INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pacers officially start their season tonight when they take on the Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
It has been over five years since the Pacers secured their last road victory against the Pelicans, and even that win didn't come easy as they narrowly escaped in a 118-116 overtime thriller.
The Pelicans are stacked with talent but haven't been able to put it all together. By hiring Jamahl Mosley in the offseason, this offensive-minded group is hoping to establish a defensive identity. They have a nice mix of young players like Jeremiah Fears and Yves Missi, combined with young-veteran forwards Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson.
Indiana is an established group that has its eyes set on winning it all. While hamstring injuries to T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith will weaken the Pacers depth, they are fully capable of walking into a difficult environment and pulling out a victory.
With that being said, here are three reasons why you should tune in to this game.
1. Haliburton is BACK!
It has been 486 days since the Pacers last played a meaningful basketball game with Tyrese Haliburton leading the way. The joy in which he plays the game with is special, and he uplifts the spirits of his teammates by his sure presence alone. This is one of the best players in the NBA and arguably the best pure point guard in the league.
Seeing him back on the court doing what he loves the most is a treat for everyone -- not just Pacers fans. His 2025 playoff run is one of the greatest we've ever seen from an individual and he has unfinished business. The way things ended in 2025 were heartbreaking, but this is just the beginning of his next chapter.
Although he technically returned in the preseason, this will feel different. When the schedule was announced, he felt disrespected by the schedule makers for putting his first game back on the road against one of the smallest market teams in the NBA.
A viral clip of him discussing this on the Numbers on the Board podcast sent Pelicans fans into a tizzy. They felt his comments were unwarranted and disrespectful, especially since he also plays in small market. Haliburton is expected to be welcomed with boos, but if history has taught us anything, it's that he thrives in hostile environments and comes out on top more often than not.
2. Big Zu's dominance against New Orleans
When you look at the Pelicans roster, they don't have a big man that can handle the size of Ivica Zubac.
Over the last two seasons, Zubac has absolutely crushed New Orleans. In four games, Big Zu has averaged 17.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 blocks while shooting 72.5% from the field and only taking 10 shots per game.
He's slowly but surely coming along within the Pacers' system and his chemistry with Haliburton has been on display -- especially in the last two preseason exhibition games. The screen setting has opened up windows of space for Haliburton to get off clean looks. And when the defense collapses to try and eliminate a wide-open shot, Haliburton navigates to find the open man, which is oftentimes Zubac.
After the preseason finale against Milwaukee, Haliburton talked about how they're slowly adding more sets into their offensee. It will be fascinating to see how Rick Carlisle and his staff help re-engineer the offense to continue causing problems for opponents with Big Zu's unique skill set.
3. Facing an old friend
This game will be personal for the Pacers former lottery pick, as he goes up against the team that traded him away in the deal that landed them Zubac.
While Mathurin was never able to put it all togther for the Pacers, he was a massive part of their NBA Finals run and was beloved by the guys in the locker room. He's a confident guy who can score the basketball at all three levels, and has a knack for drawing fouls and getting to the hoop.
After practice Monday, Mathurin was asked what it would be like going against his former team on opening night. With no expression on his face he said, "this is just another game for me". While he might be downplaying it to the media, there is zero doubt that he and Andrew Nembhard will exchange words with one another when they're on the court at the same time.
Last season the Pacers had to face Mathurin twice after trading him away. He averaged 20 points per game on 52.6% shooting from the field and 33.3% from three. He made 18 of his 22 free throws and averaged 6.5 rebounds per game.
Similar to his role in Indiana, Mathurin serves as a key bench piece for the Pelicans. Indiana's bench wings are Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard, two players Mathurin knows well and spent several years of going against each other at practice. It will be fun to see how he performs against his former team, and how his former teammates look to slow him down.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
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