The Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers will meet for the second and final time of the regular season Tuesday night at 7:00 PM (EST) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Injury Report

Indiana Pacers: Ian Mahinmi – Questionable (ankle), Rodney Stuckey – Out (bone bruise).

Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin – Out (partially torn left quad tendon).

Last Meeting Between These Two

The Pacers and Clippers first met on Wednesday, December 2nd in Los Angeles, with the Pacers winning the game 103-91. This win was the sixth straight win for the Pacers at the time and the franchise’s 2,000th win. Paul George led the way with 31 points, four assists, 10 rebounds, and a monster dunk in this game. Rodney Stuckey added 18 points, two assists and five rebounds, while Ian Mahinmi had 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. For the Clippers, both Blake Griffin and Lance Stephenson ended with 19 points apiece.

Recent Play for the Pacers

The Pacers went 1-3 on their road trip last week, losing to the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. There only win from last week came against the Phoenix Suns where they won a close one, 97-94.

Indiana did not play their best last week. Losing to the Nuggets and letting them score 45 points in the fourth quarter. Only beating the Suns by three and letting them score 33 points in the fourth quarter. There is no shame in losing to the Warriors, but to lose to them and the Kings by double digits in back-to-back nights is not a good sign.

The two big positives from last week was the play of the rookies, Myles Turner and Joe Young. They both showed why the Pacers drafted them, giving the organization a glimpse into the future with these two being featured players. The Pacers are 4-6 in their last 10 games. Their record is 23-21 and they are sitting in sixth place in the Easter Conference. The Pacers are currently on a two-game losing streak.

Thoughts on the Clippers

The Clippers haven’t had Blake Griffin for quite some time now and are still playing good basketball. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games, and are currently sitting in the fourth place in the Western Conference with a 28-16 record.

Projected Starters

Indiana Pacers:

Point Guard George Hill (12.7 PPG, 3.2 AST)
Shooting Guard Monta Ellis (13.9 PPG, 5.0 AST)
Small Forward  Paul George (23.7 PPG, 7.2 REB)
Power Forward Lavoy Allen (5.5 PPG, 5.4 REB)
Center Jordan Hill (9.4 PPG, 7.1 REB)

Los Angeles Clippers:

Point Guard Chris Paul (18.6 PPG, 9.7 AST)
Shooting Guard J.J. Redick (16.4 PPG, 49.3 3PT%)
Small Forward Paul Pierce (5.7 PPG, 2.9 REB)
Power Forward Luc Mbah a Moute (3.0 PPG, 2.4 REB)
Center DeAndre Jordan (12.0 PPG, 13.3 REB)

Final Thoughts

The Pacers should come out eager and anxious to play the Clippers and get a win. Losing the past two games and not playing their best basketball as of late should motivate them to play with a sense of urgency. The Pacers also have had two days rest so they should have fresh legs, and on top of that they are back at home for a four-game homestand.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Alan Squier
Indiana Pacers & Philadelphia Eagles fan.