Pacers at Heat
The Indiana Pacers continue to perform well during a stretch filled with some of the best competition in the league. They'll aim for another victory against a high-quality opponent when they open a two-game homestand at the Miami Heat on Friday.
After recent wins over the Boston Celtics (21-7) and the Los Angeles Lakers (24-7) - as well as a loss to the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks - the Pacers got past the Toronto Raptors (21-10) in overtime on Monday night while improving to 14-3 at home. "It's a big win for us," guard Aaron Holiday told reporters after knocking off the defending champs despite playing without star guard Malcolm Brogdon. "It's fun playing with emotion, especially in big games." The Heat have won three in a row after a 107-104 defeat of the Utah Jazz on Monday. Jimmy Butler scored 20 points as Miami improved its home record to an NBA-best 13-1.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, FS Sun (Miami)
ABOUT THE PACERS (21-10): Brogdon is day-to-day with a hamstring strain and could yield another start or two to Holiday, who scored 19 points and handed out 10 assists with one turnover while filling in at the point in Monday's win. T.J. Warren and Myles Turner led the way with 24 points apiece while Domantas Sabonis recorded his 25th double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds. "Resilience, that's what we showed tonight," coach Nate McMillan told the media. "That's one of the better teams in the conference. We knew they were going to be a team that scrapped, and our guys came and they fought."
ABOUT THE HEAT (22-8): Bam Adebayo chipped in 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks in the win over the Jazz as he continues to stuff the stat sheet. The 22-year-old is averaging 18.6 points, 11.1 boards and five assists in December while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor. Fellow University of Kentucky product Tyler Herro scored nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter against Utah and he averages 16.2 points at home.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pacers SG Victor Oladipo (knee) is hoping to return to the lineup near the end of January, according to a report.
2. Heat PG Goran Dragic is averaging 16.5 points in two games since returning from a groin injury.
3. Indiana won all three meetings last season.