Indiana Pacers - Denver Nuggets Preview

The Indiana Pacers (22-18) travel to the Pepsi Center looking to get back on track against the Denver Nuggets (15-25) in their first of four straight road games. The Pacers have dropped two straight, including Friday night’s 118-104 loss to the Washington Wizards at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Allowing their opponents to score in large numbers has been an issue for Pacers Head Coach Frank Vogel and his team. Recent injuries and an inconsistent defense have forced Vogel to flirt with his starting lineup. In a season in which Pacers fans expected to see a revamped team with a small ball attitude, they have often seen Vogel go to Lavoy Allen and a traditional lineup to start and end games.

The Nuggets enter Sunday’s game coming off a 98-95 home loss to the Miami Heat, as they held the Nuggets to just 33 points in the second half. However, the Nuggets have now won three of their last five games - including a win over the Golden State Warriors. With a young, athletic roster, the Nuggets have shown glimpses of great basketball. However, they struggle to be consistent on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. While the Nuggets have been inconsistent thus far this season, they have been consistent against Indiana in recent history. The Nuggets are 17-4 against the Pacers since 2004-05 and an even better 9-1 at home.

One area of focus for tonight’s game will be how both teams come out in the first quarter. Denver has been hot in the first quarter as of late, averaging 32.3 points in their last four games. If they can get off to a good start at home and set the tempo, it will make it tough for Paul George and the Pacers to battle back. The Pacers, on the other hand, have been getting off to slow starts all season. They have been better in their last four games averaging 25 points in the first. The Pacers will need to show some energy early to keep this one from getting out of hand.

Another key to keep an eye on will be Will Barton. Barton has been fantastic off the bench this year for the Nuggets, averaging 15.8 PPG and is playing his way into consideration for Sixth Man of the Year. It’s hard to tell who will be guarding Barton as Frank Vogel has been rotating Chase Budinger, Solomon Hill and Glenn Robinson III off the bench at the small forward position. With the Pacers searching for an answer to stop Barton, do not be surprised to see Solomon Hill off the bench early as he excels on the defensive end.

The Pacers will be without Rodney Stuckey tonight, which will be a huge detriment to the bench. Stuckey averages 9.8 PPG this season which is almost a third of the bench’s offense. In order to fill in that gap, look for Jordan Hill and Myles Turner to step up and carry the offensive load for the second unit. Hill is averaging 9.3 PPG and 7.2 RPG this season and has been extraordinary off the bench. During Turner’s injury, Hill stepped up and played as consistent as any big man on the roster. Myles Turner is now getting back into rhythm as he has scored 9 and 10 points in the last two games, respectively.