Matchup
Winners of three straight and five of the last six, the Pacers (36-24) are headed to Texas to take on the San Antonio Spurs for the first time this season at AT&T Center. The Spurs (25-33) are the final team Indiana has yet to play at least once this season.
The Spurs are struggling as of late, winning just three games in their past 10 outings. The recent skid has dropped the Spurs into 10th place in the Western Conference — three games behind the current eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
However, with legendary head coach Gregg Popovich spearheading the squad, Indiana shouldn't sleep on San Antonio. Armed with five experienced veterans boasting a combined 58 years of NBA experience, the Spurs will be prepared for the bout.
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10-year NBA veteran DeMar DeRozan leads the scoring attack for San Antonio. The 6-foot-7 guard from USC is averaging 22.6 points per game while shooting 53.0 percent from the field. On Jan. 29 in a win against the Utah Jazz, DeRozan reached 16,000 career points. Only six league players have scored more since he was drafted in 2009.
In addition, the Spurs are looking to get back the talents of 13-year NBA veteran LaMarcus Aldridge (18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds per game) for their battle against the Blue & Gold. Aldridge, the team's leading 3-point shooter, has been sidelined the past two games with a right shoulder strain.
Meanwhile, after picking up a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers to start their five-game road trip, the Pacers are seeking a repeat performance from their starting five. All starters finished in double figures, with both Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner picking up double-doubles. Victor Oladipo also appears to be steadily improving after finishing with a season-high 19 points on Saturday. If this trend continues, Indiana could be well on the path to capturing a coveted top-four seed and home court for the 2019-20 NBA playoffs.
Projected Starters
Malcolm Brogdon
Victor Oladipo
T.J. Warren
Domantas Sabonis
Myles Turner
Dejounte Murray
Bryn Forbes
DeMar DeRozan
Rudy Gay
Trey Lyles
Pacers: PG - Malcolm Brogdon, SG - Victor Oladipo, SF - T.J. Warren, PF - Domantas Sabonis, C - Myles Turner
Spurs: PG - Dejounte Murray, SG - Bryn Forbes, SF - DeMar DeRozan, PF - Rudy Gay, C - Trey Lyles
Injury Report
Pacers: Jeremy Lamb - out (torn left ACL)
Spurs: LaMarcus Aldridge - doubtful (right shoulder strain), Jakob Poeltl - out (right MCL sprain)
Last Meeting
November 23, 2018: Missing two starters, the Pacers fell short against the Spurs, 111-100, in an early season matchup at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. By the third quarter, the Spurs had built a 20-point lead, and the shorthanded Pacers failed to climb back before time expired.
With nine minutes left, a TJ Leaf dunk cut the Spurs' lead to just 11 points. But out of a San Antonio timeout, the Spurs used an 8-0 run using 3-pointers from Bryn Forbes and Rudy Gay. The spree essentially put the game on ice.
Missing Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner, LaMarcus Aldridge had a monster night at the rim, tallying 33 points and 14 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan also finished with 17 points, while Rudy Gay notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards. Gay also finished with a team-high seven assists.
Bojan Bogdanovic finished as the Blue & Gold's leading scorer with 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while Domantas Sabonis tallied a double-double, finishing with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Cory Joseph led all players off the bench with 18 points and seven assists.
Noteworthy
- Indiana has won at San Antonio in each of the last two seasons after losing 14 of its previous 15 road games at San Antonio from 2003-17.
- The Pacers' 20-point win at San Antonio on Oct 24, 2018 was their largest road win over the Spurs in the history of their series in the NBA.
- The Spurs and Pacers first met on Oct. 13, 1973 in Indianapolis when both teams played in the ABA.
- Former Spur Larry Kenon recorded the first NBA opponent triple-double in Pacer history in 1979.
Tickets
After a five-game road trip, the Pacers return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »
Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5/107.5 FM/1070 AM The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)