Game PreviewAfter a disappointing home loss to the Pistons the Cavs hit the road for their second game against the Indiana Pacers, who are sporting the NBA’s worst record at 6-30. To make matters worse, the Pacers have lost 12 in a row and Benedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin are out.
Mathurin is their second leading scorer at 18 ppg and Toppin averages 14 so between them the Pacers need to make up 32 points and 13 rebounds per game.
The Pacers lost Tyrese Haliburton to injury in the Finals last year and Myles Turner left in free agency so with Mathurin and Toppin also out they’re a shell of the team that ran the Cavs out of the playoffs last spring.
They still have some good players in Pascal Siakam (24/7/4), Andrew Nembhard (17/2/7) and Aaron Nesmith (15 points, 5 rebounds), but they’re pretty thin after that. In their last game Micah Potter (6’9”, 248) started at center. He averages 8 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes. Johnny Furphy (6’8”, 200) started at guard. He averages 4.5 points in 14 minutes.
As a team the Pacers are 28th in points per game and 24th in scoring defense. They’re last in effective field goal percentage, 29th in 3-point percentage, and 24th in offensive rebound percentage. Just not a lot of firepower other than Siakam, Nesmith, and Nembhard. Of course they'll probably have some two-way guy who's been playing in the G League who will come off the bench and score 25 like Jenkins from the Pistons.
Defensively they are very good at defending 3-point shots, ranking 2nd in opponents’ 3-point percentage. As a result their opponents don’t shoot a lot of 3’s; only two teams defend fewer. The Pacers are 27th in opponents’ 2-point percentage and they are especially bad at defending the mid-range shot, ranking 28th. They’re average at defending the rim.
If I’m Kenny Atkinson I’m telling the guys to attack the rim and pull up for mid-range shots or floaters if you can’t get to the rim. Avoid 3’s, especially early in the clock. The Pacers move well and have pretty good length as their starters are 6’4”, 6’5”, 6’8”, 6’8”, and 6’9”. Journeyman center Jay Huff (7’1”) comes off the bench.
The Cavs beat the Pacers in Cleveland on Nov. 21 by a 120-109 score. Mathurin scored 21 points and got 7 boards but he’s out. The Cavs did not have Allen or Merrill. Donovan Mitchell is getting a rest day. As of Monday night Allen and Wade are game time decisions.
Injury Report
CLEVELAND
Jarrett Allen - QUESTIONABLE (illness)
Dean Wade - QUESTIONABLE (knee)
Larry Nance Jr - OUT (calf)
Max Strus - OUT (foot)
Donovan Mitchell - OUT (rest)
INDIANA
Benedict Mathurin - OUT (thumb)
Isaiah Jackson - OUT (concussion)
Obi Toppin - OUT (foot)
Tyrese Haliburton - OUT (achilles)