by Jordan Morey
In a midweek matchup, the Indiana Pacers can wrap up a four-game homestand with a victory in front of a national audience.
The Pacers (33-26) hope to bounce back from a Monday night loss when they host the New Orleans Pelicans (34-24) on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
On Feb. 21, the NBA flexed the game into a national television slot on ESPN, with a new start time of 7:30 p.m. ET. The Memphis Grizzlies at Minnesota Timberwolves game was originally slated for broadcast.
Indiana and New Orleans will play their two-game regular season series over three days this week. After squaring off in Indianapolis, the teams will face off at Smoothie King Center in The Big Easy on Friday.
Both the Pacers and Pelicans are battling for playoff positioning, sitting in the seventh and sixth spots in the East and West, respectively.
The Pelicans will be playing on the second leg of a road back-to-back on Wednesday, as they face the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. This season, the Pelicans have a 4-5 record with no rest days between games.
Indiana’s high-flying offense will go up against a stingy Pelicans defense.
The Pacers remain the highest-scoring squad in the NBA at 124 points per game, with the second-best offensive rating of any team. Conversely, the Pelicans boast the No. 6-ranked defensive rating, give up 112 points per game (eighth fewest of any team), and are leading the league at 8.5 steals per game.
New Orleans has the seventh-best overall net rating in the NBA, but the Pelicans score 116.1 points per game, the 14th-best in the league.
Indiana has won four of its last six games and was riding a three-game winning streak out of the All-Star break before losing to the Toronto Raptors 130-122 on Monday.
In the loss, the Pacers trailed by three points after three quarter before giving up 40 points in the final period. Bennedict Mathurin posted 34 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in the loss and Pascal Siakam recorded 27 points and six assists.
Since returning from the break, center Myles Turner has put up big numbers, averaging 21.4 points and 8.6 rebounds. All-Star starting guard Tyrese Haliburton has remained solid, putting up 19.6 points and 11.8 assists across five games.
The Pacers could be without starting forward Aaron Nesmith for a fourth straight game on Wednesday as he recovers from a right ankle sprain.
The duo of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram at the forward positions leads the Pelicans again in 2023-2024. Williamson is averaging 22.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists, while Ingram is averaging 21.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
In his second full season with the Pelicans, and third overall, sharpshooter CJ McCollum has remained a steady offensive threat, averaging 18.8 points on 45.9 percent shooting (41.7 percent from 3-point range), and veteran 6-11 center Jonas Valanciunas has continued to prove a force in the middle, putting up 13.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
Also getting a lot of attention for the Pelicans this season is third-year forward Herb Jones, who is averaging 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Jones’ name has come up early as a potential All-Defensive Team candidate.
Williamson (left foot contusion) and McCollum (ankle) were listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game in New York.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G – Tyrese Haliburton, G – Andrew Nembhard, F – Bennedict Mathurin, F – Pascal Siakam, C – Myles Turner
Pelicans: G – CJ McCollum, G – Brandon Ingram, F – Herbert Jones, F – Zion Williamson, C – Jonas Valanciunas
Injury Report
Pacers: Aaron Nesmith – questionable (right ankle sprain), Doug McDermott – out (right calf strain)
Pelicans: CJ McCollum – questionable (left ankle sprain), Zion Williamson – questionable (left foot contusion), Jose Alvarado – out (league suspension), Dyson Daniels – out (left knee meniscectomy), E.J. Liddell – out (G League assignment)
Last Meeting
Dec. 26, 2022: A shorthanded Pelicans squad posted a 113-93 win over the Pacers at Smoothie King Center. New Orleans was without six players in the game, including stars Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Using 13-0 and 15-0 scoring bursts in the first two quarters, the Pelicans led 57-38 at halftime, holding the Pacers to their fewest points of any half that season. New Orelans then took a 90-62 advantage into the final frame before cruising to the win.
The Pelicans dominated the glass, outrebounding the Pacers 54-36 (16-6 offensive rebounds) and outsourcing the Blue & Gold 26-8 in second-chance points. The Pacers shot 42.2 percent as a team, including a poor 9-for-35 (25.7 percent) from 3-point range to the Pelicans’ 45.6 percent (12-for-40 from 3-point range).
Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 15 points off the bench, Myles Turner scored 14 points and pulled down eight rebounds, and Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield each logged 12 points.
Naji Marshall topped the Pelicans with a career-high 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting, Jonas Valanciunas recorded 20 points and 12 rebounds and C.J. McCollum chipped in 19 points.
Noteworthy
- Prior to the start of the season, Indiana was scheduled for just one nationally televised game (Jan. 30 at Boston). The Pacers’ run during the In-Season Tournament gave them three additional games on national TV, so Wednesday’s broadcast will be their fifth national game of the season.
- Indiana and New Orleans have split their season series for three straight seasons.
- Former Indiana University star and Washington, Indiana, native Cody Zeller, who is in his 11th NBA season, has played in 37 games for the Pelicans this season. He is averaging 7.9 minutes per game for New Orleans.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings)
TV: ESPN – Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Monica McNutt (analyst), Andraya Carter (sideline reporter)
Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Originally posted on pacers.com