Indiana Pacers take down Atlanta Hawks for first preseason win of 2023
The Indiana Pacers played their first home preseason game of the 2023-24 season on Monday. The Atlanta Hawks were in town, but All-Star guard Trae Young was unavailable for the visitors.
Indiana started off with a few impressive possessions. Their star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, was playing for the first time of the preseason, and he had a couple of assists right away.
But less than four minutes in, one of the Pacers biggest preseason issues popped up. They were fouling a lot. It was 5-0 in fouls early, and the blue and gold fell behind. They have been too aggressive with their hands, and they remained that way early on Monday.
But their offense was so strong that they maintained a lead. Halfway through the opening frame, Indiana already had 20 points. They assisted on seven of their first eight makes and were hitting threes. They looked good with Haliburton in the mix.
Both teams slowed down on offense for the later portion of the quarter, but a late flurry saw Atlanta leading 31-30 after 12 minutes. The Pacers second unit struggled and gave up a lead.
That group turned it around in the second quarter. They were led by two preseason standouts in Ben Sheppard and Aaron Nesmith, who both were hitting seemingly every shot to open the period. Less than five minutes into the second period, the Pacers took a 10-point lead.
The advantage hovered around that number for a bit, and with 6:38 to go until halftime, the Pacers put in a lineup that can score in bunches with Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Myles Turner on the floor.
They dominated for about four minutes, going on a 17-6 run. That gave the Pacers a huge lead, and they carried it into halftime. It was 73-46 at the break.
Haiburton had 10 points and five assists in his first half of preseason action. He tied Aaron Nesmith for the most points by a Pacer in the first half. Jalen Smith (nine points and seven rebounds) had a solid first half as well.
Both teams played their starters for this game into the third quarter. The Pacers opening group maintained their advantage, keeping the Hawks away while they kept scoring. Indiana hit 90 points with plenty of time left in the quarter.
Haliburton continued his strong play, and Myles Turner added in some scoring. He fouled out, but not until he reached 13 points in just 15:34 of action. Indiana's second unit stalled again, though. It was similar to the first quarter. They were getting decent looks, but none of them were dropping.
The Pacers were up 94-81 going into the final period, but they had given away some momentum. They weren't going to be able to coast to a win as it appeared earlier.
A 9-3 Hawks run to start the fourth quarter prompted a timeout by the Pacers. Suddenly, the lead was single-digits again. Indiana had been bleeding points for a while and needed an important regroup.
The break was effective. The Pacers surged and quickly ballooned their lead back up to 15, which they needed. It had been slipping away from them for the better part of eight minutes.
Indiana's reserves were tasked with holding on to the lead. It slowly evaporated as the Hawks found success late, and the score margin got as close as four. But Jordan Nwora had a few timely buckets, and it was enough for the Pacers to hold on for a 116-112 win.
It was Indiana's first preseason win. They are now 1-2 in the exhibitions with one more coming on Friday.
Haliburton starred in his return, finishing with 15 points and eight assists. The Pacers were +8 with the All-Star on the floor. Nesmith (15 points), Turner (13), and Hield (11) all had solid nights. The blue and gold don't win without Smith's nine points and seven rebounds, either.
The Pacers host the Cavaliers later this week for their final outing of the preseason.
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