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Countdown to Tipoff: Pacers vs. Detroit
SCOUTING THE PACERS: Coming off a stirring 107-100 victory over the Celtics on Monday in Conseco Fieldhouse that protected their one-game lead over Charlotte for eighth place in the Eastern Conference and the final playoff berth, the Pacers will try to avenge Saturday's stunning 100-88 loss in Detroit, which the Pacers trailed most of the second half and yielded 51 percent shooting to the Pistons. Though both Darren Collison (sprained left ankle) and Danny Granger (sprained right ankle) are dealing with minor injury issues, the Pacers will welcome back Mike Dunleavy for his first action since Feb. 22. Out 20 games with a broken thumb, Dunleavy practiced Tuesday and is expected to be in the rotation against the Pistons, though his role has yet to be determined.
SCOUTING THE PISTONS: Detroit hasn't played since beating the Pacers, giving two veterans that missed the game time to rest and recover. Tracy McGrady was out with a sore back and Ben Wallace with a sore left knee. Charlie Villanueva came off the bench to score 13 in the fourth quarter on 5-of-5 shooting as the Pistons pulled away Saturday night. Richard Hamilton scored 23 and Rodney Stuckey had 16. Detroit (26-47) had lost three in a row before that victory. The Pistons bring an eight-game road losing streak and a 7-29 road record into this game.
KEY MATCHUP: Because of his combination of size, strength and sneaky quickness, Stuckey has been a difficult man for the Pacers' smaller point guards to defend this season. He's the Pistons' leading scorer against the Pacers (18.3) and his ability to get to the basket has proved problematic.
QUOTE MARKS: "I think of it as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing. We try to make sure the right one comes out every night but sometimes it's the fault of a young team. We have to grow and make sure the right one rears his head." -- Roy Hibbert on the Pacers' inconsistency
INJURY REPORT: For the Pacers, Danny Granger (sprained right ankle) and Darren Collison (sprained left ankle) are probable. For the Pistons, Ben Wallace (sore left knee) is day-to-day and Jonas Jerebko (partially ruptured right Achilles tendon) is out.
TICKETS: Buy now | College night | Kroger Plus Night
BROADCAST INFO: The game will be telecast at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports Indiana with Chris Denari and Quinn Buckner calling the game and Stacy Paetz on the sideline, with a pre-game show starting at 7. The radio broadcast is anchored by the flagship of the Pacers' network, WIBC 93 FM, featuring Mark Boyle's 2,000th Game and Austin Croshere, with Kevin Lee reporting.
INTERACT: You can chat live with fans around the country in our live game blog which begins at tipoff.