The Indiana Pacers have a chance to finish their four-game homestand with a win, and it'll be on national TV.
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In a game happening midweek, the Indiana Pacers have a chance to finish their four-game homestand with a win, and it’ll be on national TV. The Pacers, with a record of 33-26, are looking to recover from a loss on Monday night. They’ll be playing against the New Orleans Pelicans, who have a record of 34-24, on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
On Feb. 21, the NBA moved the game to a national TV slot on ESPN, and it’ll now start at 7:30 p.m. ET. The original game was supposed to be the Memphis Grizzlies against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Indiana and New Orleans will play two games against each other this week. After their game in Indianapolis, they’ll play again at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Friday. Both the Pacers and Pelicans are fighting for playoff spots, with the Pacers in seventh place in the East and the Pelicans in sixth place in the West.
For the Pelicans, Nesmith (ankle injury) will not be playing the game. Besides, McDermott (calf injury) can also miss the game. As for the Bulls, Alvarado (suspended) and Daniels (knee injury) will be sitting this one out. Moreover, McCollum (ankle injury) could also be unavailable.
The Pelicans will be playing the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday, having faced the New York Knicks the night before. This season, they have a 4-5 record when playing without a day of rest.
Indiana’s high-scoring offense will be up against the Pelicans’ tough defense. The Pacers are currently the highest-scoring team in the NBA, averaging 124 points per game, and they have the second-best offensive rating. On the other hand, the Pelicans have the sixth-best defensive rating, allowing only 112 points per game (the eighth fewest in the league), and they lead the league with 8.5 steals per game.
New Orleans has the seventh-best overall net rating in the NBA, but they score 116.1 points per game, which is the 14th-best in the league. Indiana has won four of its last six games and had a three-game winning streak after the All-Star break before losing to the Toronto Raptors 130-122 on Monday.
In the loss, the Pacers were down by three points after three quarters before giving up 40 points in the final period. Bennedict Mathurin had 34 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in the loss, and Pascal Siakam scored 27 points and had six assists.
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