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Which Pacer team will show up?
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Game Preview
Coming off its biggest win of the season, the Indiana Pacers hope to carry momentum into its November slate of games.
The Pacers (2-3) will hit the road for two straight after topping the Boston Celtics in overtime, taking on the New Orleans Pelicans (2-3) on Friday before visiting the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 4.
Both the Pacers and Pelicans are dealing with key injuries heading into their first matchup of the season.
Indiana center Myles Turner has an ankle sprain and starting guard Andrew Nembhard has knee tendonitis, while six players were on the Pelicans’ most recent injury report. For the Pelicans, Dejounte Murray (hand) and Trey Murphy III (hamstring) will both miss Friday’s matchup, while defensive stalwart Herb Jones (shoulder), veteran guard C.J. McCollum (thigh) and center Daniel Theis (ankle) are all questionable.
Indiana showed resilience against the defending NBA Champs, as the Celtics stormed back from a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force extra minutes. Down the final stretch, however, clutch shotmaking by Pascal Siakam – including a 3-pointer with six seconds left on the clock – and Tyrese Haliburton gave the Blue & Gold the edge.
The 135 points were a season-high for the Pacers, who hadn't scored more than 115 points in a game prior to face the Celtics.
Against Boston, a trio of Pacers collected double-doubles, as Siakam finished with a season-best 29 points and 11 rebounds, Bennedict Mathurin posted a season-high 30 points and 11 boards off the bench, and Haliburton collected 17 points and 12 assists. Indiana posted season highs for points and rebounds in the game.
The win halted Indiana's three-game skid, and it was the Pacers' first meeting with the Celtics since they were eliminated in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.
After five games, the Pacers ranked in the top five for assists per game (29.2) and field goal percentage (.482) and were second in points per game off the bench, averaging 50.6 as of Thursday morning.
While the Blue & Gold have experienced ups and downs to start the season, Siakam has consistently played at a high level, leading the team at 20.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while also dishing out 5.2 assists on a nightly basis.
Mathurin is also heating up as he comes back from last year’s season-ending shoulder injury, scoring 15.8 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting. Against Boston, Mathurin played 43 minutes after Nembhard had to sit out just five minutes after the game started.
New Orleans enters the game after back-to-back losses to the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. Known as one of the top defensive teams last season, the Pelicans rank second in blocks per game (7.6) and fifth in steals average (9.4) so far this season but are 28th in points per game (105.2).
In Wednesday’s defeat, 124-89, the short-handed Pelicans recorded a season-low for points in a game. New Orleans shot just 36.7 percent in the game, led by 23 points by Jordan Hawkins, 16 by Jose Alvarado, 14 by Brandon Ingram, and 12 points and 12 rebounds by Zion Williamson.
Ingram leads the Pelicans at 22.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while Williamson and McCollum are both dropping in just over 18 points per contest. Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Aaron Nesmith, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Isaiah Jackson
Pelicans: G - Jose Alvarado, G - Jordan Hawkins, F - Zion Williamson, F - Brandon Ingram, C - Daniel Theis Injury Report
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard - questionable (sore left knee), Myles Turner - questionable (left ankle sprain), James Wiseman - out (torn left Achilles tendon)
Pelicans: Jordan Hawkins - questionable (lower back spasms), Yves Missi - questionable (right lower abdominal contusion), Daniel Theis - questionable (sore left ankle), Herbert Jones - out (right shoulder strain), C.J. McCollum - out (sore right adductor), Trey Murphy III - out (right hamstring strain), Dejounte Murray - out (left hand fracture) Last Meeting
March 1, 2024: Meeting for the second time in three days, the New Orleans Pelicans got one back against the Indiana Pacers by posting a 129-102 win over the Blue & Gold at Smoothie King Center. With the loss, the Pacers split their regular season series with the Pelicans.
New Orleans scored an NBA-season-high 48 first-quarter points on 91 percent shooting to lead 48-26 before holding a 77-56 advantage at the break. The Pelicans then outscored the Pacers 31-16 in the third quarter, limiting the Pacers to 23 percent shooting in the frame, to lead by 36 points going into the fourth quarter and coast to the win.
Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 34 points on 13 of 21 shooting, and Trey Murphy III matched a season-high 28 points. Pelicans 6-11 center Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes, and Zion Williamson finished with eight points, seven assists and three rebounds.
Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson led the Pacers with 13 points each, while Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner each scored 12 points. Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with no points (0-for-7 shooting), three assists, and three rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Noteworthy
FanDuel Sports Network - 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 (studio host) Tickets
The Pacers will host Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>
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Game Preview
Coming off its biggest win of the season, the Indiana Pacers hope to carry momentum into its November slate of games.
The Pacers (2-3) will hit the road for two straight after topping the Boston Celtics in overtime, taking on the New Orleans Pelicans (2-3) on Friday before visiting the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 4.
Both the Pacers and Pelicans are dealing with key injuries heading into their first matchup of the season.
Indiana center Myles Turner has an ankle sprain and starting guard Andrew Nembhard has knee tendonitis, while six players were on the Pelicans’ most recent injury report. For the Pelicans, Dejounte Murray (hand) and Trey Murphy III (hamstring) will both miss Friday’s matchup, while defensive stalwart Herb Jones (shoulder), veteran guard C.J. McCollum (thigh) and center Daniel Theis (ankle) are all questionable.
Indiana showed resilience against the defending NBA Champs, as the Celtics stormed back from a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force extra minutes. Down the final stretch, however, clutch shotmaking by Pascal Siakam – including a 3-pointer with six seconds left on the clock – and Tyrese Haliburton gave the Blue & Gold the edge.
The 135 points were a season-high for the Pacers, who hadn't scored more than 115 points in a game prior to face the Celtics.
Against Boston, a trio of Pacers collected double-doubles, as Siakam finished with a season-best 29 points and 11 rebounds, Bennedict Mathurin posted a season-high 30 points and 11 boards off the bench, and Haliburton collected 17 points and 12 assists. Indiana posted season highs for points and rebounds in the game.
The win halted Indiana's three-game skid, and it was the Pacers' first meeting with the Celtics since they were eliminated in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.
After five games, the Pacers ranked in the top five for assists per game (29.2) and field goal percentage (.482) and were second in points per game off the bench, averaging 50.6 as of Thursday morning.
While the Blue & Gold have experienced ups and downs to start the season, Siakam has consistently played at a high level, leading the team at 20.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while also dishing out 5.2 assists on a nightly basis.
Mathurin is also heating up as he comes back from last year’s season-ending shoulder injury, scoring 15.8 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting. Against Boston, Mathurin played 43 minutes after Nembhard had to sit out just five minutes after the game started.
New Orleans enters the game after back-to-back losses to the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. Known as one of the top defensive teams last season, the Pelicans rank second in blocks per game (7.6) and fifth in steals average (9.4) so far this season but are 28th in points per game (105.2).
In Wednesday’s defeat, 124-89, the short-handed Pelicans recorded a season-low for points in a game. New Orleans shot just 36.7 percent in the game, led by 23 points by Jordan Hawkins, 16 by Jose Alvarado, 14 by Brandon Ingram, and 12 points and 12 rebounds by Zion Williamson.
Ingram leads the Pelicans at 22.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while Williamson and McCollum are both dropping in just over 18 points per contest. Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Aaron Nesmith, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Isaiah Jackson
Pelicans: G - Jose Alvarado, G - Jordan Hawkins, F - Zion Williamson, F - Brandon Ingram, C - Daniel Theis Injury Report
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard - questionable (sore left knee), Myles Turner - questionable (left ankle sprain), James Wiseman - out (torn left Achilles tendon)
Pelicans: Jordan Hawkins - questionable (lower back spasms), Yves Missi - questionable (right lower abdominal contusion), Daniel Theis - questionable (sore left ankle), Herbert Jones - out (right shoulder strain), C.J. McCollum - out (sore right adductor), Trey Murphy III - out (right hamstring strain), Dejounte Murray - out (left hand fracture) Last Meeting
March 1, 2024: Meeting for the second time in three days, the New Orleans Pelicans got one back against the Indiana Pacers by posting a 129-102 win over the Blue & Gold at Smoothie King Center. With the loss, the Pacers split their regular season series with the Pelicans.
New Orleans scored an NBA-season-high 48 first-quarter points on 91 percent shooting to lead 48-26 before holding a 77-56 advantage at the break. The Pelicans then outscored the Pacers 31-16 in the third quarter, limiting the Pacers to 23 percent shooting in the frame, to lead by 36 points going into the fourth quarter and coast to the win.
Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 34 points on 13 of 21 shooting, and Trey Murphy III matched a season-high 28 points. Pelicans 6-11 center Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes, and Zion Williamson finished with eight points, seven assists and three rebounds.
Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson led the Pacers with 13 points each, while Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner each scored 12 points. Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton finished with no points (0-for-7 shooting), three assists, and three rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Noteworthy
- Pacers guard T.J. McConnell is nine assists short of tying Travis Best for ninth in all-time Pacers assists and sixth in assists for the franchise’s NBA history. He currently has 1,746 assists with the Blue & Gold.
- Indiana and New Orleans split their last regular season series 1-1, with both teams claiming home victories.
- Pelicans center Daniel Theis was on the Pacers from July 2022 to Nov. 15, 2023. He played in just eight games total for the Blue & Gold.
FanDuel Sports Network - 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 (studio host) Tickets
The Pacers will host Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>
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