The Indiana Pacers host the New Orleans Pelicans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday.
The Pelicans (16-25) have won two of their last three games, as they continue to revive their season. After a nightmare 0-8 start, New Orleans has been playing .500 ball since, as their talented core finally seems to be gelling and getting healthy. That horrible start was mainly due to the fact that Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday were missing, with both players playing some great ball right now. Anthony Davis has been his ridiculous self too, as he ranks second in scoring, second in blocks and sixth in rebounding. No one doubts Davis’ ability on the floor, but fans need to see him stay healthy along with those other two guards if they want to be a true threat to reach the playoffs. In fact, the Pelicans find themselves within two games of that eight-seed in the west and they are arguably the most talented team among those that are battling for that final spot.
The Pacers (20-19) come into this matchup winning five of their last seven games, with the one loss coming in unfortunate circumstances. It was their most recent game actually, as they had to play the Denver Nuggets in London, England. The trip obviously didn’t treat Indiana well, as they allowed the Nuggets to drop 140 points on them in an ugly 28-point loss. It’s hard to know if that trip wore them down or gave them rest, as it was their only game in over a week. In any case, they’ll surely be happy to be home in their friendly confines, as they desperately need to get back on a winning streak. They need more from Paul George too, as he’s been in a bit of a slump over recent weeks. If George isn’t playing at an MVP level, the Pacers won’t be the elite team everyone expected them to be at the beginning of the season.
