Matchup
The Pacers (19-36) wrap up a two-game road trip on Tuesday night in Atlanta against Trae Young and the Hawks (25-28).
Indiana officially announced the trade that sent Caris LeVert to Cleveland, bringing back Ricky Rubio (out for the year with a torn left ACL) and multiple draft picks, including the Cavs' lottery-protected 2022 first-round pick.
While Indiana will miss LeVert's scoring, the move creates significant capital for Indiana in the offseason and also allows for more opportunities for rookie guard Chris Duarte. Duarte should now be a full-time starter even when Malcolm Brogdon returns from his Achilles injury. The rookie has shown plenty of promise a scorer and registered his fifth 20-point game of the season on Sunday, scoring 22 of the Blue & Gold's 85 points in a loss in Cleveland.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has said numerous times this season that Duarte has the tools to become a very good defender and he should see more opportunities to grow on that end in the coming weeks. For instance, Duarte may well be tasked with slowing down Young on Tuesday.
The fourth-year guard was recently named to his second All-Star team and is having another superb season. Young ranks third in the NBA in both scoring (27.7 points per game) and assist (9.3 per contest). He is a threat to pull up from anywhere on the court, taking nearly eight 3-pointers per game and knocking them down at a 37.2-percent clip.
Projected Starters
Keifer Sykes
Chris Duarte
Justin Holiday
Torrey Craig
Domantas Sabonis
Trae Young
Kevin Huerter
De'Andre Hunter
John Collins
Clint Capela
Pacers: PG - Keifer Sykes, SG - Chris Duarte, SF - Justin Holiday, PF - Torrey Craig, C - Domantas Sabonis
Cavaliers: PG - Trae Young, SG - Kevin Huerter, SF - De'Andre Hunter, PF - John Collins, C - Clint Capela
Injury Report
Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon - questionable (sore right Achilles), Isaiah Jackson - out (right ankle sprain), Caris LeVert - out (trade pending), T.J. McConnell - out (right wrist ligament surgery), Ricky Rubio - out (torn left ACL), Reggie Perry - out (ineligible to play), Myles Turner - out (left foot stress reaction), T.J. Warren – out (left navicular fracture)
Hawks: TBD
Last Meeting
Dec. 1, 2021: A no-call what would have been a go-ahead layup in the closing seconds doomed Indiana to a 114-111 loss to Atlanta at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Trailing by one, the Pacers stripped the ball from Trae Young, triggering a fastbreak. Rookie guard Chris Duarte went up for the layup and drew contact from Hawks guard Kevin Huerter. There was no whistle, however, and the ball missed off the front of the rim. Young secured the rebound, was fouled, and sealed the game at the free throw line.
Malcolm Brogdon led Indiana with 27 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. Domantas Sabonis added 22 points, 10 boards, and four assists, while Myles Turner tallied 17 points and nine rebounds.
Young led all scorers with 33 points to go along with eight rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals. Huerter chipped in 19 points and John Collins scored 14 for Atlanta.
Noteworthy
- This will be the second meeting of the season between the Pacers and the Hawks. The two teams are also scheduled to play on March 13 in Atlanta and March 28 in Indiana.
- The Pacers have won the season series with the Hawks for five straight seasons.
- Hawks head coach Nate McMillan coached the Pacers to four straight playoff appearances and amassed 183 wins from 2016-20, fourth-most in NBA franchise history.
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhoouse to host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Feb. 11 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 (studio host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)