The suddenly surging Pacers (21-19) continue their four-game homestand on Wednesday night, when they welcome the Miami Heat (22-17) to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Indiana entered this homestand mired in a five-game losing streak. But leading scorer Victor Oladipo, who had missed four games with a sore right knee, returned to the lineup for Saturday's game against Chicago and the Pacers rediscovered their swagger.
After a 39-point shellacking of the Bulls on Saturday, the Pacers dominated the Bucks early en route to a 109-96 victory on Monday night. Indiana reeled off a 20-0 run in the first quarter, forcing Milwaukee into eight turnovers and blocking five shots in the opening frame alone to race out to a 37-16 lead. The Bucks never seriously threatened the rest of the night.
While one might expect Oladipo to have handled the lion's share of the scoring for the Pacers — something he has done with regularity earlier in the season — the Pacers have instead enjoyed a balanced offensive attack in each of their past two wins.
Oladipo has only attempted 11 shots in each of the past two games, scoring 23 and then 15 points. But he's taken on more of a distributor role, racking up 14 assists over the last two contests and allowing other players to flourish.
Indiana's ball movement has been arguably as good as its been all season over the past two games, with the team averaging 27 assists over their last two contests. The Pacers have gotten plenty of production from the center position, with starter Myles Turner averaging 14 points and 5.5 rebounds and backup Domantas Sabonis adding 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game off the bench.
The Heat, meanwhile, are arguably the hottest team in the Eastern Conference. They've won four straight and seven of their last nine games to climb into playoff position, but they face a tough test on Tuesday night in Toronto before traveling to Indianapolis for the second night of a back-to-back.
Pacers: PG - Darren Collison, SG - Lance Stephenson, SF - Bojan Bogdanovic, PF - Thaddeus Young, C - Myles Turner
Heat: PG - Goran Dragic, SG - Tyler Johnson, SF - Josh Richardson, PF - Kelly Olynyk, C - Hassan Whiteside
Pacers: Glenn Robinson III - out (left ankle surgery rehabilitation), Edmond Sumner - out (left knee surgery rehabilitation)
Heat: Rodney McGruder - out (left tibia surgery), Okaro White - out (left foot surgery), Justise Winslow - out (left knee strain), Dion Waiters - out (left ankle sprain)
November 19, 2017: The Pacers dominated the Heat in Miami, rolling to a 120-95 victory. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 11 of his game-high 26 points in the third quarter and finished the evening 9-for-14 from the field and 6-for-10 from 3-point range.
"He's been in rhythm the last couple of games," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said of Bogdanovic. "We know what he's capable of doing."
Myles Turner added 25 points for Indiana on 11-of-14 shooting while also tallying seven rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.
Wayne Ellington led Miami with 21 points, going 7-for-12 from 3-point range. Hassan Whiteside and Josh Richardson each finished with 15 points.
The Pacers welcome Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »
TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 107.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.
