The Atlanta Hawks left Indianapolis with a 108-104 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, closing the game on a 9-2 run in the final two minutes to spoil a spirited Pacers comeback. Atlanta improved its early-season record with a performance built on transition offense and timely three-point shooting, while Indiana dropped a game it had tied with under three minutes to play.

Match overview

The Hawks set the tone immediately, sprinting to a 31-26 lead after the first quarter behind quick ball movement and a barrage of corner threes. Indiana steadied itself in the second, leaning on Tyrese Haliburton's pick-and-roll orchestration to trim the deficit to a single possession at halftime. The third quarter belonged to the Pacers' second unit, and the game stayed within five points for the entire fourth until Atlanta's late surge.

• Score: Atlanta Hawks 108, Indiana Pacers 104
• Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
• Quarter scores: Hawks 31-25-24-28; Pacers 26-24-27-27
• Leading scorers: Trae Young (ATL) 29 points; Pascal Siakam (IND) 26 points

How Atlanta closed it out

With the score tied at 99 apiece, the Hawks went to their staple action — a high screen from Onyeka Okongwu that forced Indiana's big men into drop coverage. Trae Young punished it twice, first with a floater in the lane and then with a skip pass to Dyson Daniels in the left corner for a three that made it 106-101. Indiana answered through Siakam at the rim, but Atlanta iced the game at the free-throw line.

Defensively, the Hawks switched nearly every perimeter action in the fourth quarter, daring the Pacers to beat them one-on-one. Indiana finished the night shooting just 9-of-31 from beyond the arc and committed 15 turnovers that Atlanta converted into 21 points — the decisive statistical edge in a game otherwise separated by very little.

Standout performers

• Trae Young (ATL): 29 points, 11 assists, 4-of-9 from three, controlling tempo throughout.
• Jalen Johnson (ATL): 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and the loudest defensive play of the night with a chase-down block in the third quarter.
• Pascal Siakam (IND): 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting with 8 rebounds.
• Tyrese Haliburton (IND): 18 points, 12 assists, but 5 turnovers against Atlanta's length.
• Bennedict Mathurin (IND): 17 points off the bench, including 9 in the third quarter.

What it means for the standings

The result is a meaningful early Eastern Conference tiebreaker for Atlanta, who have now won consecutive road games against playoff-caliber opposition. For Indiana, the loss highlights a familiar early-season theme: excellent half-court execution undone by cold perimeter shooting and a rebounding deficit (Atlanta won the boards 48-41). The Pacers will look to correct those margins quickly, with a demanding stretch of games ahead, while the Hawks head home believing their defensive identity is starting to travel.