The Indiana Pacers opened their season with a 123-120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday at Smoothie King Center. Pascal Siakam led all scorers with 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting, and Tyrese Haliburton added 23 points with 12 assists in his return.
Indiana built a 38-31 lead after the first quarter and held on despite a wild 13 lead changes over the course of the game. Dejounte Murray paced New Orleans with 23 points and seven assists, while Zion Williamson scored 22 points in the loss.
Takeaways From Pacers’ Win Over Pelicans
Fast start carried Indiana through a rocky second quarter
The Pacers scored 38 points in the opening quarter, shooting efficiently from the field as Siakam hit a 26-foot three at the buzzer to make it 38-31. Indiana cooled off in the second quarter, managing just 18 points while New Orleans scored 35 to cut the lead to 73-66 at halftime. The Pacers steadied in the second half, outscoring the Pelicans 30-26 in the third quarter and 37-28 in the fourth to close it out.
Pelicans’ free-throw advantage wasn’t enough
New Orleans shot 34 of 37 from the free-throw line, a 92% mark, compared to Indiana’s 20-of-29 showing. The Pelicans also out-rebounded the Pacers 49-43 and grabbed 14 offensive boards to Indiana’s nine. Those edges were offset by Indiana’s shooting efficiency overall, as the Pacers finished at 52% from the field compared to 43% for New Orleans.
Indiana dominated in transition and in the paint
The Pacers scored 27 fast-break points to just 10 for the Pelicans and outscored New Orleans 64-48 in the paint. Ivica Zubac contributed to that interior push with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go with a team-high 15 rebounds. Andrew Nembhard also chipped in 18 points and nine assists off Indiana’s backcourt rotation.
Player Of The Game: Pascal Siakam
Siakam finished with 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting, adding eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and a plus-6 rating in 35 minutes. His buzzer-beating three to end the first quarter pushed Indiana’s lead to seven points and set the tone for the rest of the night.
Pacers Vs. Pelicans By The Numbers
Indiana shot 52% from the field compared to New Orleans’ 43%, a gap that largely decided the game despite the Pelicans’ free-throw advantage. The Pacers out-scored the Pelicans 27-10 on fast breaks and 64-48 in the paint, reflecting Indiana’s control of tempo and interior scoring. New Orleans committed 15 total turnovers to Indiana’s 13, and the Pacers converted those extra possessions into offense. Rebounding went to the Pelicans 49-43, with Yves Missi grabbing 14 boards to go with 13 points and three blocks.
What’s Next
The win pushed Indiana to 1-0 to open the season atop the Central Standings alongside Detroit. The Pelicans fell to 0-1.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
