The Indiana Pacers (9-10) host the Detroit Pistons (8-12) tonight at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in a pivotal Emirates NBA Cup matchup. Sorry that's the tryptophan speaking. It's actually not terribly pivotal for the Pacers, as they are all but eliminated from the NBA Cup race after dropping their first two matches.

However, the Pistons are sitting at 2-0 and have the knockout stage in their sights. A Pistons win secures their spot in the next round, while a Pacers loss would eliminate them from the tournament. So, perhaps there is something pivotal at stake: playing spoiler to a bitter rival.

The Pacers have dominated recent meetings, winning five straight against the Pistons, including a 115-109 victory on October 23. In that game, Myles Turner led with 20 points, while Pascal Siakam and Bennedict Mathurin each added 19. 

Indiana enters the game on a three-game winning streak, with victories over Washington, New Orleans, and Portland. Conversely, Detroit has hit a rough stretch, going 1-4 over their last five. Cade Cunningham has missed three games with a left sacroiliac joint sprain, though both he and Tobias Harris will be available tonight.

The numbers say that the Pacers should have a scoring advantage against the offensively challenged Pistons, but that the athleticism and length of our opponents should cause us some problems defensively and on the glass. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of writing some version of that phrase in every game thread.

Injuries

How to Watch

Tipoff is at 8:00 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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