Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Game Preview
After a disappointing effort on Monday night in New Orleans, the Pacers (17-17) will hope to bounce back on their home court on Tuesday when they host Trae Young and the Hawks (17-16) on the second night of a back-to-back.
It will be the first meeting this season between Indiana and Atlanta, who enter the night separated by just half a game in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Pacers were riding high after victories in Boston and Miami heading into Christmas, but no momentum from those two wins carried through the holiday. Indiana struggled from the field and was dominated on the glass in a 113-93 loss to the Pelicans, where they trailed by 29 and never threatened after halftime.
The night went so poorly that the Pacers will be glad they get to get back on the court so quickly. Head coach Rick Carlisle held out all five of his starters for the fourth quarter on Monday in hopes of preserving their energy for the second night of the back-to-back.
The Hawks, on the other hand, will be well rested, having not played since Friday. Atlanta is led by its All-Star backcourt, making a blockbuster trade over the summer to acquire Dejounte Murray from San Antonio to pair him with Young.
The Hawks have hovered just above .500 for most of the season, but Young and Murray are both having productive seasons statistically. Young leads the team in scoring at 27.5 points per game and ranks second in the NBA behind Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton in assists at 9.9 per contest. Murray has averaged 20.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists over his first 28 games in Atlanta.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Buddy Hield, F - Aaron Nesmith, C - Myles Turner
Hawks: G - Trae Young, G - Dejounte Murray, F - De'Andre Hunter, F - John Collins, C - Onyeka Okongwu
Injury Report
Pacers: Chris Duarte - questionable (sore left ankle), Kendall Brown - out (right tibia stress reaction), Daniel Theis - out (right knee surgery)
Hawks: De'Andre Hunter - questionable (left ankle sprain), Vit Krejci - questionable (left ankle sprain), Clint Capela - out (right calf strain), Jarrett Culver - out (non-COVID illness)
Last Meeting
March 28, 2022: With just eight available players, the Pacers lost to the Hawks in a shootout at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 132-123.
Buddy Hield led Indiana with 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting (5-of-7 from 3-point range) and Tyrese Haliburton added 25 points and 13 assists, but it wasn't enough to overcome Atlanta, which shot 54.7 percent from the field.
Both teams made 17 3-pointers in the game. The Hawks' sharp shooting came primarily from Bogdan Bogdanovic (a game-high 29 points while going 5-for-7 from 3-point range) and Kevin Huerter (22 points on 6-of-10 3-point shooting). Trae Young went just 4-for-13 from the field but still managed to record a double-double with 14 points and 16 assists.
Keifer Sykes scored 16 points for Indiana in the loss, while Goga Bitadze added 14. Lance Stephenson (13 points) and Terry Taylor (11 points) both reached double figures off the bench.
Noteworthy
- The Hawks swept a four-game season series with Indiana in 2021-22, the first time Atlanta won the season series with the Blue & Gold since 2014-15.
- The Pacers and Hawks will play three times in the regular season in 2022-23. They will meet once more at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Jan. 13 and in Atlanta on March 25.
- Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle and Hawks head coach Nate McMillan rank third and fourth among active head coaches on the career wins list. Carlisle has 878 career wins, including 223 with the Pacers, while McMillan has 748 career victories, including 183 with Indiana from 2016-20.
- The Pacers are 5-1 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
Broadcast Information (TV and Radio Listings >>)
TV: Bally Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Tickets
The Pacers will be back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after Christmas to host Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 7:30 PM ET. Find Tickets >>