Pacers at Kings
THE STORY: The Indiana Pacers look to make it four straight victories and move seven games above .500 when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Indiana is fourth in the league in scoring defense at 88.9 points per game and has seven players averaging in double figures. Forward Danny Granger is averaging a team-best 15.3 points after averaging over 20 in each of the past three seasons. “We want to push the envelope and see how good we can become,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after a 97-83 victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday. “We want to achieve our potential. We have a number of guys on our teams whose numbers could be better, but they are sacrificing those numbers for the betterment of the team.” Sacramento has lost three straight games and went 1-4 on a five-game road trip that ended with Monday’s 99-86 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sacramento’s losses were by an average of 24.8 points. After hosting the Pacers, Sacramento is right back on the road for games at San Antonio, Memphis and Portland.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports (Indiana), Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (Sacramento).
ABOUT THE PACERS (9-3): Indiana is limiting opponents to 41.5 percent shooting while ranking fifth in the NBA in blocked shots (5.7) and seventh in steals (9.6). Offseason acquisition George Hill has been superb in improving Indiana’s backcourt defense and has 19 steals, including 10 in the past three contests. The Pacers have allowed 84 or fewer points in four of their last six games and are 7-0 when holding opponents to 90 or less.
ABOUT THE KINGS (4-10): Rookie guard Jimmer Fredette had a horrible time during Sacramento’s five-game road trip and shot just 29.4 percent from the field. Fredette started the first three games of the trip while Marcus Thornton was sidelined and has been pressing to live up to the hype. Kings coach Keith Smart has urged the first-round pick to look for shooting opportunities and figures it is just a matter of time before Fredette find his groove. Fredette is averaging 7.6 points and shooting just 34.5 percent.
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Indiana has won three of the past four meetings in Sacramento.
2. The Pacers are 8-0 when scoring 90 or more points.
3. Kings guard Tyreke Evans is averaging 6.0 points over the last two games after scoring 27 or more points in four of five games.