Pacers at Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are predictably struggling since losing All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to an Achilles injury, and soon might find themselves on the outside looking in at the Western Conference playoff race. The Pelicans will try to bounce back from an embarrassing home defeat when they host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
New Orleans' 133-109 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday - its most lopsided setback at home - left the squad with a 1-4 record since Cousins was lost for the season and had it clinging to the eighth spot in the West approaching the All-Star break. "I thought we were getting it and playing well at home and figuring out how important that was," coach Alvin Gentry told reporters after Monday's loss, the team's third straight at home. "We just have to re-focus on it and get back to what we were doing." The Pacers are coming off a home loss of their own, a 111-102 defeat against Washington on Monday. All-Star guard Victor Oladipo was out with an illness and fellow starter Darren Collison with a bad knee that could keep him out for up to three weeks.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, FS New Orleans
ABOUT THE PACERS (30-25): Coach Nate McMillan used Cory Joseph and Lance Stephenson as the starting guards in place of Oladipo and Collison, and the replacements combined for 20 points on 6-of-21 shooting - including 1-of-10 from long range. "I like Cory and Lance coming off the bench, so once (Oladipo) is back we'll look at each game we're playing and make a decision," McMillan told reporters of his plan going forward. Little-used backup Joe Young took advantage of some increased minutes with 17 points and a career-high five 3-pointers, eclipsing his total from beyond the arc from the previous 16 games combined.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (28-25): New Orleans is integrating newcomer Nikola Mirotic, who impressed in his team debut Saturday at Minnesota with 18 points and 12 rebounds but struggled in the loss to the Jazz. "We went over a bunch of stuff yesterday to try to give him a concept of what we do offensively," Gentry told the media before Mirotic had five points in 33 minutes on 2-of-8 shooting. "I think he will get better the more games that we play, but I think he's been pretty impressive." Mirotic had 28 points and made a season-high eight 3-pointers against the Pacers earlier this season while he was still a member of the Chicago Bulls.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pelicans PF Anthony Davis had 37 points and 14 rebounds in a 117-112 victory at Indiana on Nov. 7.
2. Pacers SF Bojan Bogdanovic scored a season-high 29 points in Monday's loss and is averaging 21.8 over the last four games.
3. New Orleans PG Jrue Holiday has scored at least 20 points in nine of his last 13 contests.