Matchup
After a last-second loss on Friday night in Miami, the Pacers (21-11) will look to bounce back on Saturday in New Orleans against the Pelicans (9-23).
Goran Dragic's jumper with 6.8 seconds remaining on Friday night handed Indiana a 113-112 loss, but the game was decided on the glass. The Heat outrebounded the Pacers by 22 on Friday night — the Pacers' worst rebounding margin of the season — and by 12 on the offensive glass. Dragic's game-winner was even preceded by two Miami offensive rebounds on the same possession.
The Pacers' struggles on the glass can partially be attributed to Miami's dominance on the glass. The Heat entered Friday second in the NBA in rebounding percentage. New Orleans is a less formidable opponent on paper, ranking 20th in rebounding.
The Pelicans were picked by many as a trendy playoff pick entering the season, but they have struggled through the first third of the season. A lot of that can be attributed to the absence of Zion Williamson. The top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has yet to play this season due to a knee injury.
NBA history will be made on Saturday, when all three Holiday brothers are expected to play in the same NBA game. Second-year guard Aaron Holiday has started the last two games at point guard for Indiana with Malcolm Brogon (sore left hamstring) sidelined, while oldest brother Justin is a valuable member of Indiana's second unit.
Aaron and Justin's brother Jrue is the veteran leader of the Pelicans, ranking second on the team in scoring (19.7 points per game) and leading the team in assists (6.5 per game) and steals (1.8 per contest).
Projected Starters
Aaron Holiday
Jeremy Lamb
T.J. Warren
Domantas Sabonis
Myles Turner
Lonzo Ball
JJ Redick
Jrue Holiday
Brandon Ingram
Derrick Favors
Pacers: PG - Aaron Holiday, SG - Jeremy Lamb, SF - T.J. Warren, PF - Domantas Sabonis, C - Myles Turner
Pelicans: PG - Lonzo Ball, SG - JJ Redick, SF - Jrue Holiday, PF - Brandon Ingram, C - Derrick Favors
Injury Report
Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon - questionable (sore left hamstring), (Victor Oladipo - out (right knee surgery rehab)
Pelicans: Darius Miller - out (right Achilles surgery), Zion Williamson - out (right knee scope)
Last Meeting
February 22, 2019: The Pacers rallied from a 20-point deficit to beat the Pelicans, 126-111, in their first game after the ALl-Star break.
Wesley Matthews gave Indiana a much-needed spark, hitting a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer and four more in the third quarter to ignite Indiana's comeback. Matthews scored 15 points in the third quarter alone and finished the night with 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 6-of-11 from 3-point range.
"We looked like we were running in mud," McMillan said of the first half. "Slow start, it didn't look like we had that urgency. I thought the third quarter, we challenged our guys to come with that urgency and play the game the way they're capable of playing it."
Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 20 points, going 7-for-14 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while pulling down five rebounds. Domantas Sabonis added 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 13 rebounds, and four assists off the bench, while fellow reserve Tyreke Evans finished with 17 points and went 6-for-9 from the field.
Cheick Diallo led the Pelicans with 16 points and 18 rebounds off the bench in the loss. Anthony Davis added 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in just 19 minutes of action, while Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton each also tallied 15 points.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers are 24-14 all time against the Pelicans, including a 10-7 record in New Orleans.
- Indiana swept the season series with New Orleans last season and have accomplished the feat in six of the last eight seasons.
- The Pacers are 3-2 on the season when playing on the second night of a back-to-back, including a 1-1 record on the road.
- Pelicans guard E'Twaun Moore is from East Chicago, Ind. and was an All-American at Purdue.
Tickets
The Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Joel Embiid and Philadelphia 76ers in a special New Year's Eve game on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 3:00 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), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (studio host)