Sunday, Jan. 14 at 3:30 PM ET at Ball Arena
Game Preview
Sunday afternoon’s matchup between the Indiana Pacers (23-15) and the defending NBA Champion Denver Nuggets (27-13) may have come at just the right time for the Blue and Gold.
As the teams face off for the first of two regular season games, Indiana heads into the Mile High City with nine wins under its belt out of its most recent ten games. One of the keys to Indiana’s recent success has been the breakthrough of its defense after getting off to a rough start in the first 28 games of the season, where it allowed an average of 125.8 points per game on 51 percent shooting. Now, the Pacers have dramatically improved over the last ten games by allowing just 116.7 points per game on 46.5 percent shooting.
The league leaders in points per game (126.6 ppg) also enter the matchup after recording their best shooting percentage in NBA franchise history on Friday night.
It was the record-setting 67.1 percent shooting (53-of-79) from the floor that earned Indiana a 126-108 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. Buddy Hield and Obi Toppin led the way off the bench for the Blue and Gold as they each recorded 18 points, with Hield shooting 7-of-11 and Toppin going a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor. Bennedict Mathurin’s 15 points and Aaron Nesmith’s 13 points rounded out the Indiana scorers in the first matchup of a six-game road trip.
With star point guard Tyrese Haliburton expected to miss his third straight game with a left hamstring strain, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell have had big shoes to fill in his absence.
On Friday, Nembhard and McConnell combined for 20 assists—14 of which being dished out by McConnell— as well as 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and five steals. Within Indiana’s most recent three games, McConnell has averaged 10.7 points and 9.7 assists per game, while Nembhard has averaged 7.0 points and 4.7 assists.
The tallest task for Indiana in earning their first win over the Nuggets since Jan. 19, 2020 will be containing the two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The 7-foot center is averaging a team-leading 25.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest, while he also ranks third in the league in assists with an average of 9.3 assists per game.
In addition, both guard Jamal Murray and forward Aaron Gordon will pose threats to Indiana as per usual. Last season, Gordon averaged 23 points per game in the two regular season games played between the teams last season, while Murray averaged 17.5 points in those two contests. Murray also recorded his first and only triple-double of his career with 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in Denver’s most recent win over the Pacers Jan. 20, 2023.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Andrew Nembhard, G - Bruce Brown, F - Buddy Hield, F - Jalen Smith, C - Myles Turner
Nuggets: G - Jamal Murray, G - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, F - Michael Porter Jr., F - Aaron Gordon, C - Nikola Jokic
Injury Report
Pacers: Jarace Walker - questionable (upper respiratory infection), Tyrese Haliburton - out (left hamstring strain), Aaron Nesmith - out (bilateral shin soreness)
Nuggets: Christian Braun - probable (left ankle sprain), Peyton Watson - probable (illness), Vlatkco Cancar - out (left knee surgery), Jalen Pickett - out (G League assignment), Julian Strawther - out (right knee contusion/strain), Hunter Tyson - out (G League assignment)
Last Meeting
Jan. 20, 2023: In the final of two regular season matchups between the two teams, the Indiana Pacers fell to the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, 134-111, in Denver.
Both teams hit the ground running to open the first frame as they each went 4-of-7 from the floor to tie the game, 10-10, after the first three minutes of play. Denver soon sprinted ahead with a 17-2 scoring run and eventually led at the conclusion of the first quarter, 37-28.
Each Denver scoring run was matched by a Pacers scoring run through three quarters as Indiana worked to keep the lead within reach. However, with a 99-82 lead at the beginning of the fourth frame, Denver built its lead to as many as 30 points in the final quarter which kept Indiana from any chance of a win.
With Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Nuggets two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic both out due to injury, each team was missing a key player to their rosters.
Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers in the scoring column with 19 points and Myles Turner ended the night with 15 points and seven rebounds. For Denver, guard Jamal Murray recorded a triple-double of 17 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, while Aaron Gordon notched 28 points.
Noteworthy
- Indiana has fallen to Denver in the last six matchups between the two teams. The last time the Pacers beat the Nuggets was on Jan. 19, 2020.
- Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton will miss his third game in the row after suffering a left hamstring strain on Jan. 8 against the Boston Celtics.
- Indiana guard Bruce Brown spent the 2022-23 season with the Nuggets, where he averaged 11.5 points per game and helped Denver secure their first-ever NBA Championship.
- Denver guard Justin Holiday played three seasons with the Pacers from 2019-22 where he earned 98 starts in his 194 games played.
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
After a six-game road trip, the Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Nikola Jokic and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>