INDIANA vs BROOKLYN
When: 2/10/2021 8:00 PM
Where: Brooklyn

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: BROOKLYN , INDIANA

Oddsmakers currently have Brooklyn listed as 2.5 point favorites versus Indiana, while the game’s total is sitting at 234.5.

The Nets are 9-9 in Eastern Conference games. Brooklyn is 6-2 when it wins the turnover battle and averages 15.4 turnovers per game.

“It’s up to the team to decide what type of team they want to be, what they want to get out of this experience,” Nets coach Steve Nash said. “I think our team needs to challenge themselves and figure out who they want to represent together.”

The Pacers are 7-6 in Eastern Conference play. Indiana is seventh in the Eastern Conference scoring 113.1 points per game and is shooting 47.6%.

“We’re obviously a little frustrated with the last four or five games,” Indiana’s Doug McDermott said. “It hasn’t gone the way we wanted them to go, but we also know what we’re capable of, how we started this year. We know we have enough in that locker room to win games.”

The teams meet Wednesday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS:

James Harden is shooting 49.2% and averaging 23.7 points. Kyrie Irving is averaging 24 points and four rebounds while shooting 48.8% over the last 10 games for Brooklyn.

T.J. McConnell leads the Pacers averaging 6.7 assists while scoring 4.7 points per game. Malcolm Brogdon is averaging 20.5 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 42.7% over the last 10 games for Indiana.

LAST 10 GAMES:

Nets: 5-5, averaging 122.4 points, 40.8 rebounds, 28.1 assists, 5.6 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 50.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.5 points on 48.5% shooting.

Pacers: 4-6, averaging 113.4 points, 43.3 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 7.1 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.5 points on 45.6% shooting.

INJURIES:

Nets: Iman Shumpert: out (left hamstring), Spencer Dinwiddie: out for season (acl), Kevin Durant: out (health and safety protocols).

Pacers: Caris LeVert: out (kidney), TJ Warren: out (foot).

BOTTOM LINE: The Brooklyn Nets and the Indiana Pacers meet in a matchup of two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

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INDIANA vs MILWAUKEE
When: 2/3/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: -8
PREDICTION: MILWAUKEE , INDIANA

Oddsmakers currently have the MILWAUKEE listed as -8 point favorites versus the INDIANA, while the game’s total is sitting at 233.

The Milwaukee Bucks will be the more rested team when they host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

While the Pacers were blowing out the Memphis Grizzlies 134-116 on Tuesday in Indianapolis, the Bucks had a day off after a 134-106 win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

The clubs will meet for the first time this season after the Bucks topped the Pacers 3-1 in last year’s season series by dominating the two home games.

The teams were in line to meet in the first round of last year’s playoffs until the fourth-seeded Pacers were swept by the fifth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round.

Miami then shocked Milwaukee, the winningest team in the regular season a year ago, in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Bucks were firing on all cylinders Monday to tip off their two-game homestand. Six Milwaukee players scored 13 or more points, with Jrue Holiday (22) and Bobby Portis (21) leading the way.

The win allowed Milwaukee to snap a two-game losing streak. The Bucks followed another two-game skid earlier in January with a two-game winning streak.

The Bucks have had three-, four- and two-game winning streaks since Jan. 1.

Bryn Forbes, brought in to Milwaukee this season to help fill the void left behind by Malcolm Brogdon’s departure a year earlier, noted Monday that using the Pacers as a building block in a winning streak won’t be easy.

“Honestly, I think people get up for this game (against) the Bucks,” he said. “They’re No. 1 in the East for the last couple of years, so I think people are locked in when they play us. Every team is bringing their best when they play us, honestly.

“Every team is ready to go when they play us and maybe they are a little more focused and locked in than they are on some other nights and maybe just trying to prove a point.”

While the Pacers will complete a back-to-back set Tuesday, they benefitted from the one-sided nature of the Monday game, not extending any player past 35 minutes.

Domantas Sabonis had 32 points and 13 rebounds in the win, while Brogdon warmed up for a meeting with his former teammates with 23 points and seven assists.

Brogdon, who left the Bucks for a four-year, $85 million deal in a sign-and-trade after the 2019 season, was more of a ball distributor than a scorer in three head-to-head matchups with his old team last season. He averaged just 10.3 points but also 8.3 assists in those games.

Milwaukee won its two home games last season against Indiana by an average of 23.5 points.

Brogdon averaged 16.5 points and 7.1 assists last season for the Pacers. He has bumped the scoring up to 22.9 this year while keeping the assists (7.0) basically the same.

Brogdon credits the unselfish Sabonis for his boost in scoring.

“I think he and (the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic) are the best passing bigs in the league,” he said. “He’s very versatile. He’s an All-Star.”

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MEMPHIS vs INDIANA
When: 2/2/2021 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: INDIANA , MEMPHIS

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as -6 point favorites versus the MEMPHIS, while the game’s total is sitting at 221.

The red-hot Memphis Grizzlies take their seven-game winning streak into the second leg of a back-to-back set on Tuesday, facing the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.

Memphis blasted the host San Antonio Spurs 133-102 on Monday behind a franchise-record nine players scoring in double figures. Gorgui Dieng led the way with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor, and his nine rebounds matched Xavier Tillman for the team high.

The victory was the second for the Grizzlies since they restarted competition on Jan. 30. The NBA postponed five scheduled games over the previous two weeks due to COVID-19 protocols.

“Having fresh legs after having those couple of weeks off (and) our team stayed kind of locked in during that break,” forward Brandon Clarke said to Fox Sports Southeast in his postgame interview regarding the key to back-to-back wins over San Antonio. “There’s some teams and players that would not stay locked in during that, but our team has guys (who) really, really want to win.”

Before the postponements, Memphis welcomed back to the lineup Ja Morant, the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year and the team leader this season in scoring (20.7 points per game) and assists (7.7 per game).

Morant missed eight games with an ankle injury, and the Grizzlies lost four of the first five he was sidelined. Their current winning streak began before his return and continued in his first game back, a 106-104 win over the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 16.

Memphis’ scoring output has increased in each game since Morant’s return, from 106 to 108, then to 129 and 133 in the two wins over the Spurs.

The Grizzlies bring their surging offense against an Indiana defense allowing 111.2 points per game overall and 117.9 per game in losses. The Pacers gave up 119 points their last time out, a nine-point defeat against Philadelphia on Sunday.

“The defensive end is the key,” Indiana guard Malcolm Brogdon said. “Everybody is going to be focused on missed shots, (Philadelphia’s) zone and all that. We just didn’t get stops. Defensively, we may have let up.”

Indiana defense gave up 107.5 points per game in 2019-20, with the increase this season a byproduct of giving up 39.1 percent shooting from 3-point range. That is one of the worst averages in the NBA, after finishing last season with the league’s fourth-best 3-point defense at 34.1 percent allowed.

Memphis comes into Tuesday’s matchup shooting 35.6 percent from outside, ranking near the middle of the NBA. However, its offense focuses instead on interior points, attempting more than double the amount of 2-point field goals than 3-pointers.

The Grizzlies have had to find ways to balance their scoring production with a bevy of absences throughout the season. In addition to Morant’s eight missed games, Memphis has been without Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) for the duration of the campaign.

Jontay Porter (knee) and Justise Winslow (hip) are out with injuries while Grayson Allen and Jonas Valanciunas missed Monday’s blowout due to COVID-19 protocols.

Indiana has been hindered by its own health concerns. T.J. Warren played only four games before sustaining a foot injury that still has him sidelined.

The Pacers added Caris LeVert from the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team trade that sent two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo to Houston. However, LeVert, a breakout star for the Nets last season, may not play again this season after undergoing surgery for cancer discovered on his kidney during his pre-trade physical.

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PHILADELPHIA vs INDIANA
When: 1/31/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 1.5
PREDICTION: INDIANA , PHILADELPHIA

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as 1.5 point favorites versus the PHILADELPHIA, while the game’s total is sitting at 223.5.

Joel Embiid didn’t let back tightness slow him down during another impressive performance in a 118-94 win over host Minnesota on Friday night in Minneapolis, Minn.

Two days after a scary fall against the Lakers, Embiid finished with 37 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in only 27 minutes to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-94 win.

The Sixers have won five of their past six games and will continue their three-game road trip Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers at Indianapolis.

“The last treatment that I had (late Thursday) night was at like 1 a.m. so even if it means not sleeping, just make sure that the body is right,” said Embiid, who is averaging a career-high 28.3 points as well as 11.1 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 54.4 percent from the field, including 40.4 percent from 3-point range.

“Obviously, sleeping helps a lot, too, but treatment is the first thing. So, little stuff like that matters. You gotta keep on going. It’s hard, but that’s what we get paid for, and you gotta do your job.”

Assuming Embiid can go against Indiana, his next challenge will come against Domantas Sabonis (20.5 points, team-leading 12.2 rebounds per game).

Despite Sabonis’ efforts, the Pacers have suffered five frustrating defeats this season by five points or less with the latest coming Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets.

Part of the problem has been on defense, which showed again as the Hornets finished with six players scoring in double figures in the 108-105 win.

“We didn’t get as many stops as we would’ve liked to, all game long,” Myles Turner said. “Rebounding hurt us, too. It seemed like every time we missed a rebound they hit a 3. …This is one of these games you kick yourself for.”

Indiana’s struggles on that end have come despite Turner’s improved play on that end. He has an NBA-best 4.1 blocks per game.

The Pacers also shot just 7-for-26 down the stretch from 3-point range and Doug McDermott was limited to only 11 points in 17 minutes after scoring 28 points two nights earlier in the first of Indiana’s back-to-back games against Charlotte. It was the Pacers’ third back-to-back set and they have split all three.

“They don’t make any excuses about anything — about not being able to leave the hotel or being around people,” Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren said. “They’re following the rules. They’re doing a good job of that. We were together here for a few days out on the road, it’s a lot of time to bond together as a team. We fought tonight. We just got beat.”

The Sixers continue to be one of the league’s best defensive teams with a 106.7 defensive rating per NBA Advanced Stats.

Tobias Harris (8.6 plus-minus) and Ben Simmons (1.6 steals per game) have kept the defense effective while often playing as the lone starter on an otherwise all-reserve lineup on the court. Harris is also off to a career-best shooting start (51.4 percent overall and 46.8 percent from 3-point range).

Matisse Thybulle (1.4 steals per game) has provided help defensively as well since the club lost forward Mike Scott to a knee injury on Jan. 14.

“He’s just a hell of a defender,” Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. “He’s got his legs under him now. He knows what we expect of him, and he’s been terrific.”

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TORONTO vs INDIANA
When: 1/24/2021 1:00 PM
Where:

TV: 1:00 PM
LINE: -1.5
PREDICTION: INDIANA , TORONTO

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as -1.5 point favorites versus the TORONTO, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.

The Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers will be carrying the momentum of important wins when they meet Sunday afternoon in the opener of a two-game set at Indianapolis.

After two straight losses, the Pacers beat the Orlando Magic 120-118 Friday on Malcolm Brogdon’s 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining in overtime. The Pacers tied the game on a 4-foot shot by Domantas Sabonis with 10.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter but fell behind by five points in overtime.

“Our guys didn’t quit,” Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren said. “They found themselves down in the fourth and found themselves down in overtime and kept coming back.”

The Raptors, meanwhile, rebounded from a lethargic loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., with a convincing 101-81 victory in the rematch on Friday.

With Kyle Lowry out with an infected toe, Norman Powell started in his place and scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the first quarter.

“Night and day in terms of our effort defensively,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “When you move hard on defense, you move hard on offense. It helps the pace of play. We were flying around.”

Pascal Siakam, who was listed as questionable for the game with a groin injury and did not practice Thursday, scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Lowry could be ready to play against Indiana.

After the 111-102 loss to the undermanned Heat on Wednesday, Nurse referred to the effort as “unacceptable” and said it was the team’s worst defensive effort of the season “times three.”

“Even though it was a close game (Wednesday) for the most part, a lot of the reason why it was so close were mistakes that we normally don’t make,” Powell said.

The Raptors led by as many as 21 points in the first quarter Friday, allowed the Heat to tie it at 61 during the third quarter, and then pulled away again.

“I think it was a big win for us,” said Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, who had 13 points. “Obviously, losing doesn’t sit well with anybody around here. And so the last day and a half people were pretty uptight, but it was good to get back on the winning side and to play the way that we do.”

Pacers center Myles Turner returned to the lineup Friday after a two-game absence with a fracture in his right hand. The Pacers had allowed 129 and 124 points respectively in two games without Turner, who had 22 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks on Friday.

Turner played about a half of the overtime because of cramping.

Jeremy Lamb scored 22 points in his second game back after surgery to repair a torn ACL, torn lateral meniscus, and a lateral femoral condylar fracture in his left knee, an injury that incurred in a game at Toronto last Feb. 23.

He provides a scoring option that is needed after Victor Oladipo was traded and with the player acquired to replace him, Caris LeVert (left kidney), unavailable.

But the final offensive option of the game was Brogdon.

“I Iike to take big shots,” Brogdon said. “It wasn’t a set call. Coach told me he was about to call a timeout. I’m glad he didn’t. … I knew where the clock was.”

“He seems cool and calm but at the same time he’s the one who’s motivating us and firing us up,” Turner said of Brogdon.

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INDIANA vs LA CLIPPERS
When: 1/17/2021 10:00 PM
Where:

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: LA CLIPPERS , INDIANA

Oddsmakers currently have the LA CLIPPERS listed as -6 point favorites versus the INDIANA, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.5.

The Los Angeles Clippers will attempt to extend their winning streak to four games when they host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Pacers announced they had acquired guard Caris LeVert from the Houston Rockets for guard Victor Oladipo. The trade was reported to be in the works earlier in the week after LeVert was shipped to Houston by the Brooklyn Nets in a deal involving James Harden.

The 6-foot-6 LeVert, who averaged 18.5 points and six assists mainly as a reserve for the Nets, will not play against the Clippers. Indiana announced Saturday the fifth-year pro will be out indefinitely after an MRI revealed a small mass on his left kidney during a physical prior to finalizing the four-team trade.

The Pacers said LeVert will have further medical tests and would update as needed.

“We acquired Caris because of who he is as a young man first and foremost. His basketball skill and on court play speaks for itself and we know he has a great career ahead of him,” said Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard in a statement.

“We will support Caris through this time and know that he will join us on the court as soon as he is able.”

Prior to LeVert’s arrival, the Pacers floored the Portland Trail Blazers 111-87 on Thursday. The win snapped an 11-game losing streak at Portland, where the Pacers hadn’t won since 2007.

Malcolm Brogdon scored 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting with seven assists, five rebounds and three steals and Domantas Sabonis had 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter for Indiana. Sabonis, who also converted 10-of-18 shots, grabbed 15 rebounds.

“We’re getting better and better,” said Brogdon, who has scored at least 21 points in six of the last seven games. “We handled a really, really good team tonight on the road. I think this was a statement win for us. We’ve got to build on it.”

The Pacers’ scheduled game Saturday at the Phoenix Suns was postponed Thursday due to the league’s health and safety protocols. The Suns didn’t have the NBA’s required eight players available because of contract tracing.

At Sacramento, the Clippers crushed the Kings 138-100 on Friday. Kawhi Leonard had 27 points and six assists and Paul George finished with 26 points as the Clippers beat the Kings for the 15th consecutive time on the road. Marcus Morris Sr. added 18 points off the bench.

The Clippers, who have won five of their last seven contests, played without Patrick Beverley (personal reasons) and Lou Williams (hip). It wasn’t clear if they would play Sunday.

Without them, the Clippers managed to pound the Kings with a second-half blitz, bolting from an eight-point lead at the break by outscoring them 37-16 in the third quarter.

“We’ve been having leads and we challenged our guys at halftime to be better defensively, set the tone, take the challenge one-on-one,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “I thought in the first half they got the ball fast and scored, beat us off the dribble one-on-one and I thought in the third quarter our team really sat down and defended and took the challenge one-on-one. That was good to see.”

Los Angeles hit 58.4 percent of their shots from the floor and made 18 of 35 3-pointers (51.4). The Kings shot 47.1 percent and went 8-for-26 on 3-pointers (30.8 percent).

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NEW YORK vs INDIANA
When: 1/2/2021 7:05 PM
Where:

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: -9
PREDICTION: INDIANA , NEW YORK

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as -9 point favorites versus the NEW YORK, while the game’s total is sitting at 214.5.

It almost surely won’t take long for the New York Knicks to check off the first item on their list of New Year’s resolutions.

The Knicks will look to bounce back Saturday night from a historically rough shooting performance when they visit the Indiana Pacers in the second game of the season between the Eastern Conference rivals.

Both teams last played on New Year’s Eve, when the Knicks had their two-game winning streak snapped with a 100-83 loss to the Toronto Raptors in Tampa, Fla., and the Pacers beat the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, 119-99, in a matinee.

While the Knicks played reasonably well on defense in limiting the Raptors to 41 percent shooting, New York did itself no favors by shooting a franchise record-low 8.3 percent (3-of-36) from 3-point land. The starting lineup was 0-for-23 from beyond the arc, marking the most misses by a starting lineup without a made 3-pointer in NBA history.

“We were in the game, but obviously going 3-for-36 from the 3-point line doesn’t help,” Knicks forward Julius Randle said. “I think it’ll be very rare for us to go 3-for-36 from the 3-point line. So we’ll be fine.”

The disastrous night from beyond the arc was especially surprising for the Knicks, who entered the game draining 45.8 percent (50-for-109) of their 3-pointers.

“I thought we got high-quality shots again tonight,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “I want to look at the film before I comment further on that. But yeah, that’s part of the NBA game.”

The Pacers were far more prolific from beyond the arc in their final game of 2020. Victor Oladipo hit a team-high four 3-pointers as Indiana shot a season-high 45.7 percent from 3-point land (16-of-35), its highest percentage since it shot 48.4 percent (15-of-31) against the San Antonio Spurs on March 2, 2020.

The strong performance from 3-point land highlighted a well-rounded offensive performance Thursday by the Pacers. Led by Domantas Sabonis, who earned Eastern Conference player of the week honors for the first week of the truncated 2020-21 campaign, six players scored in double digits for Indiana.

Sabonis produced his fifth double-double in as many games Thursday and actually flirted with a triple-double in finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

“Even though 2020 has been tough, find your triumph,” Oladipo said. “At the end of the day, we’re all blessed to see 2021.”

Both teams enter January at less than 100 percent. The Pacers announced Thursday that forward T.J. Warren (left foot stress fracture) will be out indefinitely after undergoing surgery. The Knicks had four guards sidelined Thursday — Alec Burks (left ankle), Frank Ntilikina (right knee), Immanuel Quickley (left hip) and Dennis Smith Jr. (left quad).

The trip to Indiana is the second this season for the Knicks, who fell to the Pacers, 121-107, in the opener for both clubs on Dec. 23.

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OLE MISS vs INDIANA
When: 1/2/2021 12:30 PM
Where:

TV: 12:30 PM
LINE: -7
PREDICTION: INDIANA , OLE MISS

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as -7 point favorites versus the OLE MISS, while the game’s total is sitting at 66.5.

Indiana is looking to make the most of its second straight bowl trip to Florida when it faces Ole Miss at the Outback Bowl in Tampa on Jan. 2.

The Hoosiers, No. 11 in the CFP rankings, were spurned from a New Year’s Six Bowl bid in the Fiesta Bowl based on Iowa State being ranked one spot ahead of them. Indiana (6-1) posted its most Big Ten wins since 1987 and its highest AP ranking (No. 7) since 1968.

“It’s another chip on our shoulder,” Indiana coach Tom Allen said. “Something to go out and prove.”

Indiana hasn’t won a bowl game since 1991, a string of five straight bowl losses. Last year, at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., the Hoosiers let a 13-point lead slip away in the final five minutes in a 23-22 loss to Tennessee.

The game will be a homecoming for 10 Indiana players from the Tampa Bay area, including All-Big Ten linebacker Micah McFadden (Tampa Plant HS), All-Big Ten wide receiver Whop Philyor (Tampa Plant) and All-Big Ten safety Jamar Johnson (Sarasota-Riverview).

Allen, too, has Tampa ties, having started his high school coaching career there and serving a one-year stint as defensive coordinator at USF in 2015.

Quarterback Jack Tuttle will make his second career start for the Hoosiers after passing for 140 yards and two TDs in Indiana’s 14-6 win over Wisconsin on Dec. 5. Indiana had its final two games of the season canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the team that involved 28 players and coaches.

Ole Miss (4-5), under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, was among the best offenses in the SEC this season, ranking first in the conference in rushing (217.67 yards per game), third in scoring (40.7 points per game) and third in passing (344.8 yards per game).

“The big play is definitely a huge emphasis for them,” Allen said. “They live off those. The deceiving part is that they also rush for 220 yards per game.”

Ole Miss will be playing in its first bowl game since the 2016 Sugar Bowl, a game in which it beat Oklahoma State 48-20.

The Rebels are led by starting quarterback Matt Corral, who has passed for 2,995 yards with 27 TDs and 14 interceptions on the season. But Corral will be without two of his top targets for the second straight game, as wide receiver Elijah Moore and tight end Kenny Yeboah opted out for the NFL draft.

Without both standout receiving threats, Corral struggled in his last start, throwing five interceptions in a 53-48 loss against LSU.

“It was not an effort issue that’s for sure,” Kiffin said. “It was just decision making and I didn’t think we called a great game. I don’t think we put him in the best spots at times.”

It won’t get any easier for Corral facing an Indiana defense that leads the nation with 17 interceptions.

“It should be good for our players to get motivated that you’re playing a great team,” Kiffin said. “Statistically, they have special things.”

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CLEVELAND vs INDIANA
When: 12/31/2020 3:05 PM
Where:

TV: 3:05 PM
LINE: -8
PREDICTION: INDIANA , CLEVELAND

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as -8 point favorites versus the CLEVELAND, while the game’s total is sitting at 217.5.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and host Indiana Pacers will look to avenge disappointing losses when they meet to close out the calendar year on Thursday.

Indiana, in search of a 4-0 start, led the Boston Celtics by as many as 17 points on Tuesday. But a disastrous run in the fourth quarter doomed the Pacers to a 116-111 defeat.

“Down the stretch, we didn’t necessarily make plays or get stops when we needed to. We also put them on the (free-throw) line too much,” Indiana’s Victor Oladipo said.

In Tuesday’s loss, the Pacers sent Boston to the foul line for 37 attempts, as opposed to just 16 for Indiana. Just two nights earlier in a 108-107 defeat of the Celtics, Boston shot 24 free throws.

That still outpaced Indiana, which attempted just 15. The Pacers come into Thursday’s contest ranked 24th in the NBA with 19.8 opponent free-throw attempts per game, but have thrived elsewhere defensively.

They are ninth in the league with 17.0 turnovers generated per game, and fourth in opponent two-point field-goal percentage at 48.0. The sample size may be small, but continue trends from a season ago when Indiana ranked No. 13 in turnovers created and No. 9 in two-point field-goal percentage allowed.

Another promising trend from last season that carried over into the early going of 2020-21 for the Pacers has been the play of forward Domantas Sabonis. An All-Star in 2019-20, Sabonis has increased both his point-per game and assist production. He also made the game-winning shot in Indiana’s win over Boston on Sunday.

Sabonis leads the Pacers against a Cleveland frontcourt down veteran Kevin Love. The forward aggravated a calf injury in the Cavs’ 118-94 rout of Philadelphia on Sunday and will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.

Love missed the Cavaliers’ 95-86 loss to New York on Tuesday, their first defeat of the 2020-21 season. Cleveland failed to score in triple digits for the first time on the campaign, shooting a dismal 36.4 percent from the floor.

Still, the Cavaliers took some reason for optimism out of the loss.

“If it was last year, or the year before, and we (were) missing this many shots, we probably would have lost by 20, 25, 30,” Collin Sexton said.

In finishing with an Eastern Conference-worst 19-46 a season ago, Cleveland lost by an average of 7.9 points per game. The 2019-20 Cavaliers did not reach three wins, this year’s start, until eight games in, and did not win three consecutive until games Nos. 28-30.

The 2020-21 campaign is off to a much stronger start, thanks in part to the emergence of the Sexton-Darius Garland backcourt. Sexton is averaging 25.3 points per game on 53.5 percent shooting from the floor, while Garland has posted 18.5 points and 7.8 assists per game.

Post presence Andre Drummond, acquired around the trade deadline from Detroit last season, has averaged 19.8 points and 15.3 rebounds per game.

“The hard work we put in during the offseason and just the camaraderie that we have as a unit is looking really good,” Drummond said.

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BOSTON vs INDIANA
When: 12/29/2020 7:05 PM
Where:

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 1
PREDICTION: INDIANA , BOSTON

Oddsmakers currently have the INDIANA listed as 1 point favorites versus the BOSTON, while the game’s total is sitting at 221.5.

The Boston Celtics might not be off to the start they envisioned at 1-2, but there’s no sense of panic yet. The NBA season still has a long way to go, and the team understands coming slow out of the gate can be overcome.

“It is a process,” said swingman Jaylen Brown. “If you ask me where we’re at in the process, I think it’s Game 3, and we’re looking forward to Game 4.”

That contest might offer a greater sense of motivation as it comes in the form of a rematch on the road against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. The two teams met Sunday in the first game of the miniseries in Indianapolis, with the Pacers eking out a 108-107 victory that improved their record to 3-0.

Domantas Sabonis converted the game-winning layup with just 8.4 seconds remaining, giving the Celtics the ball back down one after he missed a free throw that would have made it a three-point play. Jayson Tatum’s 3-point attempt with 1.8 seconds to go clanked off the back of the rim, sealing the result.

“We definitely beat ourselves tonight, and there was still an opportunity to win the game,” Brown said. “We gave it up at the end. We’ve got to come back and be better — be more physical and more solid on defense.”

The Pacers could say the same, as they led by as much as 11 late in the third quarter. Boston surged ahead 107-106 on a bucket from Marcus Smart with 11.8 seconds left to set the stage for Sabonis’ heroics.

“Coach (Nate Bjorkgren) is a genius. He has a different play for everything,” Sabonis said. “He trusts every single one of us, and that makes it easier for the players. We all trust him and just try to execute as best we can.”

Bjorkgren, in his first year leading the Pacers, has wasted little time earning the respect of his team with his basketball acumen and faster style of play than his predecessor, Nate McMillan.

“Credit to the players on (the 3-0 start),” Bjorkgren said. “They’re battling, they’re fighting and they’re not taking possessions off.”

Sabonis had 19 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s win, and Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 25 points. Four other Pacers scored in double digits as part of a balanced attack.

Tatum led the Celtics with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Brown scored 18 on 8-of-13 shooting. Backup big man Robert Williams III (12 points) proved critical in helping the team overcome getting outscored 39-28 in the third quarter and had four steals in the game, but he lamented getting beat by Sabonis on the game-winning play.

“We messed up the defensive coverage, so really, throw that other stuff out the window,” Williams said. “I was brought in the game to bring the energy, so that’s what I was trying to do. But like I said, we messed up the coverage — me personally, I messed up the coverage.”

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