Game Preview: Pacers vs Hawks
Matchup
The Pacers (11-6) will look to sweep a four-game homestand when they host the Atlanta Hawks (4-14) on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
With Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb back in the starting backcourt, Indiana's offense has been firing on all cylinders lately. The Blue & Gold have shot over 50 percent from the field in three straight contests and scored 111 or more points in four consecutive games.
The Hawks were considered by some to be a darkhorse contender for a playoff spot this season thanks to their young core, but things haven't gone as planned in the ATL. The Hawks have won just two of their last 13 contests and enter Friday's game mired in an eight-game losing streak.
The one bright spot for the Hawks this season has been the stellar play of second-year point guard Trae Young. The fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft looks like a potential All-Star, ranking sixth in the NBA in scoring at 26.7 points per game and third in assists at 8.6 per contest.
Noteworthy
- The Pacers have won five straight home games against Atlanta. The Hawks' last win at Bankers Life Fieldhouse was on Nov. 23, 2016.
- Indiana won all four games against the Hawks last season, sweeping the season series with Atlanta for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign.
- Hawks forward Vince Carter is in his 22nd NBA season, the most seasons played in league history. Should the 42-year-old Carter appear in any games in 2020, he will be the first player ever to play an NBA game in four different decades.
Projected Starters
