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Hawks Beat Pacers 108-104 as Alexander-Walker Drops 34 on Six-Man Indiana
The Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 108-104 on Monday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, surviving a remarkable scare from a Pacers side that dressed only six players and still took the game down to the final minute. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a season-high 34 points, including a career-high nine three-pointers, as Atlanta improved to 4-4 while Indiana fell to 2-6 with a fifth straight defeat.
Key Points
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 34 points with nine three-pointers as the Hawks beat the Pacers 108-104 in Indianapolis.
- Indiana dressed only six players, with 11 ruled out through injury, illness and rest, including all five starters.
- All six Pacers who played scored in double figures, led by Jay Huff with 22 points.
- Braden Smith posted 19 points and 10 assists in his first NBA start, a first career double-double.
- Onyeka Okongwu scored the clinching basket with 10 seconds left after Indiana had cut the gap to two points.
What Happened
Atlanta made seven of its first 10 three-point attempts and led 37-29 after the first quarter, extending the advantage to 68-56 by half-time. CJ McCollum, who finished with 13 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, helped the Hawks stretch the lead to 62-49 late in the second quarter, and the visitors looked comfortable when they led 73-58 with 9:48 remaining in the third. Indiana, however, refused to fold. The Pacers pulled within eight by the end of the third quarter and kept coming in the fourth, with Quenton Jackson's three-point play cutting the deficit to 93-90 with 7:36 left. Atlanta answered with eight straight points, including consecutive three-pointers from Luguentz Dort and Alexander-Walker, but Indiana produced one more run. Jackson's dunk with 1:23 remaining made it 106-104, before Jackson missed a three-pointer with 43.1 seconds left that would have given the Pacers the lead. Okongwu, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, then converted a jumper with 10 seconds left for the final margin.
Background: How Indiana Ended Up With Six Players
Indiana arrived at the game in an extraordinary position. Eleven players were sidelined, a list that covered the entire starting five as well as rotation players, through a combination of injuries, illness and rest on the second night of a back-to-back. Only six players were available: Jalen Slawson, Jarace Walker, Jay Huff, Quenton Jackson, Braden Smith and Kobe Brown. According to Associated Press reporting, those 11 absent players represented about 93 percent of the team's payroll, a figure that underlined how depleted the roster was. The situation also produced a rare statistical footnote noted by ESPN analysts: it was the kind of six-man effort not seen in the league since 1948. Indiana had already been struggling, and the defeat was its fifth in a row and sixth in its last seven games. Atlanta, by contrast, arrived looking to steady a 3-4 start, and the win moved the Hawks back to .500 at 4-4.
Hawks Beat Pacers Behind Alexander-Walker's Shooting Night
The difference, in the end, was the three-point line. Atlanta finished 23 of 51 from beyond the arc, shooting 45.1 percent, while Indiana managed only 8 of 34. Alexander-Walker was the chief destroyer, hitting nine of his 15 three-point attempts on his way to 34 points, with four rebounds and four steals. Dort added 14 points, including four three-pointers, and the Hawks' spacing repeatedly punished a Pacers defence that had no fresh legs to rotate. Indiana won the paint battle 54-26 and finished with a 49-39 rebounding edge, but could not match Atlanta's perimeter firepower. Huff led Indiana with 22 points and eight rebounds, Jackson added 20, and Smith's 19 points and 10 assists in his first start gave the Pacers a genuine bright spot. All six Pacers scored at least 12 points, a testament to the effort of a group that played heavy minutes against a full-strength opponent.
Reactions and Quotes
Reports from Indianapolis framed the night as a moral victory wrapped inside a defeat for Indiana, and a warning for Atlanta. The Pacers had reasonable hopes of ending their skid when Jackson stole the ball from Alexander-Walker and converted a layup to make it 106-104 with 1:36 left, and the home crowd responded to a team that kept fighting despite having no bench to turn to. For Atlanta, the post-game talking point was less the win than the manner of it: a 15-point third-quarter lead against six opponents should not have become a one-possession game in the final minute. The Hawks avoided what would have been an embarrassing defeat, but the narrow margin against such a short-handed side is likely to sharpen the focus on their defensive consistency as the season develops.
Why It Matters
The result matters for both teams for different reasons. For Indiana, it showed that the roster's depth and fight remain real even in a crisis week, but it also extended a losing run that is starting to damage the early season. Five straight defeats, with key players still to return, put pressure on the Pacers to stabilise before the gap to the play-in places grows. For Atlanta, the win keeps the Hawks at .500 and underlines the value of Alexander-Walker's shooting in a team that can score in bursts. The Hawks will know, though, that better opponents will punish the lapses that let Indiana back into this game, and the closing minutes will be a point of emphasis in practice this week.
What Happens Next
Both teams play again on Wednesday. Atlanta travels to Washington, while Indiana goes on the road to face the Memphis Grizzlies. The Pacers will hope that at least some of their 11 absent players return for that trip, while the Hawks will look to build a winning streak for the first time this season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score between the Hawks and Pacers?
Atlanta won 108-104 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Monday, 2 November 2026.
How many points did Nickeil Alexander-Walker score?
Alexander-Walker scored a season-high 34 points, including a career-high nine three-pointers.
Why did Indiana only have six players?
Eleven Pacers were ruled out through injury, illness and rest, including all five starters, leaving only six available players.
What are the teams' records now?
Atlanta improved to 4-4, while Indiana fell to 2-6 after a fifth straight defeat.
Who do the teams play next?
Atlanta visits Washington on Wednesday, and Indiana travels to Memphis on Wednesday.
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