Matchup
The Pacers (8-19) conclude their three-game Western Conference road trip on Sunday night with a trip to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves (5-20). After dropping games in Los Angeles and Denver, Indiana is hoping to pick up a much-needed road win on Sunday against a depleted T-Wolves team.
After narrow losses to the Clippers and Nuggets, the Blue-and-Gold have now lost eight straight road games. Their last win away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse came in Dallas on Nov. 24. The Pacers haven't had a road losing streak this long since dropping nine straight away from The Fieldhouse from Dec. 1, 2010 to Jan. 8, 2011.
The Pacers' problems were mostly on the offensive end on Saturday night in Denver. They shot a season-low 30.7 percent in a narrow 76-73 loss to the Nuggets. Several key players had rough nights — Rodney Stuckey was 1-for-10, Luis Scola was 1-for-7, and Roy Hibbert went scoreless. With another game on the schedule less than 24 hours later, the Pacers will need to have short memories if they hope to pull out a win in Minnesota.
Another storyline to watch on Sunday is the Pacers' depth (or lack thereof) at the point guard position. Starter George Hill is nearing a return from a knee contusion that has kept him out for the entire regular season-to-date, but primary backup C.J. Watson missed Saturday's game with a sinus infection. If neither Hill nor Watson can play, third-stringer Donald Sloan will start for the 20th time this season.
If any team in the NBA can sympathize with the Pacers' injury woes, it is Minnesota. The Timberwolves have played their last 15 games without three starters: point guard Ricky Rubio, shooting guard Kevin Martin, and center Nikola Pekovic. All three are listed as "out indefinitely," and the T-Wolves' depth was further depleted on Friday, when Minnesota traded another starter, Corey Brewer, and injured veteran Ronny Turiaf in a three-team deal with Houston and Philadelphia. In exchange, the Timberwolves acquired second-year guard Troy Daniels and two second-round draft picks.
Projected Starters
C.J. Watson
Rodney Stuckey
Solomon Hill
David West
Roy Hibbert
Zach LaVine
Andrew Wiggins
Shabazz Muhammad
Thaddeus Young
Gorgui Dieng
Pacers: PG - C.J. Watson, SG - Rodney Stuckey, SF - Solomon Hill, PF - David West, C - Roy Hibbert
Timberwolves: PG - Zach LaVine, SG - Andrew Wiggins, SF - Shabazz Muhammad, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Gorgui Dieng
Injury Report
Pacers: Paul George - out (rehabilitation, fractured right tibia/fibula), George Hill - out (left knee contusion), Ian Mahinmi - out (torn left plantar fascia), C.J. Watson - questionable (sinus infection)
Nuggets: Timberwolves – Kevin Martin - out (fractured right wrist), Nikola Pekovic - out (sore right ankle and sprained
right wrist), Ricky Rubio - out (sprained left ankle)
Last Meeting
October 21, 2014: Minnesota cruised to a 107-89 preseason win over the Pacers at the Target Center. The Timberwolves closed the first half with a 15-0 run and led by double digits the rest of the way.
Pacers point guard George Hill exited the game midway through the third quarter with a left knee contusion, an injury that has wound up sidelining him for two months.
Donald Sloan led Indiana with 19 points, while Chris Copeland added 17. Anthony Bennett scored a team-high 17 points for Minnesota.
Noteworthy
- Indiana leads the overall series with the Timberwolves, 31-17. The T-Wolves, however, are 13-11 against the Blue-and-Gold in Minnesota.
- The Pacers have lost four of their last five trips to the Target Center.
- So far this season, Indiana is a combined 2-13 in games played as part of a back-to-back. They are 1-7 on the first night of a back-to-back and 1-6 on the second night.
- Timberwolves guard/forward Andrew Wiggins was named the NBA's Western Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in November. Wiggins, the top overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, led all Western Conference rookies in scoring (11.6 ppg), steals (1.13 spg) and minutes played (28.7 mpg) while ranking 2nd in blocks (0.47 bpg) and 3rd in rebounding (3.7 rpg), and shot 44.0% (11-for-25) from three-point range.
Broadcast Information
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 107.5/1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Tickets
The Pacers return to Indiana next Tuesday (Dec. 23) to host Anthony Davis, Eric Gordon, and the New Orleans Pelicans. Plenty of good seats still remain for the game. Plus, pay zero fees for any tickets purchased online through December 31, courtesy of FOX Sports Indiana. Find Tickets »