Atlanta Hawks at Indiana Pacers Preview

Coming off a 91-89 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Indiana Pacers will be looking to finally get back to their winning ways on Thursday night as they face off against the Atlanta Hawks.

Last Meeting

The Hawks and Pacers last met on December 28th in Indianapolis. The Pacers were able to cool off the Hawks with a 93-87 victory, ending the Hawks' six-game winning streak.

Monta Ellis led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field. Paul George really struggled as he finished with nine points on 3-of-14 shooting. Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 24 points and seven rebounds.

The Pacers struggles to close out games almost cost them that game. At halftime, the Pacers led by 12 after outscoring the Hawks 31-13 in the second quarter. The Hawks made their push in the second half, having had the deficit cut to three with under a minute to go in the game. The game ultimately came down to the Pacers defense, which rose to the occasion. George Hill came up with a huge steal, which went on to spark the Pacers to a five point lead courtesy of a Ian Mahinmi tip in.

The Pacers defense will need to be solid. Last time they forced 22 turnovers against the Hawks. The defense has to make sure they know where the shooters like Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague are at. They went a combined 4-of-18 from the field in the last matchup. The Pacers can't expect them to shoot that bad again on Thursday night.

New Faces This Time Around

Both teams will look a little different this game. The Pacers have some different players in their rotation. The last time the Hawks and Pacers met, Myles Turner (hand) and C.J. Miles (sore back) didn't play for the Pacers. The Hawks were without a few bench players, as well. Justin Holiday and Shelvin Mack both didn't play (coach's decision). On Thursday, the Hawks will be fully healthy.

Recent Play

Indiana is coming into this game having lost three straight games, while Atlanta is riding a measly one game losing streak. The most recent losses by both teams have come at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers.