One month ago, the Indiana Pacers trailed by as many as 21 points and endured a 99-90 loss to the Brooklyn Nets to extend their road losing streak to eight games and drop their overall record to a disappointing 9-14 after reaching the Eastern Conference finals last spring.
Since their previous visit to New York, the results are improving for the Pacers, who can climb over .500 for the first time this season Monday night when they return to Brooklyn to face the undermanned Nets.
The Pacers are 9-4 since shooting 42.7 percent in last month’s game at Brooklyn and have gone 7-1 on the road since then. At 18-18, Indiana is at .500 for the first time since a 132-121 home win over the New York Knicks gave them a 5-5 mark through their first 10 contests.
The Pacers enter with at least 120 points in three of their last four games and have reached that figure seven times during their turnaround. The latest instance was Saturday’s 126-108 home win over the visiting Phoenix Suns when Indiana placed six players in double figures and reached 15 3-pointers, for the sixth time in the past month.
Tyrese Haliburton endured a quiet 17-point showing in last month’s visit and has scored at least 27 in consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 25-27. He followed his 33-point showing at Miami on Thursday with a 27-point outing against the Suns.
Myles Turner was held to 11 in the previous meeting against the Nets but is coming off consecutive 20-point games for the first time this season. He produced 21 at Miami and 20 against Phoenix.
The duo combined for 29 points in the second half when the Pacers outscored the Suns 70-52.
“I think we’re starting to care more,” Turner said. “I think we went through a stretch last season where we kept on saying the same thing: ‘Oh we’ve got to defend, we’ve got to defend.’ I think now we’re going to put those words into actions.”
Cameron Johnson scored 26 in the last meeting against the Pacers but will miss at least the next two games with a sprained right ankle. The Nets will also be without Cam Thomas after their leading scorer reinjured his hamstring, and could be without D’Angelo Russell (shin) and Ben Simmons (calf).
Brooklyn is 0-3 without Johnson and on a five-game home losing streak after absorbing a 123-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Nets matched their largest margin of defeat this season after scoring the game’s first 11 points against the 76ers. They lost Russell to the injury at halftime when they trailed by 17 on their way to a 12th loss in 16 games since winning three straight from Nov. 24-27.
With an even more depleted roster, Ziare Williams scored 19 but Brooklyn shot 41.5 percent against Philadelphia, including 8 of 22 in the opening quarter when it fell behind for good. It was the 19th time this season the Nets shot under 45 percent and eighth time in 10 games.
“I thought the guys fought, but the purpose and focus and the compiling of those mistakes, that’s what we have to be better at,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said after his team committed a season-high 22 turnovers. “Move on, be better the next one.”
–Field Level Media
