Indiana Pacers Preview: Hosting the Nets at Bankers Life
With two straight wins in the book, three straight at home, the Indiana Pacers welcome the struggling Brooklyn Nets for a Friday night clash.
WHO: Indiana Pacers (15-9) v. Brooklyn Nets (7-18)
WHEN: Tonight, 7 pm ET / 6 pm CT
WHERE: Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN)
TV: FSI
RADIO: 1070 the Fan
STREAM: FSGO
The Pacers
A solid week so far, the only way to cap it off would be to beat the Nets at home in the first night of a back-to-back. Facing a pit stop in Memphis tomorrow before visiting San Antonio on Monday, Indiana needs to capitalize on tonight’s opportunity.
The Indiana Pacers shot the ball well against the Mavs on Wednesday and have worked their way back above league average after taking a hit during the three-game losing streak earlier in the month. Hitting well from the floor, combined with their average 103.8 points per game (sixth in the league), have meant things are sound offensively. Instead, it’s the defense that has been in question, though improvements were made since the trip to Detroit last weekend.
Paul George has not been Eastern-Conference-Player-of-the-Month-worthy as of late, but Monta Ellis and C.J. Miles have done their part in picking up the slack to take part of the load off George’s back.
The Nets
Brooklyn sits in the bottom three in points per game, dead last in 3pt%, yet are above league average in shooting percentage. Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young lead the charge in scoring, but Brooklyn has four players averaging above double-digits to spread the load. Despite seeming a small threat, the Nets are having a great month, shooting over 46% in eight games so far.
On the other end of the floor, Brooklyn is letting far too much fall. Their opponent field goal percentage of 46.3% is fourth-worst in the league, and with Indiana averaging just over 103 points per game, Brooklyn is letting up just over 102 points per game to compliment the Pacers style.
With the mini-road trip ahead and not much rest in sight, tonight is important to keep the momentum flowing in the right direction. If Paul George takes the reins, Indiana can put it away early, but Monta Ellis and C.J. Miles will certainly want to continue showing their ability offensively.
Tipoff for tonight set for 7 pm ET.