Pacers 123, Timberwolves 112: Even in a Preseason Loss, Minnesota’s New-Look Offense Didn’t Vanish

The Indiana Pacers opened their work in the preseason against a Minnesota Timberwolves squad already in the middle of a shifting identity, and the result was a 123-112 Pacers win. Minnesota’s second preseason game did not follow the smoother arc of the first, but the bigger storyline was what the Timberwolves showed offensively even in defeat. The matchup also carried a clear homecoming feel at Iowa State’s Hilton Coliseum on campus, where the crowd’s attention centered on former Cyclone Tyrese Haliburton.

For Minnesota, the night functioned as a quick audit of what its new offensive looks can sustain under live conditions. The Timberwolves, according to the report covering the game, had enough continuity to keep pressure on Indiana, even if they ultimately fell short. That matters because preseason results are rarely a referendum on the regular season, but the way an offense generates its opportunities can indicate how confidently a team can run its system when games matter more.

Haliburton’s presence added another layer. He received his first game action in more than 600 days, and the atmosphere reflected that rarity, with a reported pre-tip moment where he addressed the crowd. Iowa State fans and NBA observers alike treated the venue as more than a neutral site, turning the arena into a bridge between Haliburton’s college past and his current role with Indiana. A buzz circulated in the building, the kind that usually arrives when a player’s return feels both personal and public.

Minnesota’s crowd, meanwhile, was not shy about its own star power. The report described Timberwolves jerseys scattered throughout the stands, with supporters specifically focused on two of the team’s headline talents, Ant Edwards and a player identified in the account as Ball. The implication for Minnesota’s coaching staff was straightforward: the offense has to keep accommodating its best individual scorers, but it also has to do enough around them to keep the team efficient when the game tightens.

Indiana’s challenge, then, became making sure those Minnesota looks did not turn into sustained advantages. The Pacers’ final margin suggested they were able to absorb whatever Minnesota’s offense produced in stretches, limiting the kind of run that can flip a preseason game into a rout. Still, the larger takeaway for the Timberwolves was that the system had enough functional movement to prevent a purely defensive narrative.

The scheduling context also matters. The report framed the location as a special stop, and it set up an easy contrast with what comes next for Minnesota, returning to its home environment soon. That detail is relevant because preseason performances often become coaching tape for multiple purposes: building offensive timing, testing rotations, and ironing out decision-making under transition pressure.

What to watch next is how quickly Minnesota can convert promising offensive possessions into more consistent execution. If Edwards and Ball can draw defensive attention while Minnesota’s sets continue to create repeatable options, the team’s preseason losses will be easier to interpret as growing pains rather than structural issues. For Indiana, the focus will likely be on how its offensive choices hold up as the preseason advances and opponents become more settled in their own rotation plans.

In the meantime, Haliburton’s return remains the clearest headline, not just because of the crowd energy at Hilton Coliseum, but because it adds a meaningful data point for Indiana’s early-season continuity. Haliburton’s first game in more than 600 days is a reminder that the preseason is not only about teams, it is also about integrating timing and rhythm. Minnesota may have lost, but the report’s theme holds: its new-look offense did not get dismissed, even when the scoreboard told a different story.