Matchup
After their most dominant victory of the season, a 101-83 drubbing of the Kings, the Pacers face a speedy turnaround, squaring off against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (3-4) on Wednesday night.
On Tuesday, the game was never in doubt, with Indiana (4-3) opening up the game on a scoring run and never letting up, leading by double-digits for the majority of the night. For offense, the Pacers got a balanced effort, with five players scoring in double-figures, including a team-high 17 from Bojan Bogdanovic. On the glass, forward Domantas Sabonis set a career high with 16 rebounds.
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But on Wednesday, the Blue & Gold faces a tougher test, squaring off the winner of the Eastern Conference over the past three seasons.
Despite their reputation, the Cavaliers have sputtered out of the gates this year, falling to a substandard 3-4 record, with all of their losses coming against teams that failed to make the playoffs last season. With the rocky start to the season, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that the Cavaliers held a team meeting to address some of the issues that have plagued them in the early going.
Only one issue has slowed the Pacers of late, and it's the injury to third-year forward Myles Turner, who suffered a concussion in the season-opening win over the Nets.
Turner is currently progressing through the NBA concussion protocol, and while it remains doubtful that he'll take the floor against the Cavaliers, Turner appears to be on track to make his second appearance of the season during Indiana's three-game road swing.
In Turner's absence, Domantas Sabonis has flourished. The forward is now averaging 12.9 points and 11 rebounds per game, the 10th best rebounding average in the league. In addition to his rebounding, Sabonis has been one of the most efficient players in the league, making 67.9 of his field goal attempts.
Wednesday's game will offer a firm test for the Pacers, who will take the floor after less than 24 hours of rest, lining up against James and a Cavaliers unit that hasn't played since Sunday.
Projected Starters
Darren Collison
Victor Oladipo
Bojan Bogdanovic
Thaddeus Young
Domantas Sabonis
Derrick Rose
JR Smith
LeBron James
Kevin Love
Tristan Thompson
Pacers: PG - Darren Collison, SG - Victor Oladipo, SF - Bojan Bogdanovic, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Domantas Sabonis
Cavaliers: PG - Derrick Rose, SG - JR Smith, SF - LeBron James, PF - Kevin Love, C - Tristan Thompson
Injury Report
Pacers: Glenn Robinson III - out (left ankle surgery rehabilitation), Edmond Sumner - out (left knee surgery rehabilitation), Myles Turner - out (sore neck, concussion)
Cavaliers: Iman Shumpert - out (sore right knee), Isaiah Thomas - out (right hip)
Last Meeting
April 23, 2017: Trailing the Cavaliers 3-0 in their first round series, the Pacers were unable to avoid the sweep, dropping Game 4 of the series 106-102.
In a series in which the the first three games had all come down to the wire, the finale was no different, as the Pacers managed to take a 102-100 lead late in the game, sending The Fieldhouse into hysterics. But LeBron James, who finished the series averaging 32.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and nine assists, took the oxygen out of the Pacers' comeback, flinging in a go-ahead 3-pointer to put the Cavaliers back on top for the remainder of the game.
Much of Indiana's offense came from Lance Stephenson, who connected on four 3-pointers and finished with 22 points, and Myles Turner, who after having three games in which his shots wouldn't fall, found his touch, scoring 20 points and snaring nine rebounds.
Noteworthy
- The Cavaliers lead the all-time series 95-94.
- Indiana has lost nine consecutive games in Cleveland (playoffs included).
- Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson and Pacers guard Cory Joseph were teammates on the Texas Longhorns in 2010-11.
- Darren Collison and Cavs forward Kevin Love were teammates at UCLA in 2007-08.
Tickets
The Pacers embark on a three-game road swing before returning to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, November 7th to face the New Orleans Pelicans. 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: 107.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)
Away Game Night Special
Indiana Pacers State Hat - $12. Game Night Specials can be purchased online the day of each away game from 10:00 AM - Midnight. Order Online »