The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off two days of rest, and while it’s not ideal to be out on the road immediately after Christmas, this young squad has handled road trips well so far this season. At 11-3, the Thunder is tied for the best record in the NBA away from home. On the other hand, the Pacers are quietly one of the hottest teams in the East right now, having won 5 straight and 6 of their last 7.
The Thunder has fared well in the absence of Chet Holmgren, primarily because of the addition of Isaiah Hartenstein to the lineup, but it will be a welcome sight when this squad gets to full strength. For the Pacers, they’re dealing with some injuries of their own as they’re unsure as to whether or not big man Myles Turner will be able to go tonight.
Tonight’s game is the first of a two-game road trip, but it is also the first of three games to be played in a 4-day span, so head coach Mark Daigneault may go deep into his bench to preserve some energy for the guys at the front of the roster. The Thunder is a deeper squad than Indiana, and regardless of who is on the floor, I believe OKC will have an advantage defensively that will give them the ability to win this game.
Game Details
Tip-Off: 6 PM CT
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Television: FanDuel TV
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live tweets and discussion during the game
Game Notes: Oklahoma City Thunder Official Game Notes, Indiana Pacers Official Game Notes
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Cason Wallace
- SF: Luguentz Dort
- PF: Jalen Williams
- C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Pacers
- PG: Tyrese Haliburton
- SG: Aaron Nembhard
- SF: Bennedict Mathurin
- PF: Pascal Siakam
- C: Myles Turner
Injury Report
Thunder
- Branden Carlson (concussion protocol) is OUT.
- Alex Caruso (strained left hip) is OUT.
- Alex Ducas (G League — two-way) is OUT.
- Adam Flagler (G League —two-way) is OUT.
- Chet Holmgren (fractured right iliac wing) is OUT.
- Nikola Topic (sprained left knee) is OUT.
Pacers
- Enrique Freeman (G League — two-way) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Isaiah Jackson (torn right achilles tendon) is OUT.
- Quenton Jackson (G League — two-way) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Aaron Nesmith (sprained left ankle) is OUT.
- Tristen Newton (G League — two-way) is QUESTIONABLE.
- Myles Turner (right oblique contusion) is QUESTIONABLE.
- James Wiseman (torn left achilles tendon) is OUT.
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 13-16 against the Pacers (8-5 at home, 5-11 on the road).
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder have won the season series against the Pacers 3 times, lost it 5 times, and tied 6 times.
- The Thunder lost the season series 0-2 last season (0-1 at home, 0-1 on the road).