The Pacers have embarked on a six game road trip, beginning tonight in Atlanta before heading out West. The Hawks are another familiar foe, having faced them twice already.

In the previous two matchups, the Pacers put up historic offensive numbers, breaking 150 points on both occasions. Unfortunately, the Blue & Gold will be without their conductor, Tyrese Haliburton, for the second straight game. Can we expect the same level of offensive excellence without him? Basketball brains smarter than mine are skeptical.

Against the Wizards, the Pacers certainly struggled to score like the normally do – especially against a defense as bad as Washington's. They ranked in the 38th percentile in points per possession and 20th percentile in eFG%. Nevertheless, they put forth enough of a team effort to get the job done.

Out of the many reasons it hurts to see Haliburton sidelined, it's a shame because the Pacers were on an amazing run. Over the past 10 games, they were top-5 in net efficiency according to Kirk Goldsberry. Hopefully that middle of the pack defense is here to stay.

Behind that strong play, more Pacers are getting recognition from national pundits. Charles Barkley even gave Myles Turner a much deserved shout out for All-Star consideration – which after everything Myles has been through, is music to my ears.

In other news, the trade chatter is heating up. The latest report is that the Pacers are very serious about acquiring Siakam but are not willing to include Mathurin or Walker in the deal.

Injuries

The Pacers are relatively healthy, with only Haliburton and Walker ruled out.

Speaking of Haliburton, he seemed to be moving encouragingly well during shoot around.

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 7:30 PM ET.

TV: Bally Sports Indiana, NBA League Pass

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

See ya in the comments.

Tagged in:

Game Thread