Pacers at Pelicans: season openers in New Orleans with Indiana short three
Indiana and New Orleans open the 2026-27 season Wednesday night at Smoothie King Center, with tipoff at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Pacers come in without Aaron Nesmith, Johnny Furphy and T.J. McConnell, while the Pelicans report no injuries.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 18 h ago01The story of the nightStakes and formBoth teams start 0-0, so this is the first result of the year for each.
Both teams start 0-0, so this is the first result of the year for each. The preseason told different stories. Indiana dropped its last three exhibition games, all by two points or fewer: 128-127 to Milwaukee, 114-112 at Oklahoma City and 119-117 to Atlanta, after opening with a 123-112 win over Minnesota. New Orleans won three of four, closing with a 107-106 win over Washington and a 101-97 road win at Dallas, with the only loss at Miami, 128-118. Last season the two teams split: the Pelicans won 128-109 in New Orleans in December, and the Pacers took the rematch 127-119 in January. Neither team lists a rest situation, so both arrive fresh for the opener.
02Who is in and who is outIndiana's injury list has three names.
Indiana's injury list has three names. Aaron Nesmith is out with a left hamstring injury, Johnny Furphy is out with a right knee injury and T.J. McConnell is out with a right hamstring injury. That removes a starting wing and the backup point guard. The Pelicans have no injuries listed. Based on minutes from last season and the current roster, the likely Indiana five is Pascal Siakam, Kelly Oubre Jr., Andrew Nembhard, Ivica Zubac and Jarace Walker. Tyrese Haliburton is on the roster but not in that projection. The expected New Orleans five is Trey Murphy III, Saddiq Bey, Bennedict Mathurin, Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones, with Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray also on the roster.
03The matchup to watchZion Williamson against Pascal Siakam and the Indiana frontcourt is the headline.
Zion Williamson against Pascal Siakam and the Indiana frontcourt is the headline. Williamson played 29.7 minutes a night last season and is the engine of the New Orleans attack. Siakam, at 33.2 minutes, led the Pacers in playing time and takes the main forward assignment, with Ivica Zubac behind him at the rim. On the perimeter, Herbert Jones is the Pelicans' best defender and should spend time on whichever Indiana guard has the ball, Andrew Nembhard or Tyrese Haliburton if he plays. With Nesmith out, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Jarace Walker carry more of the wing minutes against Trey Murphy III, who logged a team-high 35.5 minutes for New Orleans last season.
04How to watch and whenTipoff is 8:00 p.m.
Tipoff is 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 21, at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. There is no national television window for this game. In the New Orleans market the broadcast is on GCSEN and WVUE. In the Indiana market the game is on DAZN-IND. Fans outside those markets will need a league streaming package that carries the local feeds. Officials have not been announced. Check back closer to tipoff for any changes to the Pacers' injury list, since three players are already out and the expected lineups are projections from last season's minutes, not confirmed starters.