TYRESE HALIBURTON IS BACK… AND THE PACERS ARE 1-0!

It wasn’t pretty, but the Indiana Pacers escaped New Orleans with a 123-120 opening night victory over the Pelicans, thanks to some late-game heroics from a familiar face!

After nearly 500 days away from NBA basketball, Tyrese Haliburton delivered 23 points and 12 assists, including 13 points in a PERFECT fourth-quarter shooting performance to help Indiana steal a win on the road.

Pascal Siakam poured in 30, Ivica Zubac posted 16 points and 15 rebounds, Andrew Nembhard added 18 and 9 assists, and Obi Toppin chipped in 20 off the bench. With numbers like those, you’d think the Pacers cruised to victory. Not even close.

A 38-point first quarter turned into an ugly 18-point second, as Rick Carlisle experimented with some questionable rotations while trying to integrate new faces into the lineup. The Pacers battled back in the second half, overcame their rebounding struggles, and found a way to finish despite missing key pieces.

We break down Haliburton’s incredible return, Zubac’s “debut”, the lineup challenges, Quenton Jackson’s impact, the physical battle with New Orleans, and a little Derek Queen drama along the way.

It wasn’t always pretty, but a win is a win.

THE PACERS ARE 1-0. LET’S GO!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

THE WAIT IS OVER! The Indiana Pacers tip off the 2026-27 NBA season on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans, and the LONG-awaited official return of Tyrese Haliburton is finally here! After a scorching-hot preseason, can Tyrese carry that momentum into the regular season? How will his chemistry with new starting center Ivica Zubac translate when the games actually count? And will his conditioning hold up over a full NBA game? We also break down the injuries to T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith, what they mean for the Pacers’ depth at point guard and on the wing, and how newly acquired Kelly Oubre Jr. fits into the starting lineup. PLUS, we preview the matchup against former Pacer Bennedict Mathurin in his first regular-season game as a Pelican, and things get a little DELUSIONAL as we dive into the latest from the NBA’s most delusional man himself… LeBron James. Pacers basketball is BACK. Let the games begin!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s one of our favorite annual traditions on The Pacers Post Up… BETTING LINES ARE BACK!

With the 2026–27 NBA season officially upon us, Ryan takes the lead as we break down the biggest betting lines surrounding the Indiana Pacers and reveal where we’re putting our money on FanDuel!

Pacers Win Total: Over or under? How many games will Indiana win this season?

Championship & Conference Odds: What are the Pacers’ chances of winning the Eastern Conference, Central Division, or bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy?

Player Props: From Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam to Ivica Zubac, Andrew Nembhard, and the rest of the roster, where do we see value?

NBA Awards: MVP, All-NBA, Most Improved, Sixth Man, and more. Which Pacers could make some noise?

Our Best Bets: We’re putting our predictions on the record and sharing the lines we like most heading into opening night!

Are the oddsmakers sleeping on Indiana AGAIN? Or are we letting our Pacers fandom get the best of us?

The lines are set. The season is here. Let’s make some picks!

Presented by FanDuel.

21+ and present in an eligible jurisdiction to wager. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.