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Match
Super Bowl Sunday falls just over a quarter of the NBA season, but the Pacers still find themselves facing some elite competition on the day of the big game. Indiana (12-11) will host the current top team in the NBA, the Utah Jazz (18-5) Sunday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Jazz have the best record in the league and have lost only once last month. Utah claimed 11 straight wins before falling to Denver on Jan.31, then rebounded with three more wins in Sunday’s contest. Jazz weren’t just winning, they dominated, with 13 of their 14 wins in the past month in double digits.
All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert are the two anchors of a Utah team that ranks fourth in the offensive standings (115.7 points per 100 possessions) and third in the defensive standings (107 , 4). 6-foot guard Mitchell is averaging 23.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 41.5 percent from 3 points. 7-foot center Gobert averages 13.1 points and 13.4 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the field and ranks second behind Myles Turner of Indiana in blocks, at 2.7 per game.
The Pacers, meanwhile, are hoping to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. Indiana never led in a resounding loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday and trailed by 18 in the third quarter of Friday’s game against New Orleans before putting on a memorable rally.
A unit of starting forward Justin Holiday and four reservists sparked a rally in the fourth quarter with their infectious energy and a barrage of 3-point shots. The squad actually took the lead halfway through the finals and head coach Nate Bjorkgren rode with them rather than send his starters back to the game. The Blue & Gold had 10 to 3 points in the lone fourth quarter, but managed a rebound in a 114-113 loss to the Pelicans.
The hope is that the spark ignited on this comeback carries over to Sunday’s contest. Look for rebound games from top scorers Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis, who managed just 21 points against New Orleans while sitting all the fourth quarter, their lowest combined result of any game this season.
Projected starters
Pacers: PG – Malcolm Brogdon, SG – Jeremy Lamb, SF – Justin Holiday, PF – Domantas Sabonis, C – Myles Turner
Jazz: PG – Mike Conley, SG – Donovan Mitchell, SF – Brandon Ingram, PF – Royce O’Neale, C – Rudy Gobert
Injury report
Pacers: Brian Bowen II – absent (G League bidirectional contract), Jalen Lecque – absent (G League assignment), Caris LeVert – absent (medical condition), Cassius Stanley – absent (G League bidirectional contract), TJ Warren – absent (stress fracture of left foot)
Jazz: Udoka Azubuike – absent (League G assignment), Trent Forrest – absent (two-way contract from League G), Elijah Hughes – withdrawn (sprained left ankle)
Last meeting
January 20, 2020: The Pacers fell to Jazz in Utah for the second straight night, 118-88. The loss ended a five-game winning streak for Indiana.
“Just one of those nights,” Pacers center Myles Turner said after the loss. “Some people call it a waste of time, but I think they came out and they moved the ball really well, forced our defense to work and we weren’t hitting punches, so that’s a recipe for disaster. . “
Turner led Indiana with 12 points, five rebounds and six steals in the loss. Aaron Holiday added 12 points off the bench, Jeremy Lamb had 11 points and four rebounds, and Domantas Sabonis had 10 points and eight tables.
Donovan Mitchell had 25 points, a high on 11 of 19 shots, for the Jazz, who have never lagged en route to a 30-point victory. Rudy Gobert added 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Bojan Bogdanovic scored 16 points.
Remarkable
- Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic spent two seasons in Indiana from 2017-19. The Croatian sniper averages 16.1 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 41.3 percent from 3 points with the Blue & Gold, missing only a total of three games over two seasons.
- The Pacers have won back-to-back games and six of their last eight home games against Utah.
- Myles Turner is 15 blocks from 800 shots in his career.
Tickets
A limited number of tickets for all of the Pacers’ upcoming home games from Jan. 24 to March 4 are now on sale. Tickets for a game “Health and safety instructions”
Health screening
Are you coming to the game? To ensure the screening process is swift and transparent, fans should complete the Ascension St. Vincent “Screen & Go” online health screening prior to arrival and show confirmation prior to entering. Fieldhouse. Those who do not have a smartphone must perform the same verbal screening before being allowed entry. Adults accompanying young children will be required to answer screening questions on behalf of the children. Comprehensive health screening “
Information on television and radio broadcasts »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (reporter / host)
Radio: 93.5 / 107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (reporter / host)
Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard at 1080 AM instead of 1070.
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