Pacers Beat Raptors, Claim Ninth Seed, Will Face Hornets in Play-in
The Indiana Pacers (34-38) have closed off their regular season with a 125-113 win over the Toronto Raptors (27-45).
The win has the Pacers officially locked in as the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. They will host the Charlotte Hornets for the first play-in game who fell to the Washington Wizards 115-110 on Sunday.
"We haven't seen Charlotte here in a while, but they've been playing good basketball all year long," Nate Bjorkgren said post-game when they did not know who they would face.
During Sunday's contest, the Pacers did not have Malcolm Brogdon for the tenth straight game, but he is getting closer to returning, according to Bjorkgren.
"There is a chance," Bjorkgren said of Brogdon playing on Tuesday. "I think he's very close. He was out there working and sprinting and going through all the tests."
The Pacers have had the injury bug all season but did have Domantas Sabonis back in the lineup, and he put up 25 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, Caris LeVert left the game and did not return for the second half.
"They ruled him out in the second half, he took that fall underneath the basket right in front of our bench in the first half, and they called it a migraine headache," Bjorkgren said.
Bjorkgren added that LeVert has had migraines since he was a child.
The Pacers will resume action when they host the Hornets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the NBA's first-ever play-in tournament on Tuesday.
