Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30 PM ET at Barclays Center
Game Preview
Up next on the Indiana Pacers' late-season slate is a second straight date with the Brooklyn Nets.
Indiana (43-33) will look to replicate a dominant 133-111 Monday night win over Brooklyn (29-47) when they wrap up their regular season series against the Nets on Wednesday at Barclays Center.
As of Monday night, with just six games left on their regular season schedule, the Pacers led the Miami Heat by one game for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The top six teams in the East will automatically advance to the playoffs, while seven through 10 must first go through the Play-In Tournament.
Due to the Chicago Bulls' loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, the worst Indiana can finish is eighth in the East.
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In Monday’s matchup against Brooklyn, Indiana trailed for just 2 minutes and 10 seconds total. The Pacers led by double digits after the first quarter, 28 points at halftime, and as many as 36 points in the third quarter in the blowout.
The Pacers dished out 35 assists in the win and had 13 players recorded points, including six scoring in double figures. Brooklyn has ranked a top-10 rebounding team throughout the season, but the Pacers also won that margin 47-43.
Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton set the tone early for the Blue & Gold, scoring 14 points in the first quarter en route to his team-high 27 points and 13 assists. Haliburton had no turnovers in the game and has now recorded at least eight games with a minimum of 10 assists and no turnovers – the most of any player in the NBA.
Following the win, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said his team was in for a battle in the next outing. The Nets are in a must-win situation if they're going to earn a Play-In berth, and at times there were fireworks on the court on Monday in Indianapolis.
Both teams could show different lineups on Wednesday due to injuries.
In Monday’s game, Pacers starting center Myles Turner dislocated his right index finger in the second quarter and didn’t return to the game after shooting a pair of free throws with his left hand. Carlisle said on Monday that Turner’s X-ray returned negative, but his status was unknown for the next game.
On the other side of the court, the Nets could have two impact players on their team back on Wednesday, as Dennis Smith Jr. (right hip) and Cameron Johnson (left big toe sprain injury maintenance) are questionable. Smith Jr. is playing 18.9 minutes per game this season and averaging 5.5 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds, while Johnson is putting up 13.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 27 minutes on a nightly basis.
Brooklyn will have more rest coming into the next contest, as they played on the second leg of a back-to-back on Monday.
The Nets enter the game having lost two straight while Indiana has won three in a row.
After the quick trip to the Empire State, the Pacers will finish their week by hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and the Heat on Sunday -- a matchup that has critical postseason implications.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Andrew Nembhard, F - Aaron Nesmith, F - Pascal Siakam, C - Myles Turner
Nets: G - Dennis Schroder, G - Cam Thomas, F - Dorian Finney-Smith, F - Mikal Bridges, C - Nic Claxton
Injury Report
Pacers: Myles Turner - questionable (dislocated right index finger), Bennedict Mathurin - out (right shoulder labral tear)
Nets: Cameron Johnson - probable (left big toe sprain injury maintenance), Dennis Smith Jr. - questionable (right hip synovitis), Keita Bates-Diop - out (right tibia stress fracture), Ben Simmons - out (left lower back nerve impingement), Dariq Whitehead - out (left shin stress reaction)
Last Meeting
April 1, 2024: The Pacers led by 28 points at halftime and never relinquished their lead in a 133-111 win over the Nets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
In the first half, the Pacers led 75-47 by shooting 57.7 percent from the field and holding the visitors to 38.3 percent. Indiana led 108-77 after three quarters, and the starters never re-entered the game in the final frame.
Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton scored 21 of his team-high 27 points in the first half, along with 13 assists, and Jalen Smith scored 17 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for the Blue & Gold.
Cam Thomas topped the Nets with 22 points, and Trendon Watford supplied 21 points for the visitors.
Indiana won the rebounding battle 47-42 and outscored the Nets 70-52 in the paint.
Noteworthy
- Tyrese Haliburton has 695 assists on the season, good for second place in the franchise's single-season record book. Mark Jackson holds the franchise record with 713 assists in 1997-98.
- The Pacers have already won their series over Brooklyn 2-0, but haven’t posted a clean sweep over the Nets since the 2017-2018 season.
- The Pacers own a 112-82 overall record against the Nets.
- Backup point guard T.J. McConnell has scored at least 10 points in 10 straight games for the Pacers, which his the longest double-digit scoring stretch of his career.
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 (studio host)
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, April 5 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>