The Indiana Pacers visit the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, having won three of their last five games. They are out of playoff contention with an 18-58 record but have shown signs of life in recent weeks.
The Hornets, meanwhile, come into this game hoping to defend their No. 8 position in the Eastern Conference. They have won two games on the bounce and come into this one after a 127-120 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
That win gave them a .5 game lead over the No. 9 Orlando Magic as they hope to continue their form and rise further in the standings. The two teams also have very contrasting outlooks when it comes to injuries.
The Hornets had listed only PJ Hall as questionable for their last game. However, the Pacers have a range of absentees, although Charlotte may take notice particularly of Pascal Siakam, who has been on a tear in recent games.
Siakam scored 25 points in the win over Chicago and had a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds against the Miami Heat. However, he has been listed as only probable as he nurses a right knee injury. Siakam is only one of the several Indiana players who find themselves on the official injury list.
Pascal Siakam’s injury status vs. Hornets
Siakam has played in each of Indiana’s last six games, during which they have gone 3-3. His probable designation suggests that he will once again be raring to go, although Siakam only played slightly more than 21 minutes in the win over Chicago.
Regardless, Indiana is without multiple core contributors, including Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles tear), Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, and Jarace Walker, leaving Siakam as the primary offensive engine. They have still shown signs of offensive rhythm, posting their two highest scoring outputs of the season (145 and 135 points) in recent contests.
Siakam has led Indiana in scoring in four of the last five games and is likely to be the main man once again against Charlotte. The Hornets enter at 41-36 and have won seven of their last nine games.
They are firmly in the Eastern Conference play-in picture and are battling to avoid slipping into the 9/10 game, making this a must-win. The Hornets lead the NBA in total three-pointers made and rank fifth in offensive rating (118.2) while also sitting third in second-chance points (17.5 per game) and fifth in rebounding (46.2 per game).
Brandon Miller (20.3 PPG), LaMelo Ball (19.7 PPG, 7.0 APG), and rookie Kon Knueppel (18.9 PPG) have all played key roles alongside the likes of Miles Bridges (17.1 PPG) and Coby White (15.7 PPG off the bench). Knueppel has also been on a tear in recent games and his distance shooting should once again cause problems for Indiana.
Still, Indiana holds a 2-1 edge in the season series although the most recent game between the two teams ended in a 133-109 win for the Hornets. Brandon Miller returned with 33 points from that contest.
Pacers injury report
Pascal Siakam — Probable (right knee; injury management)
Obi Toppin — Probable (right foot; injury management)
Jalen Slawson — Doubtful (G League; two-way)
Tyrese Haliburton — Out (right Achilles tendon tear)
Andrew Nembhard — Out (cervical and lumbar soreness)
T.J. McConnell — Out (right hamstring soreness)
Aaron Nesmith — Out (cervical strain)
Jarace Walker — Out (lower back bruise)
Johnny Furphy — Out (right knee; ACL tear)
Ivica Zubac — Out (rib fracture)
Hornets injury report
Not yet submitted
