Pacers at Magic
The Indiana Pacers look to snap their third extended losing streak of the campaign when they visit the equally-struggling Orlando Magic on Sunday. The Pacers have dropped seven straight contests -- their third string of six or more -- and will try to avoid matching their season high skid to close out a five-game road trip. Orlando center Nikola Vucevic is making a case for an All-Star Game bid, averaging 24 points and 12 rebounds the last 10 games, but the Magic are 2-10 in their last 12.
Orlando lost its fourth straight game at New York 113-106 on Friday as Vucevic matched his career high with 34 points to go along with 18 rebounds. Indiana must get a big game from Roy Hibbert inside against Vucevic, but the Pacers got a big boost with the return of point guard George Hill in the 89-87 loss at Miami on Friday. Unfortunately for Indiana, guard C.J. Miles went down with a groin injury against the Heat and is questionable.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE PACERS (15-30): Hill scored 13 points in 20 minutes while playing for the first time in 12 games after suffering a groin injury, but Indiana came up just short after cutting a 20-point second-half deficit to one Friday. David West scores 12.6 per game and leads the team in rebounding (seven per game) while Hibbert chips in with 11.1 and 6.8, respectively. Despite their struggles on the other end of the court, the Pacers are still third in the league in scoring defense (97.1) and among the league leaders in rebounds.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (15-31): Orlando’s new up-tempo offense has been productive, but the Magic have allowed 118.5 points per contest during their four-game losing streak. Vucevic leads the team in scoring (19.4) and rebounding (11.3) while Tobias Harris (17.8) and Victor Oladipo (16.4) contribute big numbers on the offensive end. Rookie Elfrid Payton has also raised his game, averaging 13.1 points while dishing out 7.7 assists over the last seven games, and is expected to play after twisting his knee in Friday’s game.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pacers have won six of the last seven meetings, including a 98-83 victory at Indiana on Nov. 28.
2. Orlando rookie F Aaron Gordon is 6-of-8 from the field while playing limited minutes the last three games after returning from a foot injury that kept him out two months.
3. Indiana F Luis Scola has posted 24 points combined in the last two games after totaling 28 in his previous five.