No Tyrese Haliburton. No T.J. McConnell. Andrew Nembhard was injured. And Aaron Nesmith fouled out after 27 minutes.
Even so, the Indiana Pacers took the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder to double overtime in a 141-135 loss, and head coach Rick Carlisle deserves a lot of the credit.
This season was always going to be a confusing one for the Pacers. On one hand, they are going to be without Haliburton for the year, and they still need to find a definitive solution to their center problem following Myles Turner's departure. However, the team is also going to experiment with their roster, utilize a whole new set of players in different ways, and try to make some magic happen.
Right away, Indiana fans felt some of this bittersweet emotion. The team lost its first game of the season, but there were a lot of positives to take away.
Though the Pacers are not likely to be in the title picture this season, they are still a team worth keeping an eye on. And with Carlisle still leading the way, they may be able to make some noise and exceed expectations yet again.
The Pacers are still excelling while playing their brand of basketball
Even though this year's team will look vastly different from last season's finals team, the Pacers are still going to be the Pacers.
Under Carlisle, they have prioritized a run-and-gun offense, applying full-court pressure, playing with energy, and never giving up until the final buzzer sounds. All of this was on display against Oklahoma City, and it is a reason Indiana was within striking distance of winning this NBA Finals rematch.
Additionally, as has been the case for the Pacers for a while, they dealt with a lot of adversity in the loss and remain competitive. This is a sign of great coaching, as well as the players buying into the system.
After the game, Carlisle praised the team's "grit" and ability to play up to the challenge despite dealing with some notable absences.
"This group, it's grit. There's not gonna be any sugar pill to solve the challenges that are coming every night. We're just gonna have to have an attitude of loving the challenge of the NBA when you're not whole," Carlisle said after the Pacers' loss to the Thunder on Thursday
Carlisle- "This group, it's grit. There's not gonna be any sugar pill to solve the challenges that are coming every night. We're just gonna have to have an attitude of loving the challenge of the NBA when you're not whole."
— Tyler Smith (@TylerSmith_ISL) October 24, 2025
There is a ton of basketball left to be played, and only time will tell exactly how much luck will go Indiana's way the rest of the season. However, despite losing their first game of the season, fans should be optimistic about the Pacers' outlook.
The team already proved that they're not going to stray away from what makes them special. They will continue playing Pacers basketball, and they are going to continue making things difficult for their opponents on a nightly basis.
Carlisle is one of the best head coaches in the league, and it's easy to see why. He gets the most out of his players regularly, which will always be a recipe for success in the NBA.
Another NBA Finals appearance is probably not going to happen this season, but that doesn't mean it's going to be a wasted season. In a wide-open Eastern Conference, anything can happen. And Indiana will look to make some serious noise.
As long as Carlisle is leading the way, the Pacers cannot be counted out, and their first game of the season is the ultimate proof of that.