Tip-Off: 6 PM CT
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Television: Bally Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live-tweets and discussion during the game
The Oklahoma City Thunder put up a valiant effort against the Washington Wizards before falling 119-107 on Monday on the road. Tonight the Thunder wraps up a 4-game road trip as they take on the Indiana Pacers.
The Pacers have experienced a year of disappointment after finishing 4th in the East just a season ago. Primarily due to injuries, Indiana is just 26-31 on the season, putting them at 9th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Tonight’s matchup between the two teams will be missing a number of star players, most notably the continued absence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder, as well as Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and T.J. Warren for the Pacers. Still, I wouldn’t expect this game to be a close one. OKC isn’t exactly working hard to win games, and there’s only so much Mark Daigneault can do as a coach with a limited roster.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Théo Maledon
- SG: Luguentz Dort
- SF: Aleksej Pokuševski
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Moses Brown
Pacers
- PG: Malcolm Brogdon
- SG: Edmond Sumner
- SF: Justin Holiday
- PF: Caris LeVert
- C: Goga Bitadze
Injuries
Thunder
- Gabriel Deck is OUT (not with team).
- Luguentz Dort is QUESTIONABLE (strained right hip).
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is OUT (plantar fasciitis in right foot).
- Josh Hall is OUT (bilateral knee soreness).
- Mike Muscala is OUT (right ankle sprain).
- Isaiah Roby is OUT (sprained right great toe).
Pacers
- Goga Bitadze is QUESTIONABLE (sprained left ankle).
- Jeremy Lamb is QUESTIONABLE (sore left knee).
- Doug McDermott is QUESTIONABLE (sprained left ankle).
- Domantas Sabonis is OUT (sore lower back).
- Myles Turner is OUT (partial plantar plate tear in the right toe).
- T.J. Warren is OUT (stress fracture in left foot).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 11-12 against the Pacers (7-4 at home, 4-8 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Pacers 3 times, lost it 3 times, and tied 6 times.
- The Thunder lost the season series 0-2 (0-1at home, 0-1 on the road) last season.