CHICAGO — Several hours before his Indiana Pacers met the Chicago Bulls Saturday night at United Center, General Manager Kevin Pritchard lounged in a courtside folding chair during the afternoon shootaround.

His team was off to a 9-0 start, and he watched with a smile, recounting how the Indiana roster was assembled. He was sure, though, to offer a caveat. “It’s early,” he said. “We know it’s early.”

He added: “This is the biggest test of our season. We’ll learn more about our team after tonight.”

Sure enough, the Bulls laid a smack-down on the Pacers, 110-94, emphatically ending the Pacers’ undefeated run.

But even with Saturday’s loss, Indiana still shares the league’s best record — with San Antonio — heading into Wednesday’s meeting with the Knicks. The Pacers’ visit to Madison Square Garden is their first since they emphatically dispatched the Knicks from the playoffs a season ago in the Eastern Conference semifinals.