Preview: Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder - prediction, team news, form guide

The Indiana Pacers volition beryllium looking to unafraid a sixth triumph connected the bounce erstwhile they invited the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena connected Friday.

Having mislaid each of the past 3 regular-season meetings betwixt the teams, OKC volition caput into this 1 seeking to get 1 implicit the hosts and unafraid a 4th consecutive triumph since their 2024 NBA Cup last heartbreak.

Match preview

© Imago

The Indiana Pacers wrapped up their three-game roadworthy plaything successful benignant arsenic they saw disconnected a precocious comeback effort from the Golden State Warriors to unafraid a 111-105 triumph astatine Chase Center connected Christmas Eve.

With Stephen Curry going 2-of-13 from the tract and enduring different acold shooting night, Jonathan Kuminga knocked down a season-high 26 disconnected the seat to enactment the Warriors 2 points up with 5:07 near successful the 4th fourth having trailed by arsenic galore arsenic 12 points successful the third.

However, Myles Turner tallied a team-high 23 points, including a dagger 3-pointer with conscionable 17 seconds connected the changeable timepiece to enactment Indiana 5 points up and springiness them breathing abstraction arsenic they secured a 2nd triumph successful 2 games against Steve Kerr's broadside since March.

With their Boxing Day triumph, the Pacers person present picked up 5 back-to-back victories for the archetypal clip since January — 4 of which person travel connected their travels — having mislaid 5 of the six matches preceding this run.

This upturn successful signifier has seen Rick Carlisle's men surge into eighth-place successful the Eastern Conference standings with a 0.5 winning percentage, having picked up 15 wins and mislaid 15 of their 30 matches truthful far.

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Over successful the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder maintained their pb astatine the apical of the league powerfulness rankings arsenic they secured a 123-105 blowout triumph implicit the Washington Wizards astatine the Paycom Center connected Boxing Day.

It was backmost and distant betwixt the 2 sides, with OKC starring by conscionable 4 points heading into the 4th quarter, but the Wizards fto spell of the enactment successful the last period, going connected a 2-19 tally to commencement the 4th fourth arsenic they suffered a 21st decision successful 23 games and a 12th connected on the road.

Despite Jordan Poole dropping 31 points for the Wizards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the headlines astatine the Paycom Center arsenic helium knocked down 41 connected 56% shooting — his 2nd 40-point crippled this play — including a cleanable 10 of 10 from the foul line.

The Thunder person picked up 3 wins connected the trot since their 97-81 decision against the Milwaukee Bucks successful past Wednesday's NBA Cup final, and person enactment unneurotic a tally of 8 victories from their astir caller 9 matches since December 4.

This awesome tally has seen Mark Daigneault's men amended to a 23-5 grounds to pb the mode astatine the apical of the Western Conference standings, 3 wins much than second-placed Houston Rockets having played 1 crippled fewer.

While Oklahoma caput into Friday's clash seeking a 5th distant triumph connected the spin, they spell up against an opposing broadside who person won each of their astir caller 3 regular-season encounters, including a 126-112 triumph connected April 6.

Indiana Pacers form:

Oklahoma City Thunder form:

Team News

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The Indiana Pacers stay without 23-year-old halfway James Wiseman, who has been ruled retired for the remainder of the play having undergone country implicit an Achilles wounded backmost successful October.

Isaiah Jackson besides sustained a torn Achilles backmost successful November and the 22-year-old guardant is besides acceptable to miss the play arsenic helium continues his agelong roadworthy to afloat fitness.

Aaron Nesmith has been retired of enactment since coming disconnected with an ankle wounded against the New Orleans Pelicans connected November 2 and the guardant volition besides play nary portion successful Friday's clash.

As for the Oklahoma City Thunder, they stay without respective players down the spine of the squad arsenic Adam Flagler (metacarpal), Nikola Topic (ACL) and cardinal guardant Chet Holmgren (hip) proceed their spells connected the sidelines.

Alex Ducas has been ruled retired done a backmost injury, portion Alex Caruso is simply a uncertainty aft being forced into the locker country owed to an wounded successful the 4th fourth against the Wizards past clip out.

Following his standout show successful the aforementioned game, Gilgeous-Alexander has present moved into third-place successful the league scoring chart, with an mean of 30.6 constituent per game, lone down Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.7) and Nicola Jokic (30.9).

Indiana Pacers imaginable starting 5:
Haliburton, Nembhard, Mathurin, Siakam, Turner

Oklahoma City Thunder imaginable starting 5:
Joe, Dort, Hartenstein, Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander

We say: Oklahoma City Thunder to triumph by 5+ points.

The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder person enactment unneurotic a good tally of results successful caller weeks and caput into Friday's clash arsenic 2 of the astir in-form sides successful the league. While we expect a thrilling matchup astatine the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena, we foretell OKC volition bash conscionable capable to spot disconnected the location side.

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