Pacers at Hawks
The Indiana Pacers know their postseason fate and where they will be heading for Game 1 of the first round this weekend, but they'd like to be playing better when they get there. The Pacers will try to avoid a third straight loss and build a little momentum when they close out the regular season by visiting the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
Indiana, which will visit fourth-seeded Boston for Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference this weekend, tumbled into the No. 5 spot in the East with losses in nine of the last 12 games and fell 108-96 at home to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. "We as a team have to get it together," Pacers forward Thaddeus Young told reporters. "The playoffs are coming faster than expected. At the end of the day, we have to be ready at all costs." The Hawks are headed for the lottery but are trying to finish strong and reach 30 wins with a victory on Tuesday. Atlanta is coming off a losing two-game road trip but won its last two home games while averaging 133 points.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, FS Southeast (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE PACERS (47-34): Indiana shot 41.3 percent from the floor in a 117-97 home loss to Boston on Friday and did not have a player score more than Domantas Sabonis' 17 points in Sunday's setback to the Nets. "We just have to be sharp with our execution when we run plays," Pacers point guard Darren Collison, who went 2-of-12 from the floor against Brooklyn, told reporters. "We have to make sure we still have that trust amongst each other." Collison and fellow starting guard Wesley Matthews combined for seven points on 3-of-15 shooting, including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, on Sunday.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (29-52): Atlanta knocked off playoff-bound Milwaukee and Philadelphia in its last two home games but could not find the same spark on the offensive end on the road and slumped to an average of 110 points in losses at Orlando and Milwaukee. The Hawks elected to sit rookie point guard Trae Young for rest against the Bucks on Sunday and ended up shooting 39.6 percent from the floor in the 115-107 setback. Center Alex Len did his part to keep Atlanta in the game and knocked down six 3-pointers en route to 33 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Sabonis recorded a double-double in three of four games this month and is shooting 65.9 percent from the floor in that span.
2. Hawks PF John Collins (ankle) sat out Sunday and is questionable for Tuesday.
3. Indiana took each of the first three meetings this season, including a 129-121 victory at Atlanta on Dec. 26.