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Game Preview: Pacers at Spurs

Matchup

Following their completion of a season sweep over the Houston Rockets, the Pacers face yet another daunting task as they head to San Antonio for a meeting with the 45-13 Spurs.

In their lasting meeting with San Antonio, the Pacers (31-29) hung tough for the entire game, but were eventually outdone in the final minutes of the game by a series of well-executed plays that have come to define the Spurs during the Gregg Popovich era.

But in Monday's road game with the Rockets, the late-game execution went the way of the Pacers, as a well drawn-up inbounds play saw Paul George quickly dish a pass to a wide-open C.J. Miles in the corner who buried a 3-pointer to give Indiana the cushion it needed to secure the road win.

The early-game execution, however, was a different story, as the Pacers fell flat in the game's beginning with Houston racing out to an 18-2 advantage. Luckily for the Blue & Gold, the bench unit erased the early stumble, helping Indiana charge back into the game and take a one-point lead into the halftime locker room.

The reserve lineup featuring Rakeem Christmas — who has continued to impress in his first major minutes as a member of the Pacers — has played at a fast pace as Monta Ellis and Rodney Stuckey keep the pressure on opposing defenses.

Christmas finished Monday's game 4-of-5 from the field and three rebounds, and Stuckey racked up 17 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Although the Pacers finished with 117 points on Monday, such a total won't come as easy against the Spurs, who sport the NBA's best defense according to NBA.com/Stats. Since January 21st, the most any opponent has scored against the Spurs is 106.

But with the season winding down and wins at a premium, the Pacers will enter Wednesday's game in desperation mode. A mentality they'll need to win on the road in San Antonio, something the Pacers have accomplished on just one occasion since the 2002-03 season.

Projected Starters

Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague

Paul George

Paul George

C.J. Miles

C.J. Miles

Thaddeus Young

Thaddeus Young

Myles Turner

Myles Turner

Tony Parker

Tony Parker

Danny Green

Danny Green

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard

LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge

Dewayne Dedmon

Dewayne Dedmon

Pacers: PG - Jeff Teague, SG - Paul George, SF - C.J. Miles, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Spurs: PG - Tony Parker, SG - Danny Green, SF - Kawhi Leonard, PF - LaMarcus Aldridge, C - Dewayne Dedmon

Injury Report

Pacers: None

Spurs: None

Last Meeting

February 13, 2017: Despite hanging tough for much of the evening, the Pacers fell to the Spurs 110-106 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Indiana led by as many as four points in the fourth quarter, but Kawhi Leonard of the Spurs gave San Antonio a lead with a jump shot to make it 98-97 with 3:38 left. The Spurs led the rest of the way.

Paul George led six Pacers players in double figures with 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting and collecting six rebounds. Turner added 22 points and six boards in the loss.

Leonard led all scorers with 32 points on 13-of-23 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three assists, and four steals.

"They made big plays down the stretch," George said. "It goes down to their screening. I thought when they needed to get great shots, they screened and got guys open for good looks."

Noteworthy

  • The Spurs lead the all-time series 52-36.
  • Indiana has lost 13 of its last 14 regular season road games at San Antonio, dating back to the 2002-03 season.
  • Pacers guard Joe Young and Spurs guard Jonathon Simmons were teammates at the University of Houston during the 2011-12 NCAA season.
  • Spurs forward Pau Gasol and Pacers guard Aaron Brooks were teammates on the Bulls for two seasons (2014-15, 2015-16).

Tickets

Following their five-game road trip, the Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday, March 8 for a meeting with a Central Division foe, the Detroit Pistons, at 8:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »

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), Pat Boylan (studio host)

Away Game Night Special

Hickory Jerseys - 50% Off. Game Night Specials can be purchased online the day of each away game from 10:00 AM - Midnight. Order Online »