The Indiana Pacers look to close out a four-game homestand on a high note Friday when they welcome the New Orleans Pelicans to Indianapolis.
Indiana concludes its stretch at home after a loss that snapped its longest winning streak of the season at three games. The Pacers won at Charlotte and knocked off Eastern Conference playoff contenders Miami and Boston at home before Wednesday’s 115-101 setback against Toronto.
Indiana delivered two of its best defensive performances of the season against the Heat and Celtics, holding them to 99 and 96 points, respectively. The 115-point yield to Toronto marked the fourth consecutive game holding an opponent below Indiana’s season average of 118.3 points allowed per game, but the Pacers also have scored well short of their 110.6-point offensive average in the last two outings after netting 98 against Boston.
Such highs and lows are indicative of the reigning Eastern Conference champion’s growing pains in a season marred by injury. Indiana went into the season with All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton shelved due to an Achilles injury sustained in Game 7 of the NBA Finals in June. Obi Toppin has been sidelined since breaking his foot in October while Bennedict Mathurin has missed the last six games with a sprained right thumb.
The Pacers dropped 13 consecutive games from Dec. 12 through Jan. 6 — including a 128-109 decision in the previous matchup with New Orleans on Dec. 20. The team responded, however, with their recent win streak.
“We’re seeing some young guys make some real progress,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said following Wednesday’s contest. “That’s important. The three wins we had were uplifting and so we’re going to keep competing to win.”
Carlisle also said forward Pascal Siakam has played at “an All-Star level” with his team-leading averages of 23.6 points and 6.9 rebounds as well as 3.9 assists while suiting up for 40 of Indiana’s 41 games.
Siakam leads the Pacers into Friday’s matchup with a Pelicans team that, since winning five straight games Dec. 11-22, has gone just 2-11.
To spin things the other way, New Orleans owns a one-game winning streak thanks to Wednesday’s 116-113 defeat of Brooklyn — a home game in which Trey Murphy III eclipsed 30 points for the fourth time in his last five appearances. His 34 points against the Nets extended a run that began with a career-high 42 points on Jan. 6 in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Murphy’s breakout season has sparked a campaign for the fifth-year wing to earn his first All-Star Game selection. Murphy downplayed the topic when asked following his performance on Wednesday.
“It ain’t going to win games,” he said of making the All-Star lineup. “That’s just realistic. If you don’t win, you’re not rewarded with personal accolades. No matter how well I’m doing doesn’t really matter because we’re not winning games. As tough as it is, the biggest thing is winning games and that will come along as we progress.”
Murphy and forward Zion Williamson lead New Orleans, each scoring north of 22 points per game. Williamson went for 25 against Brooklyn, marking his fourth outing with more than 20 points in the last five games.
