Rare is the season opener in which talk of the future dominates talk of the present.

Season openers are beginnings. They?re for the here and now.

Then again, the Bulls find themselves in a rare place, betting their future on two teenagers and a boatload of patience.

The present? That looks pretty much the same after the Bulls fought hard but eventually fell short Wednesday night in a 98-73 loss to Indiana before a non-sellout crowd of 18,163 at the United Center. That story line is one the Bulls followed most of last season, when they collected just 15 victories.

Jermaine O?Neal led the Pacers with 25 points, while rookie point guard Jamaal Tinsley contributed 12 points and 13 assists.

The Bulls trailed 65-64 after Kevin Ollie drained a jumper with 65 seconds remaining in the third quarter. But the Bulls missed their next eight shots and didn?t score again until Brad Miller, who had a team-high 24, banked in a shot with 9:07 remaining.

The 3:58 drought allowed the Pacers to rip off a 9-0 run, with O?Neal scoring seven points. The Bulls managed just nine points in the fourth quarter.