Pacers at Trail Blazers
Two teams veering in opposite directions will square off when the Indiana Pacers visit the skidding Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. It's the second stop of a four-game road trip for the Pacers, who have won two straight and seven of nine. The hot streak has propelled Indiana to the top of the Central Division despite the fact that the team has the league's second-worst offense, averaging 91.2 points. The Pacers compensate with a defense that tops the NBA in points allowed 89.1 points and opponents' shooting percentage (41.3).
The Trail Blazers dropped under .500 on Monday with their sixth consecutive defeat, a 98-95 home loss to the Washington Wizards. It was also the third straight setback in the current five-game homestand for Portland, which had dropped its last six games by a total of 28 points. The Trail Blazers have lost four straight on their home court since beating Miami on Jan. 10 to cap a four-game win streak. "We shouldn't be losing, especially at home. ... We're better than that," guard Wesley Matthews told the team's official website.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Indiana, Comcast SportsNet Northwest (Portland)
ABOUT THE PACERS (26-16): Indiana squeezed out an 82-81 win at Memphis on Monday in a matchup of the league's top two defensive clubs. Paul George came up one assist shy of a triple-double but settled for his sixth double-double in seven games. Center Roy Hibbert's offense has been erratic much of the season, but he has scored in double figures in four straight games and has played superb defense, averaging four blocked shots over the last five games.
ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (20-21): Portland's largest margin of defeat during the skid has been six points, and their last 10 games has been decided by six or fewer - a franchise record. The Blazers, who had all five starters score in double figures against the Wizards, wasted the first career triple-double by Nicolas Batum (12 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists). The lack of firepower on the bench is killing Portland. During the six-game skid, the reserves have averaged 12.8 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Portland has won the last three home meetings with the Pacers.
2. Indiana is 12-6 against the Western Conference, including wins in its last six.
3. The Trail Blazers last lost seven in a row to close out last season.