Matchup
After playing seven of their last eight on the road, the Pacers (18-33) return to the friendly confines of Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a three-game homestand, beginning on Monday against the Clippers (26-26).
The good news for Pacers fans is that Domantas Sabonis is back on the court and playing as well as ever. The two-time All-Star returned for a weekend back-to-back after missing a week with a sprained ankle and looked great, coming within two assists of recording triple-doubles on consecutive nights.
In his return in Oklahoma City on Friday, Sabonis tallied 24 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists (plus two blocks and two steals) while leading Indiana to an overtime win. Despite logging 44 minutes in the victory, Sabonis was just as sharp the next night in Dallas, racking up 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, 15 boards, and eight assists in 29 minutes in a loss to the Mavericks.
While the Pacers got the short end of the stick on Saturday facing a rested Mavs team on the second night of a back-to-back, the Clippers will be the ones on on a back-to-back on Monday. Los Angeles won in Charlotte on Sunday afternoon before flying to Indianapolis.
The Clippers have managed to hover under .500 despite significant injuries to their best players. Two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard has not played all season as he recovers from a torn ACL, while fellow All-Star Paul George (24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game) has been out since Christmas with an elbow injury.
Projected Starters
Caris LeVert
Chris Duarte
Justin Holiday
Torrey Craig
Domantas Sabonis
Reggie Jackson
Amir Coffey
Terance Mann
Nicolas Batum
Ivica Zubac
Pacers: PG - Caris LeVert, SG - Chris Duarte, SF - Justin Holiday, PF - Torrey Craig, C - Domantas Sabonis
Clippers: PG - Reggie Jackson, SG - Amir Coffey, SF - Terance Mann, PF - Nicolas Batum, C - Ivica Zubac
Injury Report
Pacers: Goga Bitadze - questionable (sore right foot), Malcolm Brogdon - out (sore right Achilles), T.J. McConnell - out (right wrist ligament surgery), Myles Turner - out (left foot stress reaction), T.J. Warren – out (left navicular fracture)
Clippers: Nicolas Batum - questionable (sore lower back), Paul George - out (right elbow ulnar collateral ligament tear), Keon Johnson - out (G League assignment), Kawhi Leonard - out (right knee ACL injury recovery), Jason Preston - out (right foot injury recovery)
Last Meeting
Jan. 17, 2022: Nicolas Batum scored all of his game-high 32 points in the second half to lead the Clippers to a 139-133 win over Indiana in Los Angeles. Batum went 11-for-13 from the field and 7-for-9 from 3-point range over the final two quarters.
As a team, the Clippers shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, going 18-for-36.
"They were getting in the paint from the pick and roll," Pacers guard Caris LeVert said after the loss. "We were overhelping. They were getting a lot of catch-and-shoot threes."
LeVert had a team-high 26 points in the loss to go along with nine rebounds and four assists. Chris Duarte tallied 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting off the bench, while Domantas Sabonis contributed 19 points, 11 boards, and seven assists.
Reggie Jackson had 26 points while going 13-for-14 from the free throw line for Los Angeles, while Marcus Morris Sr. added 21 points and eight rebounds.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers have lost five straight overall to the Clippers. Indiana's last win in the series came on Feb. 7, 2019.
- Domantas Sabonis has 34 double-doubles in 46 games this season, the most in the Eastern Conference.
- Duane Washington Jr. has scored 20 or more points three times this month. The rookie guard on a two-way contract had only appeared in five games before the calendar turned to 2022.
- Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle will reach 200 career wins with Indiana with his next victory.
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to tip off a three-game homestand against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, Jan. 31 at 7:00 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)