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Game Preview: Pacers at Warriors

Matchup

For the second time this season, the Indiana Pacers gutted out a hard-fought win on the road over a Western Conference contender, coming away with a 111-102 victory over the Clippers on Sunday night in Los Angeles. And also for the second time, the Pacers (10-10) must follow up that performance by facing the Golden State Warriors (17-3) on the second night of a back-to-back.

On Nov. 20, Indiana knocked off the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime for its first road win of the season. The next night, the Warriors came into Bankers Life Fieldhouse and rolled to a 120-83 victory, their eighth straight win.

That win, however, came over a Pacers team playing without leading scorer Paul George, starting center Myles Turner, or sixth man C.J. Miles. All three of those players are expected to be in uniform on Monday night at Oracle Arena. For the first time all season, the Pacers are fully healthy (knock on wood).

George and Miles returned to the floor on Sunday night at Staples Center and each provided a boost in the Blue & Gold's win over the Clippers. George, back after sitting out six of the previous seven contests with a sore left ankle, had 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Miles, returning after a six-game absence due to a sore left knee, had 12 points and five rebounds off the bench.

The Pacers will need all hands on deck to keep up with a Warriors team that once again has the best record in the NBA. Golden State wound up winning 12 straight contests before falling to the Rockets in double-overtime on Thursday night. But they bounced back quickly, dropping 138 points on the Suns two nights later.

The Warriors' elite offensive attack includes three perimeter players currently averaging over 20 points per game. Free agent acquisition Kevin Durant leads the team in scoring at 27.3 points per game, while back-to-back league MVP Stephen Curry is right behind him at 26.9 points per contest. All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson is next at 20.7 points per game and the three players have combined to make 185 3-pointers in just 20 games so far this season (that's 30 more threes than the Pacers have made as a team).

The Pacers, however, have enough offensive weapons to give the Warriors some fight. Seven players scored in double figures for Indiana in Sunday's win over the Clippers, including all five starters. Rodney Stuckey has also provided a nice boost off the bench, scoring in double figures in four of his last six contests. Stuckey had 21 points against Golden State on Nov. 21 and scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting on Sunday night in Los Angeles.

Projected Starters

Jeff Teague

Jeff Teague

Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis

Paul George

Paul George

Thaddeus Young

Thaddeus Young

Myles Turner

Myles Turner

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry

Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson

Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant

Draymond Green

Draymond Green

Zaza Pachulia

Zaza Pachulia

Pacers: PG - Jeff Teague, SG - Monta Ellis, SF - Paul George, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Warriors: PG - Stephen Curry, SG - Klay Thompson, SF - Kevin Durant, PF - Draymond Green, C - Zaza Pachulia

Injury Report

Pacers: None

Warriors: Damian Jones - not with team (D-League assignment)

Last Meeting

November 21, 2016: The Warriors cruised to a 120-83 win over the undermanned Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The 37-point margin of victory made it the largest margin of defeat for the Pacers in NBA franchise history.

Klay Thompson led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Stephen Curry added 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Kevin Durant chipped in 14 points, 11 boards, and six assists.

Stuckey led the Pacers with a season-high 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Thaddeus Young added 14 points and six rebounds for the Blue & Gold.

Noteworthy

  • The Pacers are 45-41 all-time against the Warriors, but 17-25 on the road.
  • Indiana has lost two straight games at Golden State and seven of its last nine contests at Oracle Arena.
  • The Pacers are 0-3 so far this season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

Tickets

The Pacers return home on Saturday, Dec. 10, when they will host the Portland Trail Blazers at 7:00 PM ET. Saturday's game is also the second "Decade Game" of the season, and we'll be honoring Pacers players and staffers from the 1970s during the game. All fans in attendance will receive a bobblehead of either Hall of Famer Mel Daniels or Pacers legend George McGinnis. Find Tickets »

Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »

TV: FOX Sports Indiana/NBA TV - 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), Austin Croshere (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)

Away Game Night Special

Select Long Sleeve T-Shirt - $16. Game Night Specials can be purchased online the day of each away game from 10:00 AM - Midnight. Order Online »