Two of the brightest young teams in the game face off this evening, when the Pacers host the Magic. Both teams are having break out seasons after three consecutive years of drafting in the lottery. Moreover, both teams are led by players most assume will be the faces of the league – if not team USA – in the near future.

Where the parallels end, however, is when we talk about style. In fact, the Magic and the Pacers are polar opposites.

The Pacers score, the Magic defend. Whether the game is high-scoring or low-scoring, will likely decide the winner.

As such, tonight should be a battle of wills – though perhaps not in all the ways you suspect. The Pacers want to limit opponents three point attempts and force them inside. The Magic will be all too happy to oblige, as they shoot poorly and want to get as close to the rim as possible.

Where the Pacers will have to impose themselves is in the pace of the game. The Magic simply cannot keep up with the Pacers scoring if this game turns into a track meet. The other area the Pacers need to take charge – and stop me if you've heard this before – is on the boards. While the Magic aren't accurate offensively, they are excellent at creating second chance opportunities. The Pacers were fantastic in the second game against Philly after being dominated on the glass in previous outing. Keeping that same energy tonight could be make or break.

Injuries

Nebmhard is out but, as of now, Bruce Brown and Jalen Smith appear to be playing.

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 5:00 PM ET.

TV: Bally Sports Indiana, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

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