Hawks vs Pacers swings late as Indiana rallies past Atlanta in Indianapolis

The latest hawks vs pacers meeting flipped in the final minutes Saturday night, when Indiana closed strong to beat Atlanta 111–106 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. For the Pacers, the comeback offered a rare momentum boost in a difficult season; for the Hawks, it was another reminder that late-game execution is going to decide whether they can hold a play-in spot.

Atlanta entered the night having already taken the first two matchups of the season series, but the third installment—often searched as pacers vs hawks—turned on a fourth-quarter surge that erased a double-digit deficit.

Hawks vs Pacers: Late rally flips the result

Indiana trailed by 14 points with 7:14 left before storming back to win, a closing stretch that featured tighter defense, faster pace, and more decisive possessions in the half court. The Hawks had been in position to secure a third straight win over Indiana this season, but the game tightened quickly once the Pacers found repeated stops and converted in transition.

Atlanta’s scoring was led by CJ McCollum with 23 points, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker adding 20 and Corey Kispert 17. The Hawks generated enough offense for long stretches, but the final minutes turned into a grind, and empty trips became costly as Indiana’s pressure rose.

What the result means right now

Even in late January, this was the kind of game that can feel bigger than one night. The Hawks have hovered around the middle of the Eastern Conference picture, where every loss can compress the standings and make the next week feel urgent. Dropping a winnable road game to a team near the bottom of the conference stings most because it’s the kind of result that can come back in tie-breaker math later.

For the Pacers, a win like this matters less for the standings than for confidence and development. A young rotation playing heavy minutes benefits from learning how to close a tight game—especially one that required patience after falling behind late.

Injury context shaped the matchup

The availability picture played a major role in how both teams looked. Indiana has been operating without Tyrese Haliburton, and the Hawks have been managing multiple absences and day-to-day situations as well. Those missing pieces can change who initiates offense, who guards the primary creators, and how much each team relies on secondary scoring.

For the atlanta hawks, the rotation has leaned heavily on shot-making from the perimeter and lineup flexibility—useful tools, but also ones that can become volatile late if the ball sticks or if transition defense slips after misses.

Season series snapshot and head-to-head trend

Saturday’s game prevented a sweep and added a different wrinkle to the matchup: Indiana proved it could win ugly, not just trade runs. Here’s how the season series has played out so far:

That arc matters because it shows the range of outcomes when these two teams meet: one lopsided Hawks win, one high-scoring Hawks win, and one lower-scoring finish where Indiana’s defense and composure late were decisive.

What’s next for the Hawks and Pacers

Atlanta’s schedule doesn’t let the loss linger. The Hawks head to Miami on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET, then return home for games against Utah on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET and Charlotte on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET. With so many teams clustered in the middle, stacking wins is essential.

Indiana stays home for two more: Houston visits Monday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET and Utah follows Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET. If the Pacers can string together competitive fourth quarters—win or lose—they’ll at least have a foundation to build on even as the season grinds forward.

Sources consulted: NBA, ESPN, Reuters, Basketball-Reference