NBA · Final

Pacers Edge Pelicans in Close Contest

123

120

Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 8:00 PM ET · Smoothie King Center

Indiana Pacers 123, New Orleans Pelicans 120, final. Our NBA picks are sealed as a hash before kickoff and settled in public, losses included.

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Quick answers

Who won Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans?

Indiana Pacers beat New Orleans Pelicans 123-120 at Smoothie King Center on October 21, 2026.

Who was favored in Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans?

Indiana Pacers were the favorite at DraftKings, moneyline -142 (about 59% implied). The favorite won.

In a tightly contested matchup, the Indiana Pacers narrowly defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 123-120 at the Smoothie King Center. This game marked the first home game of the season for the Pelicans, who entered the contest with a record of 0-1, while the Pacers came in at 1-0. The victory allowed Indiana to take a 2-0 lead in their season series against New Orleans, having previously won a game on January 17, 2026, with a score of 127-119.

The Pelicans have struggled recently, holding a record of 1-9 over their last ten games, losing their last two. Their average scoring during this stretch has been 115.9 points per game, while they have allowed an average of 126.3 points. In their last five games, their average points scored dipped slightly to 124.2, but they continued to allow an average of 128.4 points. At home, New Orleans has a record of 1-2, and they have not fared well against away teams, holding an away record of 0-7.

On the other hand, the Pacers have had a mixed bag of results over their last ten games, with a record of 3-7 and currently on a two-game losing streak. They have averaged 118.1 points scored and allowed 119.7 points during this stretch. Indiana's recent away record stands at 2-2, showing some resilience on the road despite their overall struggles.

In terms of injuries, the Pacers were missing T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Johnny Furphy, all sidelined due to hamstring and knee issues. The absence of these players likely impacted their depth and rotation during the game.

The betting market reflected a close matchup, with DraftKings listing the Pacers as 2.5-point favorites. The total for the game was set at 238.5, with the odds for the over at -115 and the under at -105. Indiana's moneyline was priced at -142, while New Orleans was at +120.

The game conditions were typical for a late October evening, with no significant weather factors affecting the indoor play. Fans were treated to a thrilling finish, with key plays in the fourth quarter determining the outcome. Zion Williamson made a crucial free throw to tie the game at 116, but Tyrese Haliburton responded with a driving jump shot to put the Pacers back in front 118-116. Yves Missi then tied the game again with a dunk before Haliburton extended Indiana's lead. Quenton Jackson's free throws sealed the victory for the Pacers.

As the game concluded, the Pelicans faced a daunting challenge to improve their form moving forward, while the Pacers will look to build on this win as they continue their season.

What we said beforehand

The New Orleans Pelicans will face off against the Indiana Pacers in their season opener at the Smoothie King Center on October 22, 2026. Both teams enter this matchup with a fresh start, as they are both currently 0-0 in the new season. The Pelicans have had a mixed bag in their recent games, finishing their last ten with a record of 1-9, while the Pacers have a record of 3-7 in their last ten outings. The Pelicans' last five games show a slight improvement, with three wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Washington Wizards, but they also suffered losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat. They averaged 124.2 points scored and allowed 128.4 points in their last five games.

On the other hand, the Pacers have faced challenges in their recent performances, losing their last two games against the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their last five games have seen them score an average of 110.0 points while allowing 114.6 points. The Pacers' struggles have been compounded by injuries, with T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Johnny Furphy all listed as out due to various injuries, including hamstring and knee issues. This absence of key players could significantly impact their performance against the Pelicans.

In terms of home versus away performance, the Pelicans have a home record of 1-2 in their last ten games, while the Pacers have a better away record of 2-2 in the same span. Historically, the teams are even in their head-to-head matchups, with each winning one game in the current season. The Pelicans won their last meeting on December 21, 2025, with a score of 128-109, while the Pacers took the earlier matchup on January 17, 2026, winning 127-119.

The betting market currently favors the Pacers, with DraftKings listing them at -2.5 on the spread and -142 on the moneyline, while the Pelicans are at +120 on the moneyline. The total for the game is set at 238.5, with over odds at -115 and under odds at -105. This suggests that the market anticipates a competitive game with a significant amount of scoring.

As the teams prepare for this season opener, viewers should watch for how the Pelicans manage to leverage their home-court advantage and whether the Pacers can overcome their injury challenges. The matchup promises to be an intriguing start to the season for both teams.

Odds

Book	Spread	Total	Moneyline
DraftKings	IND -2.5	238.5 o -115 / u -105	Indiana Pacers -142 · New Orleans Pelicans +120

What these prices pay on $100 · What these numbers mean

Injury report

T.J. McConnellOutHamstringIndiana Pacers
Aaron NesmithOutHamstringIndiana Pacers
Johnny FurphyOutKneeIndiana Pacers

Leaders

PointsDejounte Murray23New Orleans Pelicans
AssistsDejounte Murray7New Orleans Pelicans
ReboundsYves Missi14New Orleans Pelicans
PointsPascal Siakam30Indiana Pacers
AssistsTyrese Haliburton12Indiana Pacers
ReboundsIvica Zubac15Indiana Pacers

Recent form

New Orleans Pelicans

Last 10: 1-9Streak L2115.9 scored · 126.3 allowed per game1-2 at home

L126-132at Minnesota TimberwolvesApr 13
L118-144at Boston CelticsApr 10
W156-137vs Utah JazzApr 8
L108-112vs Orlando MagicApr 5
L113-117at Sacramento KingsApr 4
L106-118at Portland Trail BlazersApr 3
L102-134vs Houston RocketsMar 29
L106-119at Toronto RaptorsMar 28
L108-129at Detroit PistonsMar 26
L116-121at New York KnicksMar 24

Indiana Pacers

Last 10: 3-7Streak L2118.1 scored · 119.7 allowed per game2-2 away

L121-133vs Detroit PistonsApr 12
L94-105vs Philadelphia 76ersApr 10
W123-94at Brooklyn NetsApr 9
L104-124vs Minnesota TimberwolvesApr 7
L108-117at Cleveland CavaliersApr 5
L108-129at Charlotte HornetsApr 3
W145-126at Chicago BullsApr 2
W135-118vs Miami HeatMar 29
L113-114vs LA ClippersMar 27
L130-137vs Los Angeles LakersMar 25

Standings

Team	Games behind	Lost	Streak	Win %	Won
Indiana	-	0	W1	1.000	1
Detroit	-	0	W1	1.000	1
Cleveland	0.5	0	-	.000	0
Milwaukee	1	1	L1	.000	0
Chicago	1	1	L1	.000	0
Memphis	-	0	W1	1.000	1
Dallas	0.5	0	-	.000	0
Houston	0.5	0	-	.000	0
New Orleans	1	1	L1	.000	0
San Antonio	1	1	L1	.000	0

Box score

Stat	Indiana Pacers	New Orleans Pelicans
Field goals	47-90	38-89
Field goal %	52	43
Three-pointers	9-30	10-30
Three-point %	30	33
Free throws	20-29	34-37
Free throw %	69	92
Rebounds	43	49
Offensive rebounds	9	14
Defensive rebounds	34	35
Assists	29	23
Steals	9	11
Blocks	4	6
Turnovers	13	14
Team turnovers	0	1
Technical fouls	1	0
Technical fouls, total	1	0
Flagrant fouls	0	0
Points off turnovers	16	16
Fast-break points	27	10
Points in the paint	64	48
Fouls	26	24
Largest lead	9	10
Lead changes	13	13
Time in front	33	60

How the scoring went

4th Quarter86-95Saddiq Bey makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jordan Poole assists)
4th Quarter88-95Pascal Siakam makes tip shot
4th Quarter88-96Bennedict Mathurin makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter90-96Tyrese Haliburton makes driving dunk
4th Quarter91-96Tyrese Haliburton makes free throw 1 of 1
4th Quarter91-99Herbert Jones makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jordan Poole assists)
4th Quarter93-99Ivica Zubac makes dunk
4th Quarter93-101Derik Queen makes 5-foot driving floating jump shot
4th Quarter94-101Tyrese Haliburton makes free throw 1 of 2
4th Quarter95-101Tyrese Haliburton makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter97-101Tyrese Haliburton makes driving layup
4th Quarter98-101Tyrese Haliburton makes free throw 1 of 1
4th Quarter100-101Ivica Zubac makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (Pascal Siakam assists)
4th Quarter100-102Trey Murphy III makes technical free throw
4th Quarter100-104Dejounte Murray makes 13-foot pullup jump shot (Yves Missi assists)
4th Quarter102-104Pascal Siakam makes 3-foot layup (Andrew Nembhard assists)
4th Quarter104-104Quenton Jackson makes running layup (Andrew Nembhard assists)
4th Quarter106-104Andrew Nembhard makes driving layup
4th Quarter107-104Andrew Nembhard makes free throw 1 of 2
4th Quarter108-104Andrew Nembhard makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter108-105Jeremiah Fears makes free throw 1 of 2
4th Quarter108-106Jeremiah Fears makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter108-107Zion Williamson makes free throw 1 of 2
4th Quarter108-108Zion Williamson makes free throw 2 of 2
4th Quarter110-108Pascal Siakam makes 8-foot two point shot (Tyrese Haliburton assists)
4th Quarter110-110Dejounte Murray makes 1-foot two point shot
4th Quarter110-111Dejounte Murray makes free throw 1 of 1
4th Quarter112-111Pascal Siakam makes 14-foot pullup jump shot
4th Quarter112-113Trey Murphy III makes 14-foot driving floating jump shot (Yves Missi assists)
4th Quarter114-113Pascal Siakam makes 10-foot floating jump shot (Andrew Nembhard assists)
4th Quarter116-113Pascal Siakam makes layup (Tyrese Haliburton assists)
4th Quarter116-115Zion Williamson makes 1-foot two point shot (Dejounte Murray assists)
4th Quarter116-116Zion Williamson makes free throw 1 of 1
4th Quarter118-116Tyrese Haliburton makes 14-foot driving floating jump shot
4th Quarter118-118Yves Missi makes tip in dunk
4th Quarter120-118Tyrese Haliburton makes 11-foot driving floating jump shot
4th Quarter121-118Tyrese Haliburton makes free throw 1 of 1
4th Quarter121-120Yves Missi makes dunk (Jeremiah Fears assists)
4th Quarter122-120Quenton Jackson makes free throw 1 of 2
4th Quarter123-120Quenton Jackson makes free throw 2 of 2