A potential NBA Finals preview is on tap Saturday in San Antonio, when the Spurs host the Indiana Pacers. It's the second showdown with a Western Conference power this week for Indiana, which had its seven-game winning streak snapped at Portland on Monday. San Antonio has won 11 straight overall against the Pacers and hasn't lost to them at home since Jan. 4, 2002.
The tough stretch doesn't stop here for Indiana, which travels to Oklahoma City on Sunday and returns home to face Miami on Tuesday. "It's a great opportunity for our team to grow and compete against some of the better teams in the NBA," Pacers forward David West told reporters. The Spurs, who have split their past four games following an 11-game winning streak, haven't played since Monday - their scheduled game against Minnesota in Mexico City was postponed because the arena filled with smoke from a fire caused by a faulty generator.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE PACERS (17-2): Indiana's success has been built on its defensive prowess, but all five starters average double-digit scoring with Paul George (24.6) leading the way. Roy Hibbert, the NBA's leading shot-blocker at 3.4 per game, is the cog at the defensive end, and he and West each average 12.5 points. If the Pacers have a weakness, it's that they don't get a lot from their bench, as all five starters average more than 30 minutes.
ABOUT THE SPURS (15-3): San Antonio makes the most of a deep bench, as point guard Tony Parker is the only player who averages more than 30 minutes. Parker (18.1 points, 6.3 assists) is one of five players averaging double-digit scoring, and Tim Duncan (13.1 points, 8.1 rebounds) continues to produce at age 37. The Spurs' bench likely will be down a man with center Tiago Splitter (calf) considered questionable.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Each team has allowed 100 or more points only three times this season.
2. Duncan needs six points to reach 24,000 for his career. He would be the 26th player in NBA history to reach the milestone and the fifth active player.
3. West, who went over 11,000 career points Monday at Portland, needs 12 rebounds to reach 5,000 in his career.