In one of the most interesting matchups tonight, the
Indiana Pacers will be Visiting the
Dallas Mavericks.
Tyrese Haliburton and
Luka Doncic will be the stars of the game. Two teams placed in the same situation but in different conferences. Both need to win if they want to continue to aspire to a direct ticket for the upcoming playoffs.
The Pacers will face the duel as visitors. The Indianapolis franchise is in 8th place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-28 record. The team lost its last two games, which has caused them to fall to the play-in positions, they are currently 1.5 games behind the Orlando Magic, the 6th seeded in the East with a 35-26 record.
The Mavs, like Indiana, are currently in 8th place in the Western Conference with a 34-27 record having also lost their last two games. Despite having Doncic performing at MVP level, the Texas franchise is once again having the same problems as last season at this point. With the West getting tighter and tighter, Dallas can't afford too many losses. Phoenix Suns (6th at 35-26) is currently the team that occupies the last direct playoff berth.
Expert predictions (Starting fives and winner)
The main predictions for tonight's game place Dallas Mavericks as the winner of the game. Actually, in a matchup of equals, the Texas franchise has Luka Doncic, and playing at home. Losing a matchup like this to the Indiana Pacers could be a huge blow.
In addition, the possible starting lineups will be:
- Mavs: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II.
- Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner.
Schedule and TV
The game will be played early this morning at 8:30 p.m. (ET), and can be followed on the NBA's official website and app with a League Pass subscription.
Injuries
- Mavs: Dante Exum (knee), ruled out.
- Pacers: Aaron Nesmith (shin splints), ruled out.