Pacers at Nets
The Indiana Pacers are good enough now that they can win even when Paul George has an off-shooting night, though they would prefer that doesn't happen often. George will try to bounce back from a tough performance and lead the Pacers to their fifth straight win when they visit the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
George came into Wednesday's game at Orlando riding a streak of four straight 30-plus performances but managed just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting and committed five turnovers in the 98-88 win over the Magic. "We are playing very well and trusting one another," George told reporters. "We are playing as one. That is really all we preach here is being one and being together. Our defense is clicking and offensively we are moving the ball, we are sharing the ball, we are playing with that zest and that zip on offense." The Nets managed to hold an opponent under 100 points for the first time since Dec. 14 on Wednesday but still suffered a 95-90 loss to the New York Knicks - their 10th straight home setback and seventh in a row overall. Brooklyn kicked off a stretch with three straight and seven of eight at home with Wednesday's setback.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Indiana, YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE PACERS (26-22): C.J. Miles shouldered some of the scoring burden for George on Wednesday and went 6-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, en route to a team-high 16 points. "I was able to get some open looks, slide in open spaces," Miles told reporters. "I was just trying to do my job that I have been put into that first unit to do." Miles was scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in Sunday's win over Houston but was a combined 9-of-13 from 3-point range in the two previous games.
ABOUT THE NETS (9-40): Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson used his 21st different starting lineup on Wednesday, inserting Isaiah Whitehead at point guard and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson at small forward in an effort to add some defense to the starting unit. Hollis-Jefferson delivered 16 points and eight rebounds while playing strong defense against Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and Whitehead handed out a team-high four assists. "We were 1-15 in January," Atkinson told reporters. "We needed to make a change. Rondae competed hard and got rebounds. Isaiah played great and was plus-11."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Nets SG Bojan Bogdanovic is 5-of-22 from 3-point range in the last six games.
2. Pacers PG Rodney Stuckey (hamstring) returned from a 15-game absence on Wednesday and contributed eight points in 14 minutes.
3. Brooklyn earned a 103-94 home win over the Pacers on Oct. 28 but dropped the two meetings in Indiana by a combined 33 points.