2 studs, 1 dud from the Pacers’ narrow season opener loss to the Wizards

The Indiana Pacers opened their season on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards. The Pacers came up short, losing 107-114 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

There were good things that happened in the opener, but there were also some not-so-good things. To add insult to injury, the Pacers were without their anchor down low, Myles Turner, who tweaked his ankle in warm-ups.

Indiana will need to keep experimenting with different lineups to find which groups give them the best chance to win with the season now underway. That being said, here are two standouts and one player who especially struggles in the Pacers’ loss to the Wizards.

Tyrese Haliburton Shines in Season Opener for the Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton was one of the few bright spots from Wednesday night’s game. He definitely lived up to the hype, putting up 26 points, seven assists, and four rebounds while shooting 50 percent (3-6) from three in 36 minutes of action. He did his part on the floor by holding his own on the defensive end and steering the wheel for the squad on the offensive end.

Tyrese also logged some of the biggest plays of the game. On one play, he pulled off a beautiful hesitation and attack the rim for a vicious flush over the defender. Coming into the season, we all knew that Haliburton was going to be good, and he definitely looked like the best player on the floor against the Wizards.

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Haliburton could very well be considered the heart and soul of this Pacers team. If they want to have a chance to win, he is going to have to be on his A-game, and he was on Wednesday night. If the Pacers did not have such a slow start to the game, the result of the game may have been a little different. Nevertheless, Tyrese Haliburton did his part and if he continues to do so, this team should be more successful.