|
 Atlanta’s two wins come on the heels of a three-game slide that
included a 111-92 loss at Indiana on Jan. 28. The Hawks looked a lot
like the team that finished first in the Eastern Conference last
season in the last two contests, especially during a 124-86 victory
over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday that saw eight players
score in double figures. The Pacers had dropped six of seven before
beating Atlanta in that Jan. 28 meeting, which kicked off a stretch
of three wins in the last four games. The lone loss in that span
came in overtime against the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, and
Indiana bounced back by opening their two-game road trip with a
114-100 win at Brooklyn on Wednesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Indiana, FSN Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE PACERS (26-23): Indiana’s inconsistencies in the win
column have something to do with their inconsistencies shooting from
the outside, and C.J. Miles gave the team a nice boost on Wednesday.
The veteran small forward started the season hot but had not reached
20 points since before Christmas and was held to single digits in
seven straight prior to breaking out for 27 points on 10-of-15
shooting against the Nets. "That's who he is, he goes in and out,”
Pacers coach Frank Vogel told reporters of Miles. “He slumps at
times but it usually comes back around, and when he gets going, he's
pretty unstoppable. He had a great performance."
ABOUT THE HAWKS (29-22): Atlanta has its own streaky shooter in
guard Kyle Korver, who is shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range
after draining 45.7 percent or better in each of his first three
seasons with Atlanta. Korver followed up a scoreless performance at
Miami on Sunday by burying 4-of-7 from beyond the arc on Monday but
did not get much of a chance to find a rhythm in 19 minutes at
Philadelphia on Wednesday. The veteran is 3-of-18 from the field in
two games against Indiana this season, including 1-of-15 from
3-point range.
[to top of second column] |
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pacers C Ian Mahinmi (back) sat out his third straight game on
Wednesday and is questionable for Friday.
2. Hawks C Tiago Splitter (hip) sat out the last two games and
remains day-to-day.
3. Atlanta took all three meetings last season but Indiana took the
first two in 2015-16 – both at home.
PREDICTION: Pacers 102, Hawks 101
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
