Saturday, Dec. 16 at 8:00 PM ET at Target Center
Game Preview
After a disappointing performance on Friday night in Washington, the Pacers (13-10) will try to close out a four-game road trip on a positive note on Saturday night in Minnesota. But getting a win won't be an easy task against an 18-5 Timberwolves team that has the best record in the Western Conference.
The Pacers are coming off a 137-123 loss to a Wizards team that had dropped 15 of their last 16 games prior to Friday. But Washington outscored Indiana 39-18 in the second quarter and never let the Blue & Gold back in the game on Friday, shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 48.1 percent from 3-point range.
The most positive performance for the Pacers on Friday came from backup center Isaiah Jackson. The third-year big man recorded his first double-double of the season with 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting and 13 rebounds in just 20 minutes of action. All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton also managed a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists.
After finishing seventh and eighth in the West the past two seasons, the Timberwolves appear to have taken a leap, as they have been the conference's best team through the first quarter of the 2023-24 campaign.
Fresh off his first All-Star selection, 22-year-old wing Anthony Edwards is emerging as one of the league's next superstars. The number one pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is averaging a team-high 23.6 points per game to go along with 5.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest. Edwards' status for Saturday's game is up in the air, as he is officially listed as questionable due to a hip pointer.
Aside from Edwards, the Timberwolves have seemingly figured out how to best utilize their "twin tower" frontcourt pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in their second season together. Three-time All-Star Towns is averaging 21.6 points and 9.4 rebounds, stretching the defense with his 42.3-percent 3-point shooting. Gobert, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, anchors the defense and is averaging 13 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game.
Projected Starters
Pacers: G - Tyrese Haliburton, G - Bruce Brown, F - Buddy Hield, F - Obi Toppin, C - Myles Turner
Timberwolves: G - Mike Conley, G - Anthony Edwards, F - Jaden McDaniels, F - Karl-Anthony Towns, C - Rudy Gobert
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton - questionable (left knee bruise), Andrew Nembhard - out (right knee bone bruise), Jalen Smith - out (left knee bone bruise/left heel contusion)
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards - questionable (right hip pointer), Jaylen Clark - out (right Achilles tendon rupture rehab), Leonard Miller - out (G League assignment)
Last Meeting
Dec. 7, 2022: The Pacers fell to the Timberwolves in Minnesota, 121-115, in the final stop of a seven-game road trip.
Myles Turner's 3-pointer with 50.5 seconds left tied the game at 115, but Buddy Hield fouled Rudy Gobert on the other end. After the Frenchman hit both free throws, he blocked Hield on the other end to seal the victory.
Tyrese Haliburton had 26 points and 15 assists in the loss, while Hield also scored 26 while going 7-for-11 from 3-point range. Turner finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks.
D'Angelo Russell led Minnesota with a game-high 28 points, going 4-for-9 from 3-point range. Anthony Edwards stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and six blocks, while Gobert had a monster double-double with 16 points and 21 rebounds.
The Timberwolves outrebounded Indiana 51-31 overall and 16-4 on the offensive glass, outscoring the Blue & Gold 64-36 in points in the paint.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers have dropped four straight games against the Timberwolves, who have swept the season series with Indiana each of the last two seasons.
- Indiana is 1-2 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Saturday will be the first time the Pacers play the second half of a back-to-back on the road.
- Pacers center Myles Turner needs nine points to reach 7,000 for his career. His 6,991 career points rank 10th in NBA franchise history.
- Haliburton and Edwards were teammates this summer on the United States men's national team that finished in fourth place at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
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), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Dec. 18 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>