Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 8:00 PM EDT at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Game Preview: IND vs PHI
Scott Agness | April 16, 2013 | April 17, 2:43 PM
Arrive Early Tonight: Due to recent events, security measures have been enhanced at most public venues including Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Ticketholders may see additional security personnel and might possibly experience some delay at entry, so they should plan accordingly. Fans attending the Pacers game on Wednesday, April 17 are reminded that tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. and doors will open at 6:30 p.m. We trust everyone will understand and appreciate that safety for all is the primary concern.
Matchup
The Pacers' regular season finale brings the Philadelphia 76ers to town. Note the special 8 PM EDT tip-off time and that it's Fan Appreciation Night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The Pacers will have the third seed in the Eastern Conference when the playoffs begin this upcoming weekend. They don't know who their opponent will be yet, as Chicago and Atlanta will jockey for position on the final night of the regular season. The Bulls can clinch the No.5 seed with a win or a Hawks loss. The Hawks need to beat the Knicks and for the Bulls to lose to the Wizards in order to move up to the No. 5 spot.
After the events that transpired in Boston on Monday, the Pacers’ game against the Celtics on Tuesday was canceled. Being so late in the season and with both teams already locked into their respective playoff seeds, the game was not rescheduled. The Pacers and Celtics will end the year with 81 games, the first time any team has played less than 82 games, excluding the lockout years of 1998-99 and 2011-12, since the NBA went to an 82-game season in 1967-68.
Pacers players, coaches, and staff were staying just about a mile away from the site of the tragedy, but all members of the organization were unharmed. The team flew home early Tuesday afternoon and took the day off.
With the third seed in the East already locked up, expect Pacers coach Frank Vogel to sit guard George Hill, who’s dealing with a sore left hip, which has caused pain in his groin. Paul George, David West and Roy Hibbert are possible candidates to also rest ahead of the playoffs, or at least play limited minutes.
Regardless of who plays, the Pacers understand they aren’t playing great basketball. They’ve dropped four of their past five games and fallen behind by 20 in every one of them. Most of that is due to a lack of energy from the tip. Coach Vogel will see how guys like Sam Young and Gerald Green play as he and his coaching staff iron out their playoff rotations.
The Sixers, who had won two games in a row before losing in Detroit on Monday, are ninth in the East. They're four games back from Milwaukee, though, and thus their season will be over at game's end. Guard Jrue Holiday is one of two players in the NBA, along with Chris Paul, averaging at least 17 points and eight assists per game.
Probable Starters
D.J. Augustin
Lance Stephenson
Gerald Green
Tyler Hansbrough
Ian Mahinmi
Jrue Holiday
Damien Wilkins
Evan Turner
Thaddeus Young
Spencer Hawes
Injury Update
Pacers: George Hill (doubtful, sore left hip), Danny Granger (out for the season, left knee)
Sixers: Andrew Bynum (out, bilateral arthroscopic knee surgery), Jason Richardson (out, left knee surgery)
Noteworthy
- Indiana won the first two meetings this season but Philadelphia took the last one.
- The Pacers are 12-5 in games played on Wednesday.
- Like Paul George, 76ers guard Jrue Holiday was named to his first ever All-Star game in February.
Last Meeting
March 16: The game was nearly even through three quarters. Down one with 12 minutes to play, the Sixers opened the fourth on a 13-2 run and outscored the Pacers, who were a step slow all game, by eight points for a 98-91 win. The Sixers shot 49 percent from the floor and had 20 fast break points to the Pacers’ eight.
Roy Hibbert led the way with 25 points (on 26 shots) and 10 rebounds. Paul George finished with 13 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Jrue Holiday scored a game-high 27 points to go along with 12 dimes. Spencer Hawes’ game was most impressive: 18 points, 16 rebounds (career high), eight assists, and seven blocks (career high).
Broadcast Information | Find Local Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst),Brooke Olzendam (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: FM 107.5/AM 1070 The Fan, Pacers Radio Network - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Kevin Lee (sideline reporter/host)
Next Home Game
The Pacers will host a first round playoff game this weekend, but the date and opponent are still to be determined. You can still purchase single-game playoff tickets for the first round here on Pacers.com. Find Tickets »
