The return of All-Star Tyrese Haliburton to a team that still includes most of the key pieces from the 2025 Eastern Conference champions wasn’t enough to get the Pacers a slot in one of the prime dates in the NBA’s early-season television calendar.
The NBA is rolling out its schedule this week and started on Tuesday, announcing its season-opening nationally televised games and its Christmas Day games. The Pacers were not part of the Christmas Day schedule and have been kept off of that marquee date since 2004, the third-longest drought of any NBA team behind the Sacramento Kings who haven’t played on Christmas since 2003 and Charlotte Hornets, who have never played on the holiday. The Pacers are also not part of the collection of games that will be nationally televised in the season’s opening days.
The full schedule is set to be released at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
The regular season opens on Tuesday, Oct. 20 with three games televised on NBC and Peacock including two featuring Eastern Conference teams, but not the Pacers. The Celtics and Pistons, who posted the two best regular-season records in the East, will play in Detroit at 3 p.m. The defending NBA champion Knicks host the 76ers — who added stars LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in the offseason — at 7 p.m. The Spurs host the Thunder in a Western Conference Finals rematch at 9:30 p.m.
ESPN will show nationally televised games on Oct. 21 and 22. The Heat, who traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason, host the Timberwolves, who added LaMelo Ball, at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 21. The Warriors play the Lakers in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. that night. The 76ers host the Cavs at 7 p.m. on Oct. 22 and the Thunder host the Nuggets at 9:30 p..m. that night. Prime gets its first games on Oct. 23 as the Celtics host the Knicks at 7 p.m. and the Spurs host the Rockets at 9:30 p.m.
The Christmas Day schedule opens with an NBA Finals rematch between the Spurs and Knicks at Madison Square Garden at noon. The Celtics host Antetokounmpo and the Heat at 2:30 p.m. James and the 76ers visit the Lakers in Los Angeles at 5 p.m. The Thunder face the Timberwolves in Minnesota at 8 p.m. and the Nuggets face the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco at 10:30 p.m. All games will be televised on ABC and ESPN.
The Pacers reached their first NBA Finals in 25 years in the 2024-25 season but lost to the Thunder in seven games with Haliburton tearing his right Achilles tendon in Game 7. He missed all of the 2025-26 season as the Pacers finished 19-63, the worst record in franchise history. However, the Pacers acquired center Ivica Zubac in February and wing Kelly Oubre Jr. in July and return most of the key pieces from the Finals squad, so they have realistic hopes of returning to title contention.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Despite Tyrese Haliburton’s return, Pacers’ Christmas snub continues
Reporting by Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
