Pacers look to snap losing streak versus Julius Randle, Nets

Entering tonight’s matchup on a 3-game losing streak, the shorthanded Pacers have their most winnable game of the week against the winless Brooklyn Nets.

This will be the second meeting between the two teams in this early portion of the season. A week ago today, Indiana traveled to Brooklyn and dominated the Nets 136 to 109 behind a season-high 24 points from Tyrese Haliburton.

Unfortunately —Haliburton along with 4 other rotational players— have been ruled out for this game and Obi Toppin is listed as questionable.

Off the bench, Jay Huff, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Obi Toppin combined for 44 points on 17-24 shooting. This was the most consistent showing from the Pacers’ second unit, but with all of the injuries, at least 2 of these three will be in the starting lineup.

Indiana will need contributions from a lot of their role players in this game like they did last Sunday if they want a chance to win.

Here are three things to watch for in this game.

1). Three-point shooting

Oct 25, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith (23) shoots the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last matchup, Indiana had a lopsided advantage in three-point shooting by outscoring the Nets 63-39.

The Nets have shot the ball better from three throughout the season than the Pacers. They rank 12th in the league at approximately 35 percent to the Pacers’ 22nd ranking at 33.6 percent.

That means Indiana will have to be dialed in from outside and make their open looks count. If they allow for the Nets to get going from outside this could be a much closer game than we saw last week.

2). Points in the Paint

OBI — Oct 25, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) rises for a dunk against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A balanced diet of three-point shots and points at the rim can make it extremely difficult to defend. Last week, Indiana outscored the Nets 56-40 in points in the paint, and it was all because of their willingness to take advantage of Brooklyn’s less-than-desirable defense.

You have to assume that the Nets will want to use this game to get back some revenge on the Pacers for what took place last week. And Brooklyn is still seeking its first victory of the season. Around a year ago today, the Nets won their first game of the 2025-26 season against a dismantled Pacers team that was struggling with injuries. The scenario is all too familiar for tonight, but Indiana desperately needs this win, especially since they’re still winless at home.

3). Slowing down Julius Randle

JR PS — Oct 25, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives past Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle (30) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During last week’s game we saw the Pacers send two defenders at Randle multiple times to not allow him to get going.

This was a great strategic move to impede his momentum from starting and forcing other players to step up into a bigger role.

Siakam had a solid game in their last matchup with 21 points on 50% shooting from three. He added 7 rebounds and 6 assists to balance out his game.

Randle had 7 assists and 7 rebounds in this game, but scored just 10 points on 2-8 shooting. He played 24 minutes before he watched the Pacers blow out his team the majority of the second half.

He recently voiced frustrations with the media about their offense lacking purpose and sticking too often after one action in the play. So seeing how the team responds to his criticisms will be interesting.

Where to Watch

You can watch tonight’s game on the Pacers Streaming service of DAZN or on NBA League Pass. For those who have Direct TV, DAZN's broadcast of the game can be seen on channel 671.

The radio broadcast will be aired on 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan and can also be heard on NBA League Pass.

Tonight’s game tips at 5:00 PM EST at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

Don’t miss our next story. Make Pacers on SI a Preferred Source on Google to see more from us in your search results.Click Here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google