted a reserve role while showing no intentions of playing like a reserve player. Hopefully, that mature outlook on where he is in his career and how he can still impact a winning team holds through 82 games and the playoffs.

Playoffs? Hell, yeah PLAYOFFS!

Gonna be a long 82 but basketball gods willing, we’ll get there.

Oubre reflected on his growth from a brash young player into a Swiss Army knife role players during media day. If his game has matured as much as his outlook, the Pacers may have a diamond in the rough. His career experience can also serve as a strong example for Jarace Walker.

Heading into his fourth season after just turning 23, Walker has not met his nor the Pacers initial expectations, but still flashes too much talent to not maintain hope he can put together a game to serve a reliable role in the Pacers rotation.

As Oubre realized after a few years, Walker may never be a guy with a primary role so he has to lean into that role as a Swiss Army knife player who can impact the game in a variety of ways depending on how a game is going. That is how you carve out additional years in the league and more importantly, lucrative contracts even if you aren’t a max player. There are worse jobs.

Walker needs to lean into that mindset and also consistently hunt plays at both ends of the floor. The flashes we have seen - putback dunks, quick threes, assists via sweet passes thru traffic and his signature reach steals on defense - are always a pleasure but often too few and far between. He can only expand the minutes he receives in the rotation by making those impact plays and minimizing the lapses between plays. Preseason is a great time to start that trend.

That seems like a lot for preseason game one, but considering it has been so long since there was juice for a Pacers game, the fans I hear from can’t get enough right now.

Both TJ McConnell and Quenton Jackson relinquished backup point guard duties to Braden Smith at Fan Jam on Sunday. Both were practicing on Thursday, but Rick Carlisle didn’t indicate who would be playing. I’d assume there is no hurry to play TJ with the regular rotation guys, so Smith may see some more burn than expected pending QJack’s status.

The Pacers face a Timberwolves team that has high expectations and at a minimum will be fun to watch all season. LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga join Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert to form an extremely long and athletic starting five. That group all played between 14 and 18 minutes in their first preseason game on Monday, so we’ll see if they all answer the bell for the tip in Ames.

Pacers vs. Timberwolves

Where: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA

When: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: DAZN/NBA TV

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +1.5 (Please don’t wager on this game)

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Ivica Zubac

Timberwolves: LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Rudy Gobert

Injuries

Pacers: Johnny Furphy (knee) - out

Timberwolves: Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) - out

Carlisle’s comments tipped of the Pacers Media Day for the 2026-27 season that has the home team hoping to recapture the recent past of their Finals run two seasons ago while not forgetting the the more recent and painful 19 win season. Much has changed since Game 7 in OKC, but plenty of good remains to focus on championship expectations.

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The team met as a group at GM Chad Buchanan’s house on Sunday to set the course for the new year and if Media Day is any indication, they appear to be in sync. After Carlisle laid out the why the team can’t just pick up where they left off before Tyrese Haliburton’s devastating injury and forget what happened last year, the following returning players who spoke to the media all referenced the idea that, “we can’t just forget what happened last year.”

Talking points were on point.

While there were many questions asked over the two hour media session, there were no meaningful answers. The only answers fans, media, the rest of the league and most importantly, those inside the organization and the Fieldhouse locker room want will only be revealed once this team begins playing real games with real stakes back under the spotlight.

That begins on on Oct. 21 in New Orleans against a Pelicans team Carlisle was already warning, posed a major challenge with the physicality they brings and the Pacers historical struggles on the road in the Big Easy. No need to worry about this team looking ahead to anything that may be a distraction with Carlisle and Co. dialed in on game one of 82.

The team’s three most vibrant, yet unique personalities opened the player sessions with Obi Toppin, Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam taking the dais (videos linked). Toppin slyly refused to mention what off court activities the team enjoyed while together in Nashville, before saying the went bowling and that he was without a doubt, the best bowler. Turns out ‘bowling’ was a euphemism for other fun, as later players denied the team actually bowled.

See…only real answers will be revealed on the court.

Of course, Haliburton proclaimed himself 100% fit and ready to return at the start of the season. He also started off the praise of new center Ivica Zubac and his great fit on the court and inside the locker room.

Siakam shared his thoughts on getting past last season, working with the young forwards over the summer. The long offseason was rough but good for his health, which applies to several players on the roster who dealt with various nagging injuries throughout last season. Siakam also had one of the more humorous moments of the day thanks to yours truly when he misunderstood part of what I had asked, thinking I said Tyrese. This later made him clarify, he loves Tyrese.

Zubac more serious deadpan delivery was a stark contrast to the first three, but he is enjoying fitting into the Pacers culture while also ready to work on how his game can impact the way the Pacers play while he also adjusts at time to fit the way the Pacers are used to playing.

As Ted Wu mentioned at a media session last Thursday, that was part of the value of trading for Zubac during last season instead of trying to make a deal in the summer. For starters, the market would’ve been rough in the summer, but being able to incorporate Zu into the team and all of the offseason activities has him in much better position to start the season fully involved and invested.

Zubac played for Croatia over the summer and compared the love and comradery he feels playing for his national team to the comradery he feels among this Pacers team which is rare in the NBA. Zu returned to the U.S. from his offseason in Europe much earlier than usual to be involved in the Pacers team activities and workouts.

Andrew Nembhard was perplexed by a question about bowling in Nashville. He’s also ready to resume his do anything to win role playing alongside Haliburton.

Aaron Nesmith enjoyed the chance to take on many roles last season but also ready to resume his role as a song fifth man in the starting rotation.

TJ McConnell remains the elder statesman of the squad and will be ready to return to providing his short bursts of magic off the bench with Hali back in the mix.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance revealed themselves to be experienced veterans who know how to bring value to a team. Both are incredible talkers and made it easy to see why the Pacers were comfortable adding them to the mix this season.

So, check out all of the videos but don’t expect to learn anything of substance. Just words for now, but practice begins in earnest on Tuesday as the Pacers work to answer the real questions that matter on the court.

Preseason play tips of a week from Wednesday on Oct. 10 in Ames, IA against the Timberwolves.

The Pacers recently announced their schedule which starts off with a clunker of a game on the road at New Orleans. Hardly the way to celebrate the return of Tyrese Haliburton, but it remains the first of 82 games and this collective group of Pacers with a couple of key new faces in Ivica Zubac and Kelly Oubre have to be excited to play anyone, anywhere, anytime in their quest to return to being an elite team in the East.

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This uneventful offseason which tried to squeeze storylines out of players the Pacers won’t be playing, if they do indeed hit their elite stride once again, but they will have some solid short-term depth, if needed with Quenton Jackson, Larry Nance, Jr. and Ben Sheppard.

One topic of intrigue this offseason that I was probably asked about more than anything was how fans would be able to watch the Pacers on TV after the demise of the FanDuel Sports Network.

With no other options nor any open local television channels to utilize, the Pacers have gone the route of a few other NBA teams and partnered up with DAZN for local broadcasts. Concerns about having to use an app and pay a high monthly fee has been a strong and valid concern for many.

However, it appears the Pacers and DAZN are trying to make the best of the situation with several discounts and free games mixed in, including several shown on a local channel.

So here’s how the 82-game broadcast schedule breaks down in general:

• For starters, the Pacers have 11 games broadcast on national TV on ESPN, NBC or Prime Video.

• 22 of the remaining games will be shown for free on DAZN, with 15 of those 22 games shown on a local over-the-air channel in Indy. Preseason games will also be free on DAZN.

• The remaining 49 games will be available via the DAZN app to stream live or on-demand on your smart TV, laptop, phone or other streaming devices you have laying around the house. The ‘local’ area for streaming on DAZN includes Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.

So, yeah, the games are available but how much will it cost?

Pacers fans will need to buy a Season Pass on DAZN which normally costs $119.99 for the season. Fortunately, DAZN is offering an early bird discount for the Season Pass at just $59.99 which ends up making the cost roughly $1 per game for the season.

Also, Pacers season ticket holder will get a free Season Pass as a perk with their tickets. In addition to the Season Pass option, fans can pay $19.99 per month (similar to FDSN) for a Monthly Pass, with other promotions and discounts offered throughout the season.

The same Pacers television broadcast crew with Chris Denari, Quinn Bucker, Jeremiah Johnson and Eddie Gill will work the games. They will offer extended pregame and postgame coverage and highlights with additional original programming all about the Pacers.

So, yeah it stinks you have to get yet another app (hear this a lot, too), but at least you can delete the flawed FanDuel Sports Network app as the Pacers and the NBA move into a new era of local broadcasting.

Now about those games. First up, a preseason matchup against the Timberwolves in Ames, Iowa at Iowa State where Tyrese Haliburton’s return will be celebrated on a few different levels. Can’t wait!

Tax implications don’t have to be settled in the summer, so what is more intriguing is the roster revamp that suddenly has an excess of lengthy forwards, a luxury I’ve been pining for the past few years. Add ‘em up. Siakam, Obi, Oubre, Nance and Jarace all check in with wingspans in excess of 7’1.

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That size makes more since for Nance to assume a third string center option, a role which opened up after the Pacers released Micah Potter and his non-guaranteed salary to create cap space under the first apron. Essentially Obi and Nance could fill a reserve center role with Jay Huff pending game-to-game circumstances and matchups.

Nance has been in the NBA for 11 seasons, primarily as a reserve player and at his best a spot starter. At his best on the floor, Nance has been comfortable playing out of the dunker spot as a solid three-point threat from the corners and top of the key.

Any bench player that lasts that long in the NBA brings more than on court talent to the roster. Nance has a great reputation as a connector and quality teammate. The ultimate vibes guy, if you will, in the category of how James Johnson and his veteran voice were important to the Pacers chemistry in recent playoff runs despite not playing at all. Nance could at least play more when called on.

On Thursday, the Pacers announced Kobe Brown will sign a two-way contract with the Pacers which was a big surprise considering the excess of players vying for a two-way deal. Jalen Slawson, Taelon Peter and Brandon Smith started summer league as the most likely two-way guys with Ethan Thompson, playing FIBA ball for Puerto Rico also an option.

Brown was expected to be the odd man out as a veteran player despite his very solid reserve play for the Pacers last year after coming over in the Ivica Zubac trade. His veteran status would command too much minimum salary to fit in the 15th spot. Brown’s improvement shooting from behind the arc certainly altered his outlook with the team. With the Clippers, KB didn’t shoot many threes and struggled when he did, but with the Pacers last year, he made 43% of his 90 3PAs in just 27 games.

Brown is another 6’7 wing with 7-foot wingspan heading into his prime years so keeping him playing with the Boom and Pacers. Among the five guys vying for the two-way spots, Brown suddenly seems most likely to remain in the mix.

Reports of Braden Smith agreeing to sign a two-way during the draft seem to make him a lock, as well. That leaves Slawson, Taelon Peter and Ethan Thompson for the final spot. Despite how much I love what Slawson brings to the floor, he may be odd man out due to all of the similar forwards mentioned above.

One wild card could be that Braden Smith the is either already playing better than expected or worse. If better, he could fit a rookie minimum salary into the 15 spot on the main roster. If worse, well…that would stink and he’d be released. Again, a two-way deal for the rookie point guard is still expected.

So, that’s a lot of info on several guys the Pacers hope don’t have to have an impact on a healthy and talented roster for the upcoming season.

Smith, Peter and Slawson will be in action on Friday afternoon with the Summer Pacers in Vegas when they take on the Summer Cavaliers at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

With Kam Jones dealt to relieve some cap space, free up a roster spot and also create a second round pick to select Purdue’s Braden Smith, there are no more remaining youngins on the roster to get work in as Johnny Furphy, Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and Andrew Nembhard have done over the past few years.

Instead, rookie Braden Smith will highlight the roster as he is expected to sign a two-way deal if all goes according to plan. Taelon Peter is also looking to remain on a two-way deal and will be playing along side Smith and the Summer P’s, as well.

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Having watched a ton of Braden Smith on TV and occasionally in person, he remains an intriguing prospect. His elite ability to pass guys open for buckets is the current NBA skill he will need to hang his hat on. His three-point shooting wavered in his senior year with a couple of multi-game slumps from behind the arc, which is something he will need to turn into a consistent threat.

But while he’s just 5’11, his wingspan is over 6’3 and allows him to play bigger than his height when combined with balls to the wall effort. That effort part shouldn’t be a problem as any NBA role won’t likely include heavy minutes like he played at Purdue. He will need to show his ability to play in bursts and push the ball up the floor.

Also, his senior year role as the primary offensive weapon for the Boilers made for a vastly different dynamic than playing with the massive gravity pull that was Zach Edey. The difference in the quality of 3-ball shots alone can account for his career 40% shooting from behind the arc dipping to 36% last season.

Should be interesting and hopefully fun to see how the former Indiana Mr. Basketball adjusts to the pro game starting this week. Along with Peter, the Summer Pacers guards also include veteran Yuki Kawamura (talk about fun) and Iowa State guard, Tamin Lipsey who I watched in person at Mackey Arena do his part to make life difficult on Smith when the Cyclones beat Purdue last season.

Other players drawing my initial interest include Jalen Slawson who will likely be the third two-way player for the Pacers. His play at forward late in the regular season earned him the praise and promotion from the Boom. An active, big forward seemingly always hunting a play to make is how he caught the eye of the Pacers.

Another late season Boom success story prepping to play in Vegas is Keion Brooks Jr. out of Fort Wayne North Side/LaLumiere. Since he played at Washington for two years in college after transferring from Kentucky, I watched him quite a bit and really appreciated the way his game continued to improve even if his college career didn’t live up to the high school hype. Brooks averaged 21 points in his final year and improved quite a bit from 3-land. Since then his shot has become more efficient and he now plays like a pro and should add a positive voice to the Summer Ps.

The pro journey for Brooks has certainly been a grind so it would be impressive to see if he can eventually earn some NBA time. Even more impressive if it would be with the Pacers.

The Summer Pacers were coached in practice this week by assistant Johnny Carpenter. But after one year on the bench with the Pacers, the team announced that Carpenter will take on a bigger role with the Milwaukee Bucks.

New Boom coach, Bryce Taylor will jump in and take over head coaching duties for the Summer Pacers in Vegas.

Oubre official

The Pacers officially announced the signing of Kelly Oubre Jr. who will fill the vacant spot on the roster created by moving Kam Jones. The team did not disclose terms of the deal but the numbers are reportedly for a two-year deal at around $17 million total ($8.5ish million per year for fellow English majors). Oubre will don the No. 10 jersey for the Blue and Gold.

Summer Pacers Schedule

• Friday, July 10: vs. Cleveland at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2

• Saturday, July 11: vs. Philadelphia at 5:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video

• Monday, July 13: vs. Toronto at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2

• Wednesday, July 15: vs. Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video

• Friday, July 17: Tournament/Consolation play TBD

A 6’8 wing with a 7’2 wingspan who can play multiple positions off the bench, is not afraid to make plays and more importantly, has been making around $8 million per year while with the Sixers the past two seasons. Last season, the 30-year old 11-year pro battle a knee injury early in the season, but averaged 14 points and 5 rebounds in 50 games. He shot 36 percent from 3-land on 4.8 shots per game which was a career high, lifting his career 3PT% closer to 33 percent. No role is guaranteed with the current Pacers roster, but he will have every opportunity to seize a role in the rotation if all goes well.

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The fit on the roster reminds me of the situation in an old Brady Bunch episode (emphasis on old) when Greg Brady was wooed by some flashing music execs to become the new Johnny Bravo, a handsome singer wearing a flashy suit in the fashion of an extremely poor man’s Elvis. After realizing they execs didn’t care about his music, Greg confronts the execs and finds out they only interested in him because he fit the suit.

Oubre reportedly met with the Pacers yesterday and with no deal immediately struck, likely held out to see if other options with a potential starting spot would emerge. By Wednesday afternoon, Oubre was ready to join the Pacers with a 2-year deal for around $17 million, according to Shams.

The Pacers had around $9 million available which has them just under the first apron of the salary cap which they cannot now exceed. So yeah, a perfect fit…for the roster.

Concerns

A big, versatile wing for under $10 million a year is not without concerns and for starters, availability has been an issue for Oubre. Along with the hyperextended knee early last season, Oubre sprained his elbow in March. Over the past four years he has not played more than 70 games (48, 68, 60 and 50 games played to be exact).

Also, in his 11 seasons, Oubre has only been in the playoffs for four of those seasons, playing 35 total postseason games. For no reason in particular, I have always (and unfairly) compared Oubre to a Nick Young-type of player, meaning a skilled talent who is more interested in being an NBA player and enjoying the NBA lifestyle than striving to be the best player possible and dying to win games.

Again, that is an unfair judgement and seeing the role he played and how he played in Philly last season altered my mindset on his game. Of course, he is a more mature player at this point, so joining the Pacers culture that is lead by players who are singularly focused on doing whatever it takes to return to the NBA Finals should create a situation for Oubre to find a role to flourish and impact winning.

The Pacers have a solid seven man rotation with the starters and Obi Toppin and TJ McConnell. The final two or three spots (depending on the game) in the rotation will be up for grabs with Oubre, Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard vying for minutes along with a backup big in (for now) Jay Huff or Micah Potter.

If Oubre comes in and takes control of a spot in the rotation great.

If Oubre’s presence brings out the beast in Walker and he seizes a spot, also great.

Shep will always play a sporadic role pending defensive circumstances and of course, filling in for injury issues.

Regardless of how those roles shake out before the opener, the Pacers have fortified their depth for the upcoming season. They can see how it plays out and then make a move later, if needed. Considering no other teams in the East have made drastic improvements, the Pacers should be ready to compete at the top of the East, once again.

Both of these teams have earned their way to the ultimate matchup by letting their stars shine and utilizing depth on the roster to play their guts out regardless of the circumstances, fighting for the win.

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Of course, I’m happy to throw a snarky asterisk on the Knicks run through the East since they didn’t have to play their recent nemesis, your Indiana Pacers. The one team that outworked and definitely “outclutched” the Knicks in the prior two playoff matchup.

Recall last season in the Pacers Game 6 win, Jalen Brunson needed 18 shots to score 19 points with 5 turnovers while battling the defensive effort of Andrew Nembhard. Brunson is one of the coolest competitors in the league, but with Nembhard physically nagging the Knicks’ guard all over the floor, one of those late turnovers that lead to Nembhard leading another transition bucket, the normally cool-headed Brunson had a John Starks moment, thrusting a head butt to Nembhard’s chin. Game over, Pacers to the Finals.

But the Knicks took all of the lessons learned from those losses, changed their coach from Thibs to Mike Brown and maintained the edge they play with to light up the Garden. Brown has no problem using 10 players in a game in the playoffs, but more importantly during the regular season. The Knicks are in far better shape and without the Pacers to push them physically, the Knicks turned the playoffs into their own playground.

Much like the Pacers last year, the Knicks wore down the will of the Cavs who once again show the lack of guts-spilling effort needed to win in the playoffs as the stakes rise. The Knicks are healthier and able to fight through the scars the Pacers inflicted to be an improved playoff team this time around. But now they will face a team that had to fight their guts out to knock our the defending champs.

The Spurs have a young core in Wemby, Stephen Castle and Dylan Harper that are the envy of the league, but their depth shines through with excessive effort and timely three-point shooting. It have been interesting to hear all of the analysis of the upcoming series with no mention of how the Knicks lost last year in the playoffs. The Spurs have the guards that can switch on Brunson when needed to try to slow down the head of the snake.

Castle alone should be a tough cover on Brunson, but the size and quickness of De’Aaron Fox and Harper along with Devin Vassell give the Spurs plenty of juice and fouls to throw at Brunson. But avoiding double-digit foul shots will be important for the Spurs. For Castle, the young fella just needs to stay in front and stay down. The braid-bouncing head fakes are a Brunson staple…don’t take the bait!

Easier said than done. The Knicks have so many vets and good size of their own that the matchup has plenty of juice. These games will be physical and testy and winning four games will require an extremely solid effort at both ends of the floor.

The good news for the Pacers is that their style of play may need a few tweaks, but when it matters most. the all out effort they leaned on the past two seasons remains the best way to make a deep playoff run to the Finals.

Until Wemby says otherwise, the depth and effort era continues.

Enjoy the Finals. And don’t forget…

For many Pacers fans, over the past several months, this quote from Red in Shawshank Redemption may hit too close to home. Tankathon Sim Lottery addiction is a real thing that only further highlights the random results Pacers nearly 50/50 odds can deliver. For the record, my latest spin had the Pacers taking Cam Boozer with the No. 3 pick. But we’ve all had the five tries before the Pacers finally land in the top four which only generates maddening thoughts.

But now hope is finally ready to meet reality on Sunday afternoon when the NBA draft lottery results are revealed. With a tick better than a coin flip’s chance, the Pacers will either land a top four pick in the draft or see their 2026 top pick go to the Clippers. Of this, we are all well aware.

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While hoping for that top four pick, it is only natural to consider the options at each of the four spots and how incredible it would be for the Pacers to land the top pick for the first time with a shot to pick among the four players at the top tier of the draft. Dreams of AJ Dybantsa, with his dynamic game and size that would fit nicely in the 3 or 4 spot for the Pacers, are hard to shake.

But with the lottery wait winding down, I’m sensing any spot in the top four will be a huge win worthy of celebrating with the efficient addition of a quality depth piece for the current two-year window and potential star and cornerstone for more years down the road. Plus, in addition to Dybantsa, making a case for Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer or Caleb Wilson is rather easy as all should be able to raise the Pacers current ceiling and long-term outlook.

The Pacers are sending TJ McConnell to represent the team on the dais at the lottery. Hopefully, he can pull a ‘McConnell’ and swipe a top four pick to bring home similar to his signature steals against unassuming opponents when they try to inbound the ball after a made basket.

Should the Pacers fall out of the top four, ‘Massacre’ is a bit hyperbolic to describe the circumstances although that will surely be the reaction for many among Pacers Nation (see Shawshank quote above). Although I find it hard to say the Pacers would have wasted a horrid 19-win season with nothing to show for it because…what was the alternative? Winning 32 games and not trading for Zubac? The injury issues went beyond Tyrese Haliburton left few reasonable options other than how the season played out.

But understandably, frustration will rule the day if the Pacers come up empty on Mother’s Day. However, in this worst case scenario, the Pacers still have an extremely solid center in Ivica Zubac at a cap friendly cost (around $20 million per) for their current two-year championship window. They also recover their 2031 first round pick as they move toward Plan B.

In recent radio interviews, both Rick Carlisle and Chad Buchannan have indicated the Pacers are prepared for either scenario and will move on to continue improving the roster with the pick or not. They would have some extra money on hand not adding the $10 million-ish salary of a top pick to the cap. That combined with a player or two could help the Pacers fortify their depth at center or elsewhere.

If they don’t expect to extend Jarace Walker, he would immediately assume a tradeable status as Benn Mathurin did last season. TJ McConnell is also considered a moveable salary, although can they do that after sending him to the lottery? That would be cruel. All or nothing TJ!

Regardless of the outcome on Sunday, the Pacers will be in great shape for the 2026-27 season with a (knock on wood) return to general good health throughout the top of the playing rotation. After watching the Eastern Conference playoffs without the Pacers, they certainly missed out on a golden opportunity to make another run at the Finals this year and will be in good position to make another run next year, as is.

So on Sunday evening, the Pacers offseason will officially be underway with the direction set pending the results of the lottery. Still less than a year ago, the most entertaining and fun NBA Pacers season ended abruptly in tragic manner on the last possible day of the season. Pacers fans then had to endure one of the least entertaining regular seasons in team history, hunting for solace in the hope of landing a top level draft pick.

While the Pacers will move forward quite well with or without that top pick, seeing the Pacers logo among the top four in the draft lottery would be fun. Is it too much to ask for the Pacers to have some fun on Mother’s Day?

NBA Draft Lottery: Sunday, May 10 at 3PM ET on ABC

Jalen Slawson?

Oh, Slawson was just the 27th and final player added to the Pacers roster this season, earning a two-way contract after the Pacers bumped Quenton Jackson from a two-way deal to a regular contract on the last day of February.

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A couple of possessions after blocking Cunningham, Slawson stole a pass from Cunningham on the wing and then found QJack for a run out layup to tie the game at 2-2. That would be as close as the Pacers came to the lead for the rest of the game as they surrendered 81 first half points with the Pistons hitting them for a pair of 40-point quarters.

Just like that the Pacers ended the season with 19 wins, a franchise worst mark, locked up the second spot in the NBA draft lottery and as a team, were ready to move on with high hopes of a healthy bounce back season following what will be a long offseason with an additional two months off compared to last year.

While Slawson represents the perfect thumbnail of this lost season, having played just 13 games but playing almost 24 minutes per game and flashing plenty of good stuff, particularly on the defensive end to find a niche in the league. It would be great if he was with the Pacers next season, likely on a two-way and even better if he remained ready but wasn’t needed in the rotation.

That is a compliment since the Pacers expect to have a healthy playing rotation that will require challenging decisions as to who fills the 8th, 9th and 10th spots. Tyrese Haliburton should be back and ready to ramp up his game alongside Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Ivica Zubac.

Ahhh…doesn’t the thought of a game with those five in the lineup playing starters minutes sound glorious after what we had to just endure?

That doesn’t mean the Pacers can exhale and expect to rise to the top four territory in the East, without struggle. Fortunately, while all of the vibes are positive as the team looks ahead, Siakam appears ready to take on the role of the team’s conscience. He’s won a championship and he’s seen a championship team crack and go the other way.

Siakam invested a lot of emotional and physical effort in this season and despite the draft position, the big fella struggled to make peace with all of the losses. Looking forward, he doesn’t want anyone to forget what they went through.

“I hope we go into the summer, with everyone just really, really mad about the situation,” Siakam said. “This was really frustrating and I hope we bring that rage into the summer. Everyone getting better individually, find some time together to stay together and work together as a team so that when we come back, we understand what it takes and we know that it’s not just going to take flipping a switch and, oh, we have everybody back and we’re going to be right back where we were at.”

The Pacers standard of play and effort that sent them to consecutive deep playoff runs has to be rebuilt and refined and Siakam is ready to lead that effort. Hopefully, that call to action is answered by the rest of the squad which certainly respects the veteran sage on the roster who is always willing to share his recipe to being a pro’s pro.

Setting that sense of urgency is critical for the Pacers as they embark on a two-year window with championship expectations. Haliburton, Nembhard and Nesmith are starting hitting their prime NBA years while Zubac is in his prime. The time is now for all of those guys to not just follow Siakam’s lead but carry more of a leadership load while all staying on the same page.

Siakam understands how tricky this can be and each season becomes its own sociological experience with varied humans working together trying to succeed as individuals and a team. That team success raises the individual value which is why everyone has to remain focused on the common goal at the end of each day.

That’s how the Pacers can start winning, again as everyone hopes will be the case next season. But the work to make that happen starts now.

Below are a few of the exit interviews from the final day of the season. Tyrese Haliburton also spoke the following day which deserved its own post which will go up shortly.

From players, coaches, team employees, media and most importantly fans of the Pacers. Time to take a bow and fist bump one another for making it through the long local nightmare that was the Pacers 2025-26 regular season.

Circumstances made this a race to the bottom season for the Pacers and with their 105-94 loss to the 76ers on Friday, the Pacers clinched a bottom three spot in the standings to maximize their odds of earning a top four pick in the NBA draft lottery on Mother’s Day.

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Hat tip to Tyrese Maxey who had a horrid shooting night from behind the arc but would not be denied and still scored 32 points to lead the Sixers to a much needed win, while also delivering the Pacers their much needed loss.

Taelon Peter seemed to take notes throughout, as he made his presence felt getting to the rim in the second half to show continued development while taking advantage of his late season opportunities to play NBA minutes. The big man duo of Micah Potter and Jay Huff have also become a productive duo, showing they may indeed be an solid inexpensive pairing to slot behind Ivica Zubac next season, capable of mixing and matching against different types of bigs when needed.

But while so many players at the bottom end of the Pacers roster have shown signs of development this season, let’s hope Sunday is the last game we see them playing significant minutes. With the 9th and 10th spots in the rotation to be sorted out among the likes of Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard and at some point, Johnny Furphy, the rest of the players like Peter, Jalen Slawson, Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson have shown they can be called on in a pinch to spackle over some minutes in the rotation when needed. But for the title contending hopes of the team, keeping those top eight guys healthy and playing together is crucial.

And today, as the season winds down, that reality doesn’t seem so far away. It should be a spirited final game at the Fieldhouse, even though it appears the Pistons are playing the bulk of their main lineup for at least some minutes. Cade Cunningham needs the time to continue his return from a scary collapsed lung issue and so far only Jalen Duren is on the injury report as the Pistons try to win their 60th game of the season.

Regardless, the Pacers fans have shown out quite well all season and the team will no doubt make this a special game for those in attendance. Just don’t look at the scoreboard.

Instead, look ahead. The next home game at the Fieldhouse at the start of the 2026-27 season will be something special, even moreso after making it through this godforsaken season that mercifully ends on Sunday evening.

Pacers vs. Pistons

Where: Gianbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Sunday, April 12, 2026 - 6:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +13.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Jarace Walker, Jalen Slawson, Jay Huff

Pistons: Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Duncan Robinson, Tobias Harris, Paul Reed

Injuries

Pacers: Kobe Brown (back) - questionable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Pistons: Jalen Duren (knee) - out

That first quarter start certainly set the tone for the game against the short-handed and also, just short Nets lineup that had 7 players available with none standing taller than 6’8. The game started with Micah Potter finding a cutting Jalen Slawson for a dunk at the rim and the rim runs were on as the Pacers continued to go over and/or around the Nets repeatedly for easy bucket at the tin.

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Again, just in the first quarter, the Pacers made 2 three-pointers, 5 free throws and the remaining 20 points were at the rim in the form of layups, dunks or putback dunks. For the game the Pacers had 80 points in the paint which seems far too, low. While listening to the radio call near for some Mark Boyle comedy near the end of the first half, the Pacers legendary play-by-play man mentioned the Pacers have 63 points with 70 points in the paint. Kudos to Eddie Gill for not skipping a beat and deadpanning, “That sounds pretty official.”

The Pacers may not have wanted to win this one, instead preferring to lock up their bottom three spot in the league with a loss, but they literally couldn’t help themselves and so they leaned into the W. Obi Toppin was at the rim early and often, leading the team with 26 points and 9 rebounds in just over 18 minutes on the floor.

The Pacers center duo of Potter and Jay Huff combined for 32 points and 19 rebounds, taking full advantage of the micro Nets lineup. Jarace Walker finished with a near Lance-like triple-double, scoring 14 points with 9 rebounds and 8 assists.

Now what?

The Pacers still need to lose one of their remaining two games at the Fieldhouse to clinch that bottom three spot. Even if they won both games and lost the coin flip/blind draw tie breaker, they would still have a 48% shot at the top four and 12% shot at No. 1, compared to 52% and 14%. However, they have come this far, might as well finish the job and lock in the best possible odds in the draft lottery.

The 76ers roll into town a bit mucked up after losing their last three games and sliding down to 8th place in the East, letting go of a top six spot in the process. Joel Embiid suddenly had an appendectomy on Thursday so he will remain out. But with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecomb and Paul George on the floor, the Sixers should have enough firepower to take care of the short-handed Pacers in a game Philly needs to win.

Seems like a perfect scenario for Paul George to continue building back good will with the dwindling population of Pacers fans that still give him grief for his brutal exit from Indy. A big game from PG, leading the Sixers to a win would be much appreciated at this point in what continues to be a goofy season for the Pacers.

Pacers vs. 76ers

Where: Gianbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Friday, April 10, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +14.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Jarace Walker, Jalen Slawson, Jay Huff

76ers: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecomb, Kelly Oubre, Paul George, Adem Bona

Injuries

Pacers: Kobe Brown (back) - questionable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - out, Pascal Siakam (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

76ers: Tyrese Maxey (finger) - questionable, Johni Broome (knee) - out, Joel Embiid (appendix) - out, Cameron Payne (hammy) - out

Despite that sudden success, the Nets have the third worst record in the league and now need to lose to the Pacers to hold onto that valuable spot in the NBA lottery standings.

Oh, if you are wondering my thoughts on the Pacers 124-104 loss to the Timberwolves they are scant. Unlike the Pacers quality effort to both play well and lose to the Cavs in their prior game, the Pacers simply lost to the Timberwolves, falling behind early, turning the ball over frequently and never showing enough to threaten a W, let alone remember anything of significance.

However, I do recall taking my usual two laps around the club level during halftime and recalling a Timberwolves game two years ago which had some remarkable Anthony Edwards plays including a sudden fast break finished that made it appear he had flown down from the rafters to finish at the rim. Ant was in street clothe on Tuesday, as was the Pacers highlight machine, Tyrese Haliburton. They were missed.

So now what? Well, as mentioned above, the Pacers and Nets play in a game on Thursday night that puts a potential burden on the winner. The Pacers could certainly win and remain in a bottom three spot, but a loss locks up that spot to avoid any further goofiness over the final two games.

Both teams put forth their injury reports on Wednesday and the Pacers continue to have their top six guys out, pending your thoughts on Obi Toppin who appears available. Regardless, the Pacers have 9 of their top players (plus Kobe Brown) either out or questionable.

The Nets raised the ante by sitting their top 10 current players with ailments including a finger and rest. The starting lineup include E.J. Liddell who was a problem at Ohio State but has had a problem sticking in the NBA. Same goes for the rest of their proposed starters.

This is where Adam Silver needs to step in an add another anti-tanking measure that could turn this game, with 10 players each on the injury report, into an absolute must see event. I’m proposing both teams send reps over to Rucker Park in Harlem for an open tryout. But the catch is, each team selects the five players they want to play for the other team. Offer the chosen players a minimum day’s salary plus an extra $10,000 to the winners and let them play it out.

Forget the level of play, the competition for a win would make for a far more compelling product than the folks at Barclays Center will likely be subjected to on Thursday. Regardless, the Pacers are favorites for just the 10th time this season and the first time since facing the Grizzlies on March 1st.

Fortunately, as mentioned above, the Pacers do have a win to play with so any result will not alter the bottom line for the Pacers at this point. But since we’ve passed, ‘what are we doing here?’ territory, I figured it was time to think outside the box.

Tyrese takes another step forward

While we play out the string with the Pacers this season, there was some good news on Wednesday as Tyrese Haliburton this uplifting news on social media.

Whew, seeing that "…first time since June” hit hard considering we all know that last 5 on 5 run was in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. But the progress report is much welcomed and certainly generates positive vibes for looking ahead to next season with a healthy squad ready to get back at it. Haliburton has been shooting some prior to games and had definitely put on some bulk which hopefully he can turn into an advantage going forward while maintaining all of the bounce and goodness that makes his game so special.

Also, Rick Carlisle will be in Brooklyn but will not return to Indy for the final two games. He and his wife will be attending an event for their daughter at her University of Virginia sorority. Lloyd Pierce will assume head coaching duties for the final two home games.

Pacers vs. Nets

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

When: Thursday, April 9, 2026 - 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -2.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Kobe Brown, Jalen Slawson, Micah Potter

Nets: Ben Saraf, Drake Powell, Jalen Wilson, E.J. Liddell, Chaney Johnson

Injuries

Pacers: Kobe Brown (back) - questionable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Nets: Nic Claxton (finger) - out, Noah Clowney (ankle) - out, Egor Demin (foot) - out, Terance Mann (knee) - out, Josh Minott (ankle) - out, Michael Porter Jr. (hammy) - out, Day’Ron Sharpe (thumb) - out, Nolan Traore (rest) - out, Ziaire Williams (foot) - out, Danny Wolf (ankle) - out

You could say the Pacers fell short, ran out of gas or did what they had to do at winning time, taking the loss to leave them with the second worst record in the league. Cleveland was missing their two starting big men and the Pacers reserve, reserve big man Micah Potter gave the Cavs fits much of the night, while Jaylon Slawson and Obi Toppin supported the Pacers front court effort in a big way.

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Potter, wearing blue shoes as a gender reveal that a baby boy will soon join the Potter fam, delivered one of his best overall efforts of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Potter dished out 4 assists and made 3 of 5 3-balls on the night. Slawson played the most minutes for the Pacers and was active inside and out, as well finishing with 19 points and making 5 of 7 threes.

Obi Toppin scored 21 points in 23 minutes off the bench with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, making a trio of open threes but also getting to the line where he made all 10 of his free throws. Obi looking like playoff Obi off the bench has been a comfort to see over the last part of the season.

After scoring 91 points in the first three quarters, the Pacers were held to 17 in the final quarter, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden teamed up for a 7-0 burst midway through the fourth to push the lead to double digits. Mitchell scored 12 of his 38 points in the fourth to go grab the W. Harden finished with 28 points and 7 assists.

The duo took care of business to nullify an otherwise strong effort for the Pacers who took pretty good care of the ball, didn’t foul a bunch, held up well on the glass. Not bad for the deep, deep bench lineup that continues to play hard while also working to show they belong in the NBA.

Now what?

The Pacers are back at the Fieldhouse to face the Timberwolves who have played 8 of their last 10 games without superstar, Anthony Edwards who is expected to be out against the Pacers. Minny is maintaining the sixth spot in the West and hoping to get fully healthy for the playoffs as they are also missing defensive problem maker, Jaden McDaniels. Local legend, Mike Conley is still going at it and has been starting for the Wolves at point guard.

The Pacers still have two wins to play with over their last four games. The Nets beat the Wizards on Sunday, so currently, the Wiz have 17 wins, the Pacers 18 wins and the Nets 19 wins, all behind the Jazz and Kings who both have 21 wins. The Pacers play the Nets next and then should expect a Pistons team resting the bulk of their lineup on the final day of the regular season. Most importantly, though…we are close to this mind numbing season being over. May we never have to math the Pacers path while mired in the bottom of the standings, again.

Pacers vs. Timberwolves

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers +12.5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Quenton Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Kobe Brown, Jalen Slawson, Micah Potter

Timberwolves: Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Ayo Dosunmo, Julian Randle, Rudy Gobert

Injuries

Pacers: Obi Topping (foot) - probable, Jarace Walker (back bruise) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (hip) - questionable, Pascal Siakam (ankle) - out, Andrew Nembhard (lower back) - out, TJ McConnell (hammy) - out, Aaron Nesmith (lower back) - out, Ivica Zubac (ankle) - out, Johnny Furphy (knee) - out, Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) - out

Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards (knee) - out, Jaden McDaniels (knee) - out