The Pacers head to Brooklyn tonight looking to shake off an underwhelming home opener and get back in the win column against a Nets team that just went toe-to-toe with Cleveland.
Indiana gets a small edge on the schedule, too. Brooklyn played last night and took a 125-121 loss to the Cavaliers after spending most of the second half chasing from behind. The Nets made it interesting late, trimming a double-digit deficit to two with 8.1 seconds left, but Cleveland closed it out at the line.
That game was a pretty good snapshot of what Brooklyn is under Jordi Fernandez: a young team with a solid structure, but one that also has veteran pieces buying in. Indiana, meanwhile, comes in with a more seasoned roster and bigger expectations, but the Pacers still need to treat this like a dangerous road test.
The biggest threat is in the frontcourt, where Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle can do real damage.
Porter has taken on more of a scoring load since arriving in Brooklyn from Denver two years ago, and he gave Indiana fits in their only meeting last season. In that game, he posted 32 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal while shooting 50% from the field, 36.4% from three and 72.7% from the free throw line.
He scored inside, outside and at the stripe, getting to the line for 11 attempts. Even with Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard available, the Pacers never really solved him.
Randle brings a different kind of problem. Indiana has had trouble with him for years, and his numbers against the Pacers back that up: 17.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game over his 12-year career. He’s a physical presence who can also score at all three levels, and the source material notes that he has outperformed Pascal Siakam in head-to-head matchups.
The Pacers’ own slow starts are a concern of their own. Through their first two games, they’ve dug themselves early holes, falling behind by 10 against New Orleans and by 34 against Dallas. That’s the kind of pattern they can’t afford to let settle in if they want this season to look different from the first two outings.
Rick Carlisle, Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard all said after Friday’s home opener that Indiana has to do a better job of setting the tone. Haliburton pointed to the starting five, but the problem has grown once the second unit arrives, especially when Pascal Siakam sits.
That puts more pressure on players like Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker and Kelly Oubre Jr. to give the Pacers more when they come off the bench. With T.J.
McConnell still out with a hamstring injury, the guard rotation also makes it harder for Haliburton and Nembhard to share the floor as much as Indiana would like. Quenton Jackson has given them a lift over the last two games, but the Pacers still need more help in the backcourt.
The game also comes with a throwback look that matches the matchup. Both teams will wear ABA classics and play on old-school designed courts, a nod to two of the league’s most successful franchises.
Indiana won ABA titles in 1970, 1972 and 1973 under Bobby “Slick” Leonard, while the Nets won in 1974 and 1976 behind Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
They’re also the two ABA clubs to merge into the NBA without ever winning an NBA championship.
Tonight’s game can be watched locally on the Pacers streaming app and DAZN. Direct TV has carried the broadcast on channel 671 the last two games. Out of market, the game is available on NBA League Pass.
If you’re listening instead of watching, the Pacers’ flagship station is 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan, and the radio broadcast is also available through NBA League Pass.
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Nets Showed One Encouraging Trait Fans Cant Ignore In Loss
The Nets had a hard time keeping pace with Cleveland for much of the night, but they found something to hang onto in the fourth quarter. Brooklyns shooting and defense were uneven throughout the game, yet the teams effort on the glass and general fight back into the contest gave the building a different feel as the comeback started to take shape. Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. helped keep the offense afloat, and the Nets looked far more connected when the game started slipping away from them.
Egor Dmin was at the center of that push, giving Brooklyn a burst of energy late as the Cavaliers were forced to sweat out the finish. Even in defeat, the Nets showed a level of resilience that has been missing too often, and that matters for a team still trying to establish a baseline for how it wants to compete. The loss stings, but the way Brooklyn closed is the kind of stretch fans will remember the next time this group needs a little more edge. [Read more 🡒]
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Demins play in particular offered a reminder that the Nets may have found a young piece worth watching closely, while Brown has been easing in after his preseason ankle injury. In a league where so much attention gets paid to the established stars and the headlines around them, Brooklyns early days have at least produced a couple of bright spots the organization can keep developing. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Suddenly Need Answers In The Middle At The Worst Time
The middle of the floor has become a suddenly uneasy place for the Clippers, and it happened early against the Nets when Ivica Zubac went down in the first quarter after rolling his left ankle. He left the game with 4:57 remaining in the period, and with the roster already dealing with injuries elsewhere, any issue involving the starting center carries extra weight this time of year.
The team later said Zubac had a left ankle sprain and would not return, which only sharpens the concern around what comes next. For Brooklyn, the matchup itself may fade quickly, but the bigger question is how the Clippers manage the frontcourt if Zubac is forced to miss time during an already crowded stretch. [Read more 🡒]