Pacers and Hornets cross paths in the midst of losing streaks. In a silver lining for the Charlotte Hornets and the Indiana Pacers, one of these teams grappling with setbacks will emerge victorious when they face off on Wednesday night in Indianapolis. The downside? Indiana is on a four-game losing streak, while Charlotte is enduring a five-game slide.
Despite topping the NBA charts in scoring with an impressive average of 127.4 points per game, the Pacers find themselves at 13-12 and face the looming threat of slipping to a .500 record. Adding to their challenges, they also concede an NBA-worst 127 points per game.
In a Monday night clash against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, the Pacers surrendered a minimum of 37 points in each quarter, resulting in a 151-127 defeat.
Where to watch Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets
- Date: December 20, 2023
- Time: 7 PM ET
- Place: Indianapolis
- Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
- TV channel: Bally Sports
- Live stream: Fubo
- NBA League Pass
Injury report
For the Pacers, Nembhard and Smith will not be playing the game due to knee and heel injuries, respectively. Besides, Turner is also questionable to appear in the game due to a hamstring injury. As for the Hornets, Ball (ankle injury), Bridges (illness), Hayward (illness), Martin (knee injury), Mensah (personal reasons), Ntilikina (knee injury), and Williams (back injury) will be sitting this one out.
Key matchups
In Monday’s game, Charlotte deployed its 10th unique starting lineup of the season, welcoming back P.J. Washington after a two-game absence due to a sore shoulder. His return added excitement, and he achieved a 3-point milestone by sinking the 500th long ball of his career.
In Monday’s game, a brief sequence featured the simultaneous presence of three Charlotte rookies on the court. Brandon Miller secured a starting position, while Nick Smith Jr. and Leaky Black made their contributions coming off the bench.
The Hornets face challenges in the interior matchups against several opponents, especially in the absence of center Mark Williams due to a back injury. Their struggle in rebounding was evident in the Toronto game, where they posted a minus-15 margin.
Charlotte makes its second trip to Indiana this season. In the initial encounter in early November, the Hornets secured a narrow 125-124 victory, with Williams leading the charge with 27 points. On the Indiana side, Mathurin contributed only eight points in that game, while Haliburton delivered an impressive 43-point performance, marking his second-highest point production of the season.
After a challenging outing against the Clippers, Haliburton logged a season-low eight points in 31 minutes, fueling his motivation to bounce back and regain his scoring rhythm.
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