Indiana Pacers game preview: Pacers hope to remain over .500 when Victor Oladipo and the Miami Heat come to town
The Indiana Pacers brutal stretches of schedule are over, as they just finished a week in which they play five games in seven days. Overlapping with that stretch was a seven-game road trip that spanned 11 days. On Sunday, the team got a breather, and tonight, they'll use that extra juice and try to take down the Miami Heat in Indianapolis.
The Pacers are 14-13 but have won just four of their last ten games. They are in a bit of a skid. Miami, meanwhile, is 12-15 and has struggled mightily on offense this season. They are 5-5 in their last ten games. Indiana beat Miami 101-99 in early November.
This game could have an extra storyline. Heat guard Victor Oladipo is listed as probable on the injury report. If he plays, it will be the first time that he has played against the Pacers, or played in Indianapolis, since the franchise traded him away in early 2020.
Viewing and Betting Information
Tip off time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Where to watch: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Indiana/Bally Sports+, Bally Sports Sun
Spread and Over/Under: The Pacers are slight underdogs as they are +3.5 in the SI Sportsbook. The over/under for the game is 227.5.
Pacers vs Heat Injury Report
The Pacers injury report is shorter after a week in which many players were dealing with injuries. Center Daniel Theis (right knee surgery) and wing Chris Duarte (left ankle) remain out. Trevelin Queen and Kendall Brown could be in the G League as a part of their two-way contracts, and both have played with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants recently.
For the Heat, Jamal Cain, Nikola Jovic, Dru Smith, Gabe Vincent, and Omer Yurtseven are out. Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Victor Oladipo, Duncan Robinson, and Max Strus are probable. Dewayne Dedmon is questionable.
Key Matchups
Andrew Nembhard vs Jimmy Butler: Butler is a six-time All-Star and is having another solid season for Miami, scoring nearly 22 points per game with a career-best true shooting percentage. His outside shot looks better this season, which has made him harder to contain
Andrew Nembhard will have to try. The Heat were without Butler when the teams first played, and Nembhard had a great game. The Pacers will need that level of performance again tonight from the rookie, and some.
Bennedict Mathurin vs Victor Oladipo: A battle of Pacers past and future. Oladipo was an All-NBA level guard in his first season with the Pacers in 2017-18, and he turned in two All-Star seasons for the franchise. Tonight, he could play in Indianapolis for the first time since the Pacers traded him to the Rockets.
Opposite him will be Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana's exceptional first-year player and a rookie of the year favorite. Mathurin is averaging 17.9 points per game and has become a tough cover for opposing bench groups. Oladipo will get the task tonight.
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- Former Pacers All-Star center Domantas Sabonis on the Indiana Pacers: 'They're having a great season'. CLICK HERE.
- Inside Tyrese Haliburton's return to Sacramento and the emotions behind the game. CLICK HERE.
- Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs on Indiana Pacers rookie Andrew Nembhard: 'He has such a high basketball IQ.' CLICK HERE.
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