Pacers fall late as Oweh injured vs Thunder — Central Division roundup

It was an eventful night for the Central Division, led by a brutal late loss for the Indiana Pacers and an alarming injury on the Thunder side, while the Cleveland Cavaliers also walked away on the wrong end of the scoreline.

Pacers lose 114-112, Otega Oweh goes down in overtime

The Indiana Pacers fell 114-112 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. According to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman, via Hoops Rumors, Thunder rookie guard Otega Oweh suffered an apparently serious leg injury on a non-contact play during overtime of that win over the Pacers Tuesday night. Oweh, the 41st pick in this year’s draft, went down to the floor after the play. The loss drops Indiana to 1-2 in the Central Division standings.

That dramatic finish leaves the Pacers with the same 1-2 record as several division rivals, keeping the Central tightly bunched with no clear early leader.

Cavaliers outscored by Magic, Neto heads to Australia

The Cleveland Cavaliers were outscored 132-116 by the Orlando Magic, a defeat that also sends their Central Division record to 1-2. Elsewhere, Hoops Rumors notes in its international roundup that former NBA guard Raul Neto has signed with the Brisbane Bullets of Australia’s National Basketball League. The 34-year-old played in the NBA from 2015 to 2023, appearing in 435 regular season games for four different teams over that span.

Pistons in the spotlight, Bulls mentioned in injury notes

For the Detroit Pistons (1-1), several storylines are emerging. Hoops Rumors highlights that perimeter threat Isaiah Joe, acquired from the Thunder this offseason, already owns a championship ring and is looking forward to sharing that experience with his new teammates and helping the group grow. In a separate Pistons-focused piece, the outlet reports that big man Jalen Duren has been making progress after arriving to camp late following a summer-long contract dispute. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff wouldn’t commit to playing him in Wednesday’s preseason game at Minnesota, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic, cited by Hoops Rumors.

That same Central Division notes column from Hoops Rumors also flags Bulls injuries, though the summary doesn’t provide details. The Chicago Bulls (1-2) and Milwaukee Bucks (1-2) were idle but remain part of a Central race where nearly everyone is clustered around the same record early on.