Nets at Pacers
The Brooklyn Nets are struggling to find the win column and are losers of five straight by an average of 19.4 points. The Indiana Pacers, who host the Nets on Friday, are hoping to avoid a three-game slide after failing to reach 90 points in either of the last two contests.
Brooklyn took a hit in the standings and to their future with a 111-92 loss at home on Wednesday to the Boston Celtics, who hold the right to swap draft picks in 2017 with Brooklyn thanks to the Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce trade. The Nets no longer have Pierce, Garnett or Jason Terry and are woefully short on consistent scoring options other than veteran center Brook Lopez. Indiana got its best scoring option, star forward Paul George, back from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury on Wednesday, but he struggled to shake off the rust in a 96-85 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks. George went 6-of-22 from the floor, including 2-of-11 from 3-point range en route to 18 points.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), FSN Indiana
ABOUT THE NETS (4-10): Brooklyn ended one dubious streak on Wednesday by holding the Celtics to 111 points after allowing its previous four opponents to post at least 124. The Nets are trying to score with opponents under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson but the point guard spot continues to be an area of weakness with Jeremy Lin (hamstring) out. Isaiah Whitehead started in that spot on Wednesday and managed four points on 2-of-8 shooting with three assists and two turnovers in 24 minutes.
ABOUT THE PACERS (7-9): Center Myles Turner (ankle) returned from a one-game absence on Wednesday but looked just as rusty as George right from the start, when he conceded the jump ball to Atlanta's Dwight Howard. Turner ended up with seven points and nine rebounds in 35 minutes while being thoroughly outplayed by Howard, who went for 23 points and 20 boards. Indiana power forward Thaddeus Young, who played in Brooklyn from 2014-2016, is picking up the slack for his frontcourt mates and is averaging 19.3 points in the last three games after going 10-of-13 from the field on Wednesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pacers PG Jeff Teague is 0-of-8 from 3-point range in the last two games.
2. Lin is "progressing as scheduled" according to Atkinson, but there is no timetable for his return.
3. Lopez scored 25 points in a 103-94 home win over Indiana on Oct. 28.