Please Note: Doors will open at Bankers Life Fieldhouse at 5:30 PM ET
Gold Out
Every fan in attendance at tonight's game will receive a "Together 4 Vic" gold t-shirt in support of injured Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo.
Matchup
After a tough loss on Saturday night to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Pacers face an even more daunting challenge on Monday as the dynastic Golden State Warriors visit Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
With two MVP winners, a starting lineup with five All-Stars, and a 10-game winning streak dating back to Jan. 3, the Pacers will have all they can handle during Monday's matchup with Golden State (35-14).
In order to grab a victory, the Pacers (32-16) will need to work quickly to correct some of the mistakes that plagued them during their 106-103 defeat against Memphis — their first game since Victor Oladipo was declared out for the remainder of the season with a ruptured quad tendon.
Ball security was an issue during the loss, as Indiana coughed up possession 18 times, allowing the Grizzlies to turn the miscues into 20 points.
A slow start also sabotaged the Pacers' chances during their road matchup in Memphis as Indiana notched a season-low 42 points in the first half, which included starting the game just 4-of-14 from the field.
"We're just trying as a team to find ourselves without Victor Oladipo," Pacers forward Thaddeus Young said after the game. "That's one of the biggest things. Our offense was a little stagnant as opposed to having Victor out there. That's no excuse."
Despite their missteps, the Pacers still almost ended up pulling out the win. But come Monday, as they face the team that has won the NBA championship in three of the last four seasons, the margin of error will be almost nonexistent.
Some early-season woes for the Warriors led to speculation about their chances to three-peat this season, but as the calendar turned to 2019, the Warriors of old emerged and have been wreaking havoc on the league ever since.
Currently riding a 10-game winning streak, the Warriors visit Indiana in the final matchup of their five-game road trip. Since January began, Golden State's offense has reached into another stratosphere, scoring 124.8 points per 100 possesions — a full five points higher than the next closest team.
"We just have to get ready. It's just like any other game. You can't make mistakes against that team," Darren Collison said. "They have like five All-Stars on their team. It should be a fun game. We treat it like every other game. Just go out there, play hard, play your game, and live with the results."
Projected Starters
Darren Collison
Cory Joseph
Bojan Bogdanovic
Thaddeus Young
Myles Turner
Stephen Curry
Klay Thompson
Kevin Durant
Jordan Bell
DeMarcus Cousins
Pacers: PG - Darren Collison, SG - Cory Joseph, SF - Bojan Bogdanovic, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Warriors: PG - Stephen Curry, SG - Klay Thompson, SF - Kevin Durant, PF - Jordan Bell, C - DeMarcus Cousins
Injury Report
Pacers: Tyreke Evans - out (lower back soreness), Victor Oladipo - out (ruptured quad tendon in right knee)
Warriors: Draymond Green - out (rest), Damian Jones - out (left pectoral surgery), Jonas Jerebko - out (personal reasons)
Last Meeting
April 5, 2018: After a four-game road trip, the Pacers returned to Bankers Life Fieldhouse and beat the Warriors with ease, winning 126-106.
Bojan Bogdanovic was on target all night, connecting on 11-of-13 shots, including six 3-pointers, to tally 28 points in the winning effort.
"Since the All-Star break, we're playing playoff basketball against everybody because all of them are fighting for position in both the East and West," Bogdanovic said. "I think we're doing a great job and we're ready for the playoffs."
The Warriors were led offensively by Kevin Durant, who poured in 27 points to go along with five rebounds and seven assists. Golden State was without the services of Stephen Curry, who wasn't in the lineup during the 20-point Pacers win.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers are 47-42 all-time against the Warriors and have won their last two meetings.
- The Warriors are a league-best 10-1 in January.
- Monday will be DeMarcus Cousins' fifth game back since returning from an Achilles tear.
Tickets
The Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Jan. 28 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana/NBA TV - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter)
Radio: 107.5 FM The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.