Indiana Pacers stumble late and drop first game of 2023-24 season to Chicago Bulls

The Pacers closed out October with a home game against the Bulls on Monday

The Indiana Pacers hosted the Chicago Bulls on Monday night for their second home game of the season. It was a Halloween themed outing, and the Michael Meyers theme played during Bulls player introductions.

The Pacers were hoping to avoid a scary start — they had fallen behind early in each of their first two outings. They had little trouble making a comeback both times, but a superior first quarter would make things easier.

They started off with a 9-8 advantage, but the Bulls responded with a run. Indiana's starting five has wobbled at times this season, yet they had things knotted up at 12 a piece after six minutes.

Chicago was ahead 17-14 when the Pacers first made substitutions. It wasn't the best start for the blue and gold, but it was manageable.

The bench once again changed the game, but they started from a much better position. All-Star Tyrese Haliburton stayed in with the reserves, and the Pacers recaptured the lead. They led 30-27 after the first quarter. Haliburton had seven points and six assists in the frame.

The next period started off slower for both teams. There were a ton of missed shots, and the pace of the game dragged. That style favored Chicago, who grabbed a three-point lead early in the quarter and forced a Pacers timeout.

They responded well, though it was mostly a back-and-forth affair for the next stretch of action. Both teams traded the lead throughout the quarter. The Pacers were struggling from three, fitting five of their first 20, while Chicago was having turnover issues and couldn't get to the line.

In the final moments of the half, the Bulls found ways to create contact and get to the line. It kept them in the game, but Indiana had enough answers. They led 55-53 at halftime, and Myles Turner led the way with 13 points.

The second half started as a back-and-forth affair, but the Pacers were able to create some separation with their bench group. They took an eight-point lead with 4:35 to go in the third quarter after a Buddy Hield three, and that was their largest lead of the game.

Neither team could take control of the action. It was a slow-paced game. The Pacers were doing a decent job taking care of the ball and getting to the foul line through three quarters. That kept it close.

Timely plays from Bruce Brown, Aaron Nesmith, and Jalen Smith guided the Pacers bench, and they were ahead 83-78 after three frames. Turner and Haliburton each had 17 points heading into winning time.

The fourth quarter began with the Bulls on a mini run, but a Hield three steadied the ship for the blue and gold temporarily. It didn't last long, though, as Chicago kept pushing and regained the lead at 88-86 with 8:35 to go.

The Pacers had scored about nine points in the eight minutes since they took an eight-point lead. Their offense fell apart late in the third frame, and they were struggling to regain their rhythm early in the fourth. The Bulls had the momentum.

Indiana was able to respond thanks to some nice drives from Bennedict Mathurin, but they couldn't take control. Nobody could all night. The biggest story of the game was how back-and-forth it was. There was very little rhythm.

With two minutes to go, Chicago held a three-point lead at 105-102. The crawling game was favoring their strong isolation scorers, and the Pacers appeared to have finally run out of answers. Not long after, Nikola Vucevic gave the Bulls a six-point lead.

The Pacers couldn't hit a three to spark a comeback, and the Bulls found just enough buckets to hold their lead until the end. Chicago took down Indiana 112-105, handing the blue and gold their first loss of the season.

The fourth quarter was the difference as the Bulls outscored the Pacers 34-22 in that frame. Haliburton finished with 19 points and 13 assists. Turner led the way for the blue and gold with 20 points.

The 2-1 Pacers hit the road for their next game, where they take on the Celtics in Boston. That game is on Wednesday night.

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