The Indiana Pacers played their first preseason game of the new year on the road against the Houston Rockets, winning 110-100. As per usual, it’s now time to over-analyze every second of action and jump to conclusions after 48 minutes of unimportant court time.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

With three-point shots from Bogey

And Sabonis blocking and Leaf finally here!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

It’s the Pa-Pacerest season of all

With those Holiday greetings and Victor’s world-beatings

Nate give Myles the ball

It’s the Pa-Pacerest season of all

It feels good to say this: the Indiana Pacers are playing professional basketball again. And the special thing about pre-season game one? Pacers fans have the freedom to be as speculative as they possibly can be because this is the smallest amount of information we will have all season. Game two of the pre-season will soon come, then three, then four… and eventually we’ll be watching games that count.

For now, though, all we have to go off of is a night in Houston, one in which the Pacers won 110-100, with some rather impressive (and a few not-so-impressive) performances all the way down the roster. That means it’s time to jump to conclusions!

Really, though, despite it only being 48 minutes of action, there are a few things to be learned from the Pacers’ first exhibition game, and there are definitely some things to watch out for over their final three pre-season contests. It’s too early to make a definitive call on anything yet, but there are a few key takeaways from last night – here are five to get you started.