The Pacers' hot start is earning them a little more national exposure.
The NBA announced some changes to its national TV schedule late on Friday night and Indiana now has two additional national broadcasts. Indiana's Dec. 8 showdown with the Golden State Warriors will now be broadcast on NBA TV. The Pacers can also now be seen on NBA TV on February 1, when they host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
These extra nationally-televised games are in part thanks to the Pacers exceeding preseason expectations. Indiana is 12-6 as of Saturday morning, which puts them in third place in the Eastern Conference. Paul George is back and better than ever, having been named the East's Player of the Month earlier this week.
Tuesday's game against the Warriors looms large for both teams. The defending NBA champions have already set an NBA record for best start to the season at 20-0. Steph Curry and Co. could bring a 22-0 record into Bankers Life Fieldhouse. They play in Toronto on Saturday night and in Brooklyn on Sunday before traveling to Indiana.
For local residents, both the Dec. 8 and Feb. 1 games can still be seen on FOX Sports Indiana. Since the Pacers are the home team for both of these games, the NBA TV broadcasts seen nationally will air the FSI feed and the call from Chris Denari and Quinn Buckner.