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Game Preview: Pacers vs Bulls

Matchup

It is still very early, but suddenly Friday's game between the Pacers (9-5) and the Chicago Bulls (9-4) seems to carry a little more weight. Indiana has won nine of its last 11 games to surge up the Eastern Conference standings. With a win over the Bulls, the Blue & Gold could move into second place in the Central Division.

The Pacers' offense is firing on all cylinders at the moment and is reaching unprecedented heights. Indiana has scored 123 points in two straight games. Past Pacers teams had not scored that many points in any two games over the course of an entire season since 2010-11. The Blue & Gold also have hit 34 3-pointers over their past two contests, including a franchise-record 19 triples in Tuesday's walloping of Washington.

The Bulls, however, present a stiff test for Indiana's high-octane offense. Despite not retaining defensive guru Tom Thibodeau as head coach, the Bulls remain one of the NBA's elite defenses under new coach Fred Hoiberg. Through 13 games, Chicago is allowing just 97 points per 100 possessions, the fifth-best defensive rating in the entire league.

Chicago is led by Jimmy Butler, the winner of the NBA's Most Improved Player award last season, who is averaging 21.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. The 26-year-old Butler seems at times like a carbon copy of Pacers All-Star Paul George. That duo promises to have many memorable matchups over the coming years.

The Bulls bolstered their backcourt even more on Tuesday with the return of 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose. Chicago's point guard had missed the past two games after spraining his ankle in a Nov. 16 win over the Pacers, but came back for Tuesday's game at Portland. Rose played 35 minutes in a 93-88 victory, finishing with 20 points on 7-of-20 shooting, four rebounds, and six assists.

Projected Starters

George Hill

George Hill

Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis

C.J. Miles

C.J. Miles

Paul George

Paul George

Ian Mahinmi

Ian Mahinmi

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler

Tony Snell

Tony Snell

Nikola Mirotić

Nikola Mirotić

Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol

Pacers: PG - George Hill, SG - Monta Ellis, SF - C.J. Miles, PF - Paul George, C - Ian Mahinmi
Bulls: PG - Derrick Rose, SG - Jimmy Butler, SF - Tony Snell, PF - Nikola Mirotić, C - Pau Gasol

Injury Report

Pacers: Myles Turner - out (left thumb injury)

Bulls: Mike Dunleavy - out (back), Aaron Brooks - out (left hamstring)

Last Meeting

November 16, 2015: The Pacers had a chance to come away with a big road win, but Jimmy Butler blocked Paul George's potential game-winning shot at the buzzer as the Bulls held on for a 96-95 win in Chicago.

George led Indiana with 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in the loss. Monta Ellis added 20 points and C.J. Miles chipped in 19, going 5-for-8 from 3-point range.

Derrick Rose led Chicago with 23 points and six assists but exited early in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle. Butler added 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

Noteworthy

  • The Pacers have won five of their last six regular season home games against Chicago.
  • George Hill has made 374 3-pointers as a member of the Pacers, two behind Austin Croshere for eighth place in franchise history.
  • Indiana is 6-1 this season when scoring 100 or more points. Conversely, Chicago's opponents have scored in triple digits just three times in 13 games, but the Bulls lost all three of those games.

Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »

TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.

Tickets

Good seats still remain for this Central Division showdown. Make sure to reserve yours now. Find Tickets »

Home Court Gift Shop Game Night Special

Crew Fleece - $25. Game Night Specials can be purchased in the Home Court Gift Shop or any of our souvenir stands located on all levels of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Please shop online also at PacersGear.com.