Indiana Pacers crush Washington Wizards to open 2023-24 campaign
The Indiana Pacers began their 2023-24 regular season on Wednesday night as they hosted the Washington Wizards. It's a big year for the Pacers. Expectations are coming their way for the first time in a few years.
"It's an exciting time to be here, an exciting time to be a Pacers fan," All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton said to the crowd before the game.
The Pacers' start didn't match that excitement. After 2:40 of action, Washington was up 8-4, and Indiana's struggles led to a timeout from head coach Rick Carlisle. They weren't hitting their good looks.
Coming out of the stoppage, it was more of the same for the Pacers. But they turned things around at the midway point of the quarter. Buddy Hield hit a three on one possession before Obi Toppin finished an alley-oop on the next — both were assisted by Tyrese Haliburton — and suddenly the game was tied.
The Wizards responded with a 12-3 run, though Indiana answered with a pair of threes from Bruce Brown and Hield to keep it close. It stayed that way for the rest of the frame, and Washington led 39-34 after 12 minutes.
Indiana started off the second quarter with better defensive intensity, and it took them about four minutes to tie the game back up at 44 all. The next possession, they grabbed the lead. It was a slow start, but the Pacers figured things out.
Andrew Nembhard, Jalen Smith, Aaron Nesmith, and Buddy Hield comprised Indiana's bench in the first half, and they all played well as the blue and gold made a comeback. Nembhard and Smith, in particular, stood out.
The starters for the blue and gold were better in the second quarter, too. Brown was on fire from deep, and Bennedict Mathurin kept making good plays. Altogether, that gave the Pacers a 73-68 advantage at the break. Nembhard had eight points and seven assists at halftime on perfect shooting from the field (4/4).
The third quarter started great for the Pacers with some quick buckets from Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin. Indiana was up by 10 after less than two minutes of the second half.
They kept their foot on the gas, starting the frame off on a 16-4 run. Up 14, Haliburton hit a corner three that got the crowd in Gainbridge Fieldhouse off their feet. It was loud, and Indiana had momentum.
The lead stayed near that mark for the next few minutes, but the blue and gold appeared to be in control. They took a 110-96 lead into the final period. Tyrese Haliburton had 20 points through three quarters.
The Pacers continued to dominate during the fourth quarter. After half of the frame, they were up 22. Washington could not stop them. Haliburton and Nembhard both reached a double double before the quarter ended. They carved up the Wizards.
With a few minutes to go, Indiana turned to their reserves to get them across the finish line. T.J. McConnell, Ben Sheppard, and Jarace Walker were in the game for the final 5:41.
They kept cruising, and the Pacers held on to win 143-120. After a crummy start, they dominated the final three quarters.
Haliburton led the way, finishing with 20 points and 11 assists. Brown was the leading scorer with 24 points — he made a career-high six threes. Six other Pacers reached double-digit scoring, including a solid 18-point, five-assist outing from Mathurin.
Indiana is now 1-0. The win was their first season-opening victory since hiring Rick Carlisle to be the head coach in 2021. 143 points is their most under Carlisle during his current stint.
The Pacers return to action on Friday as they travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers in their first division game of the season.
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