Matchup
The Pacers (14-21) will take the court for one last time in 2021 when they welcome the Chicago Bulls (22-10) to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday afternoon. The two Central Division rivals have split a pair of games in Chicago earlier this season, with the Bulls prevailing in their last meeting on Sunday.
The Blue & Gold will be looking to get off to a stronger start after poor first halves doomed them in each of their last two contests. Both on Sunday in Chicago and on Wednesday against Charlotte, Indiana trailed by as many as 18 points in the second quarter and faced a double-digit deficit at halftime.
Though the Pacers were able to mount second-half charges in both contests, they were unable to completely climb out of their early holes, dooming them to a pair of losses.
"It's difficult to play from behind," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said following Wednesday's game. "If you're unable to start out the right way, it makes it tough."
The Bulls pose a unique challenge to the Pacers' defense as Chicago features arguably the most dynamic scoring duo in the league. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine rank fifth and sixth in the NBA in scoring, respectively. DeRozan scores 26.8 points per game, while LaVine averages 26.3. Both players are shooting over 50 percent from the field and LaVine has also been lethal from 3-point range, knocking down 41.6 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Projected Starters
Caris LeVert
Justin Holiday
Kelan Martin
Domantas Sabonis
Myles Turner
Coby White
Zach LaVine
Javonte Green
DeMar DeRozan
Nikola Vucevic
Pacers: PG - Caris LeVert, SG - Justin Holiday, SF - Kelan Martin, PF - Domantas Sabonis, C - Myles Turner
Bulls: PG - Coby White, SG - Zach LaVine, SF - Javonte Green, PF - DeMar DeRozan, C - Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report
Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon - out (health and safety protocols), Chris Duarte - out (health and safety protocols), Isaiah Jackson - out (health and safety protocols), Jeremy Lamb - out (health and safety protocols), T.J. McConnell - out (sore right wrist), T.J. Warren – out (left foot stress fracture)
Bulls: Lonzo Ball - out (health and safety protocols), Tony Bradley - out (health and safety protocols), Alex Caruso - out (left midfoot sprain), Ersan Ilyasova - out (health and safety protocols), Alfonzo McKinnie - out (health and safety protocols), Marko Simonovic - out (health and safety protocols), Patrick Williams - out (left wrist ligament tear)
Last Meeting
Dec. 26, 2021: Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan combined for 56 points as the Bulls built a big halftime lead and held on to beat the Pacers in Chicago, 113-105.
LaVine, playing for the first time since Dec. 11 after clearing protocols earlier this week, scored a game-high 32 points while going 12-for-18 from the field and 5-for-9 from 3-point range and dishing out five assists. DeRozan added 24 points, going 9-for-20 from the field and 5-for-7 from the free throw line.
"I thought we had a poor first half and a very good second half," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said after the loss. "That's not going to cut it against a team like Chicago with two stars. They got rolling. We just didn't do enough in the first half to keep them from getting going."
All five Pacers starters reached double figures in the loss, with Caris LeVert tallying a team-high 27 points and nine assists. Myles Turner had 19 points, five rebounds, and two blocks for Indiana in the loss. Chris Duarte added 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting and five rebounds, while Domantas Sabonis tallied 14 points, 16 boards, and five assists, but had just two points after halftime.
Noteworthy
- The Bulls won both games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the 2020-21 season. Prior to that, Indiana had won eight straight home games against Chicago over the previous four seasons.
- Malcolm Brogdon needs 34 points to reach 5,000 for his career.
- Pacers forward Justin Holiday played for the Bulls in 2016 and again from 2017-19.
Tickets
The Pacers close out 2021 by hosting Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls for New Year's Eve on Friday, Dec. 31 at 3:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & 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 (sideline reporter/host)