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Clippers vs Pacers Preview: Showdown in Indy
The Clippers begin a very difficult stretch of their schedule with a trip to Indiana to visit the high-flying Pacers.
Game Information
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
When: 4:00 PM PT
How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: James Harden – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Terance Mann – Ivica Zubac
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton – Buddy Hield – Bruce Brown – Obi Toppin – Myles Turner
Injuries
Clippers: Mason Plumlee Out (Knee), Moussa Diabate Out (Hip), Bones Hyland Questionable (Knee)
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton Questionable (Knee), Andrew Nembhard Doubtful (Knee), Jalen Smith Doubtful (Heel)
The Big Picture
The Clippers have won seven games in a row, vaulting them into the middle of the Western Conference playoff race. Their play has been strong on both sides of the ball, and the Clippers have received positive contributions across the roster. It has been the revamped starting lineup that has been the biggest driver of success, with 225 minutes across 15 games (exactly 15 minutes per game on average) and a dominant 15.2 Net Rating. Another lineup that has been insanely effective (albeit in just 48 minutes across 10 games) is the “Normcore” unit with Norm Powell in place of Terance Mann, which has a Net Rating of 25.2. Really, just about every Clipper who is logging minutes is giving something positive right now, and the whole team has to be feeling good.
The Antagonist
Despite their success in the In-Season Tournament, the Pacers’
2024 campaign taken as a whole is much more of a mixed bag. Despite having the
best offense in the NBA (tied with the Sixers, who have feasted on terrible
opponents lately) the Pacers rank only 13-11 due to having the second-worst
defense in the entire league. They have the worst defense by far of any team that
is considered “good”, and will never amount to much more than “good” if they
don’t improve on that end. Tyrese Haliburton is a superstar, which is the most
important thing the Pacers have going for them, and they can absolutely win any
game in which he plays. The rest of the team is plenty dangerous as well, with
Hield a knockdown shooter, and Bennedict Mathurin a constant threat to score
off the bench (though the rest of his game is not great). Bruce Brown. Really
though, Hali is the Pacers’ alpha and omega, and he is tough for any team.
Notes
Set the Pace: The Pacers rank first in the NBA in pace, playing around 104.58 possessions per game on average. The only team that’s close is the Wizards, who barely play NBA basketball at this point. The Clippers, meanwhile, despite talk in preseason about playing faster, are 22nd in the NBA in pace at 98.75 possessions per game. The Pacers will want to fly up and down the court and take quick shots, and while the Clippers are deadly in transition and have a very good offense as well, they should want to slow the game down, be deliberate, and methodically hunt the Pacers on defense. Speaking of….
Attack, Attack: The Clippers should not settle against the Pacers. Bruce Brown is a solid defender, but he’s way undersized on Kawhi Leonard or Paul George. Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton will have no shot at all. The Pacers will likely try to hide Hali on Terance Mann or the Clippers’ weakest offensive player, and the Clippers need to seek him out and make him work on defense. The best way to stop the Pacers is to get them into foul trouble, and the Clippers have just the guys to do it. While the Clippers should be able to create open looks on the perimeter all game, they need to keep attacking the rim, especially when Myles Turner is off the court. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be scoring at will against the Pacers.