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.
In Other News...
Tyrese Haliburton Had An Immediate Reaction To Jalen Williams Scare
Jalen Williams frightening exit against the Clippers drew an immediate wave of concern across the league, and Tyrese Haliburton was among the players who reacted right away. The Thunder forward was taken off the court on a stretcher after a serious injury, with Oklahoma City still waiting on a diagnosis and head coach Mark Daigneault not offering any specifics after the game.
For Pacers fans, Haliburtons response stood out because he knows the emotional side of seeing a fellow player go through a similar situation. He publicly expressed support for Williams, a reminder of how quickly a night can turn in the NBA and how tightly connected players can be when injuries bring everything else into the background. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Sheppard Injury Puts A Crucial Pacers Decision On Hold
Ben Sheppards setback lands at a difficult moment for both the guard and the Pacers. The 2023 first-round pick had been trying to carve out a steadier place in the rotation, but roster changes and competition had already limited his chances to show what he can do. Now, with a torn meniscus in his left knee, his progress is on pause at the very time Indiana had reason to keep evaluating what kind of long-term fit he could become.
The injury is expected to keep Sheppard out for several months and could end his season before it really gets going. For a Pacers team that has been sorting through the back end of its roster, the timing matters because it takes one more developmental option off the board while leaving his future role unresolved. Indiana still has decisions to make about what Sheppard can be for this team, but for now the conversation is about recovery rather than opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Finally Looked Like Themselves Even As One Concern Lingered
After a sluggish opening, the Pacers settled in and spent the final 36 minutes looking far more like the group that has defined them this season. Indiana rolled past Brooklyn over that stretch, with the offense humming through crisp ball movement and a lineup that kept finding answers even after the game took an early turn with a starting big man leaving because of an ankle sprain.
The point guard drove the attack with 24 points and 10 assists, while a forward added 14 efficient points as the Pacers piled up 34 assists on 49 made baskets. The rotation adjusted smoothly after the injury, and the larger question now is how Indiana manages the concern around that big man after a night when everything else finally clicked into place. [Read more 🡒]