It is a clash of the two number four seeds across both conferences of the NBA on Thursday as the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers go head to head at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The home side are on a tear at the moment, having won each of their last five matches, while the visitors are in need of a pick-me-up off the back of three consecutive defeats.
Match preview
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After drawing the curtain on February with four victories from their final five matches, the Indiana Pacers needed some time to get going in March following a 2-4 record from their opening six encounters.
A dramatic 115-114 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks, where Tyrese Haliburton completed a late four-point play to spark wild celebrations at full time, has since sparked a revival for Rick Carlisle's men, who have won seven of their last eight outings.
One week on from the sides' earlier meeting at the Target Center, the Pacers claimed a comprehensive 119-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday to complete a series sweep for the campaign.
The Pacers were in the ascendancy from the first whistle and won each of the opening three quarters to deservingly hold a whopping 22-point advantage heading into the final 12 minutes, during which they were outscored by six.
Haliburton was on song once again as he notched a game-high 24 points and 11 assists in just under 30 minutes of action for his 11th straight points-assist double-double spanning over the last month.
Two wins clear of the Bucks in fifth place, the Pacers are slowly pulling away from their Wisconsin counterparts in the race for fourth place and are increasingly bearing down on the New York Knicks in third.
Thursday's affair is the final instalment of a five-game homestretch for the home side, after which they head to the Capital One Arena and PayCom Center to face off against the Washington Wizards and the Oklahoma City Thunder in their final two matches of the month.
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Fresh from their heaviest loss of the season against the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers fell to a 118-106 defeat against the Orlando Magic when the teams locked horns at Amway Center on Tuesday.
JJ Redick's men battled hard to go into the interval with a narrow two-point lead, but a disastrous third-quarter display saw them head into the final stretch trailing by 14 points, and they could only manage to make up 2 of the 14-point deficit.
Recording yet another 20-point first half, Luka Doncic led the way in scoring for the Lakers with 32 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while LeBron James notched 20 points in his second game back from a groin issue.
Now 43-28 for the campaign, the Lakers are beginning to fall off the pace in the race to finish second in the Western Conference and now trail the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets by three wins and two wins respectively, albeit with games in hand on both teams.
In the second of a four-game road trip, Thursday's visitors will be keen to get themselves back to winning ways on enemy territory, where they have not won since beating the Denver Nuggets in late February.
However, the Lakers are 7-3 across their last 10 matches against the Pacers and will have every reason to believe they can come out on top in Indianapolis ahead of trips to Chicago and Tennessee.
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Team News
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Germany international Maxi Kleber is still about two weeks away from returning to action for the Lakers after missing the last seven weeks of action due to a foot surgery.
Having just recovered from a knee problem, Rui Hachimura was placed on a minutes restriction last time out and could feature in only a limited capacity once again.
Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson is a guaranteed absentee here due to an Achilles problem which will keep him out of action for the remainder of the season.
Bennedict Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton shook off injury concerns to suit up against the Timberwolves, and the guard duo will be expected to take part for the home side in Thursday's clash.
Indiana Pacers possible starting five:
Haliburton, Nembhard; Nesmith, Siakam; Turner
Los Angeles Lakers possible starting five:
Doncic, Reaves; Finney-Smith, James; Hayes
We say: Pacers to win by 6+ points
The Pacers have the momentum heading into this one, and coupled with the added advantage of playing on home court, we are tipping them to get the job done at the end of the 48 minutes.
Adepoju Marvellous
