The Indiana Pacers (45–31) are back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse tonight, riding high after a strong 119–105 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. It wasn’t the flashiest performance of the season, but it was exactly the kind of take-care-of-business game you want to see down the stretch.

Tyrese Haliburton was back to his orchestrating ways, dropping 22 points and 10 assists without committing a turnover. He has now passed Chris Paul and leads the NBA in 20-n'-10 games with zero turnovers. 

Even though Aaron Nesmith hasn't been quite as deadeye from three lately, he's also in a league of his own this season when it comes to efficiency.

Now, the Pacers welcome the Utah Jazz (16–61)—a team on the opposite end of the standings and in full tank mode. Utah has dropped seven straight, including a 143–105 drubbing at the hands of the Rockets just two nights ago. They’re limping into Indy without several key players, including Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and John Collins.

On paper, this one has all the makings of a get-in, get-out kind of night for the Pacers. But let’s be real: this is the NBA, and the second you start underestimating a struggling team is the moment they start raining threes and making things stressful in the fourth quarter.

The Pacers are currently fighting for seeding and home-court advantage, and every game counts. The magic number for home-court is four.

With just a handful of regular-season contests left and a need to get a bit of rest before the playoff grind begins, they can’t afford to let an easy one like this slip against a depleted Utah squad.

Injuries

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET.

TV: FanDuel Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

See ya in the comments!

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