Matchup
The time has come. Victor Oladipo will make his long-awaited season debut on Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, when the Pacers (30-17) host the Chicago Bulls (19-30).
One year and six days after he suffered a ruptured quad tendon, Oladipo will return to The Fieldhouse court. The two-time All-Star has been practicing fullcourt for weeks as he and the organization have taken a cautious approach with his rehab.
Many questions still abound heading into Oladipo's debut. He will have a minutes restriction for the near future, but Pacers head coach Nate McMillan has yet to reveal whether Oladipo will start or come off the bench initially — a question he politely declined to answer at Tuesday's practice.
Just how good Oladipo can be this season remains a mystery. He will no doubt have to work his way through expected rust after going over a year without playing in an NBA game. There is also plenty of uncertainty with this particular injury, an extremely rare occurrence among professional athletes. So much of Oladipo's game is tied to his world-class athleticism, so how well we he be able to duplicate those skills post-injury?
Those are questions that will be answered over the coming weeks, but for now, Wednesday's game will simply be a celebration. Since arrival two seasons ago, Oladipo has had an instant connection with Pacers fans and the city of Indianapolis. That love will be full display on Wednesday night.
Knowing Oladipo's knack for performing, it should be quite the show.
Projected Starters
Malcolm Brogdon
Jeremy Lamb
T.J. Warren
Domantas Sabonis
Myles Turner
Tomas Satoransky
Zach LaVine
Kris Dunn
Thaddeus Young
Luke Kornet
Pacers: PG - Malcolm Brogdon, SG - Jeremy Lamb, SF - T.J. Warren, PF - Domantas Sabonis, C - Myles Turner
Bulls: PG - Tomas Satoransky, SG - Zach LaVine, SF - Kris Dunn, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Luke Kornet
Injury Report
Pacers: Victor Oladipo - probable (right knee surgery rehab), Malcolm Brogdon - questionable (concussion), Myles Turner - questionable (illness)
Bulls: Ryan Arcidiacono - probable (right elbow discomfort), Chandler Hutchison - probable (right shoulder soreness, left hip soreness), Luke Kornet - probable (right ankle sprain), Zach LaVine - probable (right ankle soreness, right knee discomfort), Tomas Satoransky - probable (left ankle soreness), Denzel Valentine - probable (right hip strain), Wendell Carter Jr. - out (right ankle sprain), Daniel Gafford - out (right thumb dislocation), Lauri Markkanen - out (right pelvis stress reaction), Otto Porter Jr. - out (left foot fracture), Max Strus - out (left knee ACL repair)
Last Meeting
January 10, 2020: The Pacers withstood a 43-point performance from Zach LaVine to come away with a 116-105 win in Chicago. Indiana won despite the absence of point guard Malcolm Brogdon (strep throat) and forward Domantas Sabonis (sore left knee).
In their absence, starting center Myles Turner stepped up, scoring a season-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds and two blocks.
"Myles was involved a lot more because of the absence of Domantas, he was at the five position and he did a good job of making plays," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said. "He took the shot when it was there and really got us off to a good start and had an impact on this game on both ends of the floor."
Aaron Holiday added 19 points and eight assists off the bench for Indiana, while T.J. Warren added 17 points and Justin Holiday scored 16.
LaVine's 43 points came thanks in large part to a prolific night from beyond the arc, as he went 8-for-13 from 3-point range. Coby White added 23 points off the bench for Chicago, going 5-for-9 from long distance.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers have won their last seven games and 10 of their last 11 meetings against the Bulls.
- Indiana has also won seven straight games against Chicago at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Bulls' last win in Indianapolis was on March 29, 2016.
- Bulls forward Thaddeus Young played for the Pacers from 2015-18 and was a team captain in each of his last two seasons with the Blue & Gold.
Tickets
After a five-game road trip, the Pacers will return home to host the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as Victor Oladipo makes his season debut on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 FM/1070 AM The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.