Hawks Vs Pacers: Preview, How to Watch, and Projected Starters For Tonight's Preseason Game

After a disappointing preseason opener against the Grizzlies, the Hawks could have easily rolled over and accepted their second straight loss after being down by 23 points to the Spurs. However, they nailed 10 threes in the 2nd quarter alone and ended up with a 123-116 win. Even though it's the preseason, that type of fight does translate into the grueling marathon of the regular season and it was nice to see the Hawks display it so early in the year.

Tonight's game against the Indiana Pacers will be a clash of two offenses that love moving at high speeds. Atlanta was one of the best transition offenses in basketball last season, while the Pacers rode their frenetic style of play all the way to the Finals two seasons ago. However, this is an older and different roster that has to re-earn the reputation they garnered. They've still got Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Wiggins. The question is how the addition of Ivica Zubac changes their ultimate ceiling.

This will be another quality test for Atlanta, but a win against Indiana would set them up well heading into their toughest preseason match thus far - a Monday game with Oklahoma City - before they finish the preseason out against the Mavericks.

Game Preview

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Jalen Johnson, Johnson — Jan 31, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard/forward Aaron Nesmith (23) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Transition Threat?

Although it's a very small sample, the Hawks and Pacers are 3rd and 4th, respectively, in points per game during the preseason. They've both been highly productive, and last season, the Hawks did this by playing at a rapid pace (5th in the NBA). In the preseason, that pace has mostly held up as they're 8th in pace through the first two games.

Interestingly, Indiana has been 26th in pace. During the 2024-25 season, they were 7th in pace during the regular season and 3rd in the playoffs. Their first game in Minnesota didn't quite fit that mold. Instead, they took advantage of a bad rim-protection night from the Wolves (50-20 edge in points in the paint) and chose their three-point attempts carefully, generating high-quality looks through their playmaking (39 assists to 20 turnovers). By comparison, Minnesota had 22 assists to 19 turnovers.

I'm curious to see if the Hawks will be able to force enough steals to prevent Indiana's playmaking from generating an abundance of quality looks. Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are excellent perimeter defenders who will make Nembhard and Haliburton work for their points and assists. Those steals are critical for Atlanta's proficiency in transition.

Eyes on Kingston

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Flemings, Kingston Flemings — Oct 8, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kingston Flemings (4) looks to pass the ball while defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie (17) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kingston Flemings' strong game against the Spurs is a nice reminder of why Summer League can be misleading for young guards. Although he didn't nix all of the shooting concerns from earlier this summer, he went 6-for-8 from the field and made two of his four attempts from deep. He also looked much more comfortable getting to the rim in this game and had a great dunk after roasting Ja'Kobi Gillespie off the dribble.

Tonight's game against Indiana is theoretically an easier matchup. The Timberwolves shot 46.3% from deep against the Pacers. Indiana's roster doesn't have a terrifying rim protector on it like Victor Wembanyama or a duo of strong perimeter stoppers like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. Unless he draws a significant dose of Nembhard, Flemings should have a much easier defensive matchup in this game.

Zu vs OO

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Zubac, Ivica Zubac — Dec 3, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; LA Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) tries to get past Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ivica Zubac's first preseason game as a Pacer didn't go very well. He finished with just six points and three rebounds on 3-7 shooting from the field. Rudy Gobert outplayed him and did a good job of limiting his impact. However, the Pacers got a lift from the presence of Jay Huff, who finished with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. Both seven-footers are going to be an interesting matchup against Onyeka Okongwu and Jock Landale.

I'm especially interested in seeing how OO does while guarding Zubac. Over the past three seasons, he's held Zubac to 13.2 points on 63.5 TS%, which is pretty solid considering his previous role as a backup. Last season, however, both of them essentially neutralized the other. In the roughly 50 possessions they guarded each other for, they both averaged 2.9 points per 75 possession on an absymal 25 TS% apiece. Even so, OO's shooting gives him a theoretical edge over Zubac because it forces Zubac to guard him on the perimeter in uncomfortable positions. Okongwu's main point of concern will be maintaing a strong rebounding effort against such a physical presence in the paint.

How to Watch

Today's game will be shown at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on NBA League Pass.

Projected Starters

G - CJ McCollum

G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker

G/F - Dyson Daniels

F - Jalen Johnson

C - Onyeka Okongwu

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