Hawks
Hawks Survive Fourth-Quarter Pacers Push, Win 119-117 in Preseason
The Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 119-117 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, pulling away in the third quarter and then holding on as Indiana closed within two. Both teams are 0-0, so the preseason result carries no standings weight, but it gave Atlanta's bench a strong first look.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 11 d ago01The story of the nightThe third quarter was the differenceIndiana led 32-31 after one and trailed by only two, 62-60, at the half.
Indiana led 32-31 after one and trailed by only two, 62-60, at the half. Atlanta then won the third quarter 34-26 to go up 96-86, its biggest lead of the night at 10 points. The Pacers answered with a 31-23 fourth quarter, cutting the final margin to two, but they never got the ball back with a chance to tie or win. The game had 13 lead changes for each team, showing how close it stayed outside that one key stretch.
02Johnson and Okongwu carried AtlantaJalen Johnson led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, adding 7 rebounds and going 2-for-2 on 3-pointers.
Jalen Johnson led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, adding 7 rebounds and going 2-for-2 on 3-pointers. Onyeka Okongwu scored 18 points and made all 6 of his free throws. Off the bench, Aaron Wiggins added 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting from deep and posted a team-best plus-13. For Indiana, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Pascal Siakam each scored 13, and bench forward Jalen Slawson added 12 on 4-of-5 shooting in 13 minutes.
03Turnovers and the line decided itAtlanta turned a sloppy Indiana night into points: the Pacers committed 17 turnovers to Atlanta's 14, and the Hawks…
Atlanta turned a sloppy Indiana night into points: the Pacers committed 17 turnovers to Atlanta's 14, and the Hawks scored 22 points off those turnovers compared to just 13 for Indiana. Atlanta also beat Indiana at the free-throw line, going 28-for-30 compared to the Pacers' 24-for-32. Indiana actually shot better overall, 51.3% to Atlanta's 43.3%, and won the paint 46-42, but the turnover gap and the free-throw difference were enough to cover that edge.
04Benches went deep on both sidesIndiana's reserves outscored Atlanta's bench 63-55, led by Slawson's 12, Obi Toppin's 11 and three more Pacers off…
Indiana's reserves outscored Atlanta's bench 63-55, led by Slawson's 12, Obi Toppin's 11 and three more Pacers off the bench in double figures with Walker's 10. Atlanta's bench scoring leaned on Wiggins' 13 and eight points apiece from Asa Newell, Jalen Wilson and Kingston Flemings. With both rosters at 0-0 in the preseason label, the game worked as an extended look at depth, not a result either team will carry into the regular season.
05What it means for each teamFor Atlanta, the turnover differential and free-throw shooting are the encouraging signs to build on, with Johnson…
For Atlanta, the turnover differential and free-throw shooting are the encouraging signs to build on, with Johnson and Okongwu both looking sharp as go-to scorers. For Indiana, the third-quarter defensive lapse is the clear fix, even with Siakam, Oubre and a deep bench rotation all contributing points. Since this was a preseason game with both teams entering at 0-0, neither result changes any standings picture, but the quarter-by-quarter pattern — a strong response from Indiana in the fourth — is worth tracking into the regular season.
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