Pacers edged late by Hawks — Central Division roundup

The Indiana Pacers had their first stumble of the young season, falling 119-117 to the Atlanta Hawks in a tight finish. The loss drops Indiana to 1-1 in a Central Division where almost everyone is hovering around the .500 mark.

Pacers drop a close one, Haliburton looks to mend fences

Against Atlanta, the Pacers couldn’t quite close it out in the final moments and now sit at 1-1. The result leaves them right in the middle of a crowded early-season picture in the Central, where every narrow game like this one could matter later.

Off the court, Tyrese Haliburton is in the news for more personal reasons. According to Hoops Rumors, citing ESPN, the Pacers guard wants to repair his relationship with Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Their relationship has been strained since Haliburton copied Lillard’s “Dame Time” celebration during the 2023 in-season tournament. Haliburton mainly regrets the impact that moment had on their relationship, still according to Hoops Rumors.

Central Division still wide open in the standings

Around the rest of the Central, the picture remains wide open. The Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls all sit at 1-1, just like Indiana. The Cleveland Cavaliers trail at 0-1. None of those four teams were in action yesterday, so the Pacers’ loss to a non-divisional Eastern opponent is the only movement on the board.

With everyone essentially starting from the same point, the early margin for error is slim. Whether it’s Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland or Indiana, whichever team starts to separate itself in these tight games will quickly gain an edge in a Central Division that has yet to find a clear pace-setter.