Pacers at Nets
Victor Oladipo is more than validating a recent selection to the All-Star Game with three outings of 30 points or more this month and looks to remain hot when his Indiana Pacers visit the struggling Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. Oladipo registered 30 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and six steals as Indiana improved to 6-2 in its last eight games with a 121-113 victory over New York on Sunday.
With Oladipo leading a talented young group at 24.4 points per game, the Pacers decided to stand pat at the trade deadline as they sit just one-half game out of fourth place in the Eastern Conference. “They feel like they are overachieving and had a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” Indiana general manager Kevin Pritchard told the Indianapolis Star. “They wanted to have the opportunity to finish this out and try to get into the playoffs. … That carried a lot of weight with me.” The Nets were 1-4 in the last five games of January and have dropped all six in February after Monday’s 114-101 setback against the Los Angeles Clippers. “It seems like we just keep digging ourselves holes and you can’t beat teams in the NBA when you’re trying to overcome 20-point deficits,” Brooklyn guard Joe Harris told reporters. “It takes too much energy to crawl your way back in. It’s just getting repetitive at this point.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, YES (Brooklyn)
ABOUT THE PACERS (32-25): Small forward Bojan Bogdanovic is second on the team in scoring (13.7) and is averaging 20 points per contest over the last six while shooting 54.3 percent from the field. “When he plays well, the game’s a lot easier,” Oladipo told reporters of Bogdanovic. “He opens the floor for me as a driver, which is great. We just have to continue building and getting better.” Power forward Thaddeus Young has posted two straight double-doubles and 6-11 center Myles Turner averaged 16 points over the last two contests.
ABOUT THE NETS (19-39): Allen Crabbe is averaging 25.7 points over the last three games while draining 16 of his 38 attempts from behind the arc and fellow guard Spencer Dinwiddie is scoring 16.8 per contest in the last four. Harris has also been a major threat in the last three games, connecting on 18-of-32 from the field and averaging 15.3 points - nearly five above his season mark. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (groin) will miss his 10th straight game and Caris LeVert (knee) is expected to sit out his fourth straight Wednesday.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pacers have won six straight meetings with the Nets, including three this season.
2. Indiana G Lance Stephenson is averaging 13.1 points over the last nine games to push his season mark to 9.3.
3. Brooklyn G D’Angelo Russell leads the team in scoring (15.6) and recorded 30 in the season-opening loss to the Pacers.