Atlanta Hawks Move Indiana Pacers Game to Afternoon as Weather, Home Test Loom

The Atlanta Hawks moved up the start time of their Monday game against the Indiana Pacers, adjusting to dangerous winter weather while preparing for another test of their uneven home performance.

The game at State Farm Arena will tip off at 1:30 p.m., six hours earlier than scheduled. Team officials cited icy roads and freezing temperatures affecting metro Atlanta and other parts of the country. Fans will be able to use their original tickets and parking passes for entry.

The timing change comes as Atlanta looks to build momentum at home. The Hawks are coming off a 110-103 win over Phoenix on Friday and have won two straight games overall, but they remain just 8-13 at State Farm Arena. Only two Eastern Conference teams have fewer home victories, and Friday’s win snapped a two-game home losing streak.

Quin Snyder said the defensive execution late against the Suns offered a glimpse of what the Hawks are trying to establish on their home floor.

“You always want to play well at home,” Snyder said. “To be able to come out (against Phoenix) and be able to go right down to win in front of our own crowd is really important. People can feel the way our team competed on the defensive end late. That’s what won the game.”

Atlanta had to overcome its own mistakes to get there. The Hawks committed 21 turnovers that led to 30 Phoenix points, including nine in the third quarter when they squandered an 11-point lead.

Snyder pointed to poor fundamentals during that stretch.

“We had poor spacing and we were playing in the crowd and we didn’t pass,” Snyder said. “Those things kind of go together. And when we did pass, we had a bad pass. We just didn’t have ball security and we didn’t focus on the little things that allow us to move the ball for it not to stop when the ball sticks with our group.”

The Hawks continue to rely on Jalen Johnson, who is averaging 23.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and eight assists. Johnson is coming off his 30th double-double after finishing with 23 points and 18 rebounds Friday, one assist shy of his eighth triple-double of the season. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 20.3 points, while CJ McCollum has averaged 17.3 points in seven games since joining Atlanta.

Indiana arrives in Atlanta after a 117-114 upset of Oklahoma City on Friday that snapped a three-game losing streak. Jarace Walker scored a career-high 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting, adding four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in his 14th start of the season.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said the performance marked a significant moment for the young forward.

“This was an enormous moment for him in his young career,” Carlisle said. “He showed all the things he can do out there, from the shooting to the driving to the defense to the rebounding to the passing.”

The win came during a difficult season for Indiana, which owns the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference while playing without Tyrese Haliburton, who has missed the entire season after tearing his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Carlisle said the team’s approach has remained consistent despite the results.

“Very happy for the guys,” Carlisle said. “Been a difficult year, but it’s been a fun year. I mean, it’s fun competing with these guys and we’re going to continue to have that kind of attitude about it.”

Pascal Siakam leads Indiana at 23.8 points per game and averages 6.9 rebounds, while Bennedict Mathurin averages 17.8 points. Indiana played Friday without Mathurin because of a right thumb sprain and without Quinton Jackson due to a right ankle sprain. Jackson could return Monday.

Atlanta was again without Kristaps Porzingis (left Achilles) and Zaccharie Risacher (left knee bone contusion) on Friday. Risacher is being re-evaluated and is nearing a return after missing eight games.

Monday’s matchup is the second of three meetings this season. Atlanta won the first 128-108 on Oct. 31 in Indianapolis behind Johnson’s 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.