The Indiana Pacers (13-13) visit the New Orleans Pelicans (8-18) at the Smoothie King Center on Dec. 15, Thursday for a 2016-2017 NBA regular season match.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 8:00 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru the NBA League Pass.
Preview
Indiana has been inconsistent in their past few games, winning three and losing three in their last six assignments. The team is now eighth in the East, six games behind conference leaders and defending NBA champions Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Pacers dropped a 95-89 decision to struggling squad Miami Heat on the road at the American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night, as per USA Today.
Paul George led head coach Nate McMillan's squad with 22 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in a losing effort. Myles Turner had 11 points, seven boards, two assists, and five shot blocks while Jeff Teague chipped in 10 points, three rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Off the bench, CJ Miles and Rodney Stuckey fired 15 and 10 points respectively with the latter also contributing five boards and three assists.
The loss snapped a two-game winning run for the Pacers as they go back down to the .500 mark.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are still struggling to find some momentum this season as they have lost six of their last seven games. They are currently third from the last place in the West, four-and-a-half games behind eight-place squad Portland Trail Blazers in the standings.
New Orleans was beaten by the Golden State Warriors, 113-109, in their most recent game on Tuesday also at the Smoothie King Center, the Times-Picayune reported.
The Pelicans got 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and five blocks from franchise player Anthony Davis despite the loss. Starting small forward Solomon Hill had 12 points and six boards while Jrue Holiday had a good all-around performance with 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists, four steals, and shot block.
Langston Galloway contributed 20 points, five boards, and three steals off the bench while Tim Frazier had 13 points and eight assists also as a substitute.
Prediction
The Pacers are a poor road team with a 3-9 record so far this season while the Pelicans are also struggling at home with a 5-9 slate. The game would be tough to call, but given New Orleans' current struggles, Indiana is predicted to win a close one.