Game Thread: Bulls vs Pacers

The Pacers are looking to score a hat trick of wins to start the season after finishing off a depleted Cavaliers team in Cleveland on Saturday. Back at home tonight, the Blue & Gold take on another familiar foe, the Chicago Players Only Meet... umm, Bulls – the Chicago Bulls.

Quick Notes from the Cavs Game

After the season opener, I wrote about the Pacers new defense and how it was effective against the Wizards, even if it didn't always look pretty. Now that the sample size has doubled, my opinion remains the same. In the Cavs game preview I noted how both teams would be trying to run each other off the three point line on defense, while taking as many threes as possible on offense. As you can see below, the Pacers got the better of that mini-contest.

Something else in that graphic that pops out to me is how the Pacers' concern with limiting threes is forcing opponents to drive, which in turn is resulting in a high frequency of shots at the rim. This is something to keep an eye on as the season progresses, but through two games the team has done a good job of contesting those close shots and not giving up easy buckets. Kudos to Tuner and Smith for doing their duty as defensive anchors.

Though the Pacers still have plenty to clean up defensively – ahem, looking at you Benn...

... the team is meeting its pre-season goal of being near the middle of the pack. It ranks 17th in defensive rating, 12th in EFG% against, and 20th in points per possession against.

What to Expect Tonight

Chicago's defense may not be prepared for Indy's breakneck offense. So far the Pacers have been nothing short of lights out offensively. It's fair to assume that the shooting percentages will come down to earth at some point, but Chicago has been very bad at getting stops in its first three games, so I wouldn't bet that water finds its level tonight.

Meanwhile, Chicago's offense hasn't been any better than its defense. Nevertheless, it should get a bit of break tonight considering how fast the Pacers play. LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic should all find plenty of space to operate and all three are more than capable of going off for big games.

In fact, when you looks at Chicago's splits between half-court and transition offensive efficiency, it's obvious that tonight's track meet will be a breath of fresh air for the Bulls.

Whether the Bulls have the firepower to keep up with the Pacers is an entirely different story. I don't know about you, but I get a little weak in the knees seeing all those orange 1s and 2s next to the Pacers' stats.

Lineup Watch

Carlisle switched up the minute distribution between games 1 and 2, riding the hot hands in both contests. Against Cleveland, Nesmith's scoring outburst earned him a big bump in minutes and TJ McConnell found himself back in the rotation. Mathurin was the big loser of the night, seeing about 10 fewer minutes than he did in the season opener.

As I posted in the comment section, I believe that lineups will be determined on a game-to-game basis this year, depending on what the team needs to win – and that's absolutely how it should be. Frankly, we're lucky to have 1) the depth to be that malleable and 2) players mature enough to understand that sometimes taking a back seat is the best way to help the team.

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 7:00 PM ET.

TV: Bally Sports Indiana, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan