The Pacers are trying to steady themselves tonight against Brooklyn, and the timing is tricky. Indiana just lost Tyrese Haliburton for the next two weeks because of a hamstring injury, a fresh setback after his return from a torn Achilles this year. That puts even more pressure on a team that hasn’t quite hit its stride yet.
Still, there’s a blueprint here. Indiana already handled the Nets once this season, rolling to a 136-109 win, and the Pacers will look to lean on the same formula at home. Without Haliburton, the margin for error shrinks, but this matchup still gives Indiana a chance to get back in the win column if a few key pieces deliver.
Pascal Siakam is first on that list. The veteran forward has been solid for Indiana so far, but the Pacers need him to take on a bigger load now that Haliburton is out.
In the earlier meeting with Brooklyn, Siakam put up 21 points in 26 minutes. Indiana may need even more than that this time around if it wants to repeat the result.
Andrew Nembhard is another name Indiana has to count on. With injuries stacking up, the guard’s role becomes even more important.
He scored 22 points against the Miami Heat in the Pacers’ last game, and that kind of production is exactly what Indiana needs again if it’s going to generate enough offense to win. Brooklyn may not be viewed as a contender, but the Nets can still make life difficult, and Nembhard’s scoring punch could help keep the Pacers on track.
The other big job for Indiana is on the defensive end, where Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle have to be contained. Brooklyn may not carry the reputation of a top-tier team, but those two can score, and the Pacers will need to limit their chances if they want to control the game.
In Other News...
Pacers Bench Gave Indiana Hope In A Loss That Raised Bigger Concerns
Quenton Jackson gave the Pacers a needed lift off the bench in their NBA Cup opener, scoring 24 points in a 145-125 loss to the Heat at Kaseya Center. Indianas reserves actually carried a real bright spot in an otherwise rough night, outscoring Miamis bench 58-35 and getting strong support from Jarace Walker and Kobe Brown, who helped keep the second unit competitive even as the game got away.
Walker finished with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Brown added nine points, six rebounds and four assists, but the bigger picture was harder to ignore. Indianas depth showed up, yet the result still pointed to larger issues the Pacers will need to sort through if they want the rest of their Cup run to look anything like the energy their bench brought in this one. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Nembhard Is Suddenly Carrying A Pacers Burden That Keeps Growing
Andrew Nembhard has quietly become the Pacers most important stabilizer while Tyrese Haliburton works through a week-to-week hamstring strain, and the numbers from the last two games show just how much has landed on his shoulders. Over that stretch, Nembhard has piled up 40 points and 23 assists, including an 18-point, 14-assist night against the Philadelphia 76ers and a 22-point, 9-assist effort against the Miami Heat.
Rick Carlisle confirmed Haliburtons status and made clear the obvious priority is keeping the healthy bodies on the floor, which only sharpens the spotlight on Nembhards expanded role. For the Pacers, the immediate question is not just whether he can keep producing at this level, but how long they can ask him to keep carrying so much of the offense while one of their key creators remains out. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Coach Explains How Miami Picked Apart Indianas Defense
Miamis offense put Indiana in a bind from the opening stretch, and the final score reflected just how often the Pacers were forced to defend both the rim and the arc at the same time. The Heat rolled to a 145-125 win, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo combining for 58 points while Miami piled up 64 points in the paint and knocked down 18 threes.
Indiana assistant coach Lloyd Pierce pointed to the way Miamis interior pressure created problems throughout the night, then layered on the kind of perimeter shooting that can break a defense open fast. The Heat hit 13 of those three-pointers after halftime, a stretch that made the Pacers chase even more and left little margin for recovery once Miami found its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]