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Game Preview: Pacers vs Nuggets

Last Updated: Jan. 28 at 10:45 PM

Matchup

Every game day, Frank Vogel gets asked the same question: "Which starting lineup will you go with tonight?"

Sometimes he'll deflect, and not reveal his lineup until the last possible moment. Other times, he'll divulge whether he's deploying the big lineup or the small lineup.

But after Thursday night's 111-92 drubbing of the Atlanta Hawks — one of the East's top teams — the question of which lineup to start no longer seems up for debate.

Slotting Myles Turner in the frontcourt alongside Ian Mahinmi, the Pacers have a lineup that remains stocked with shooters, but also provides a defensive and rebounding presence unlike any lineup they've rolled out this season.

Turner, in his first NBA start, racked up 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting, while Mahinmi blocked two shots and snared six rebounds, nailing all six of his free throws.

Even on a night when Paul George struggled to get it going from the field, the rest of the starting unit picked up the slack, as Monta Ellis turned in a masterful 25-point performance in which he went 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.

And now, with Lavoy Allen coming off the bench, the forward is paired with Jordan Hill in the reserve frontcourt, which has been one of the Pacers' best two-man combinations this season.

On Saturday, the new-look starting lineup will square off against a team the Pacers lost a heartbreaker to just weeks earlier, the Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets have been a problem team for the Pacers in recent years. Indiana hasn't grabbed a win versus Denver in three consecutive meetings.

With head coach Mike Malone, the Nuggets have surprised a few teams this season, picking up wins over the Wizards, Pistons, Warriors and Hornets in recent weeks.

Danilo Gallinari has been the team's main source of offense, averaging 19.3 points per game. Rookie Nikola Jokic has been one of the best under-the-radar rooks this season. Jokic has averaged a modest 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest, but his 22.1 player efficiency rating is the highest on the team.

For the Pacers to win, they'll need to control the glass — as they did Thursday, outrebounding the Hawks 49-32 — and continue to develop their continuity among both their starting and reserve units.

Projected Starters

George Hill

George Hill

Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis

Paul George

Paul George

Myles Turner

Myles Turner

Ian Mahinmi

Ian Mahinmi

Emmanuel Mudiay

Emmanuel Mudiay

Gary Harris

Gary Harris

Danilo Gallinari

Danilo Gallinari

Kenneth Faried

Kenneth Faried

Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic

Pacers: PG - George Hill, SG - Monta Ellis, SF - Paul George, PF - Myles Turner, C - Ian Mahinmi
Nuggets: PG - Emmanuel Mudiay, SG - Gary Harris, SF - Danilo Gallinari, PF - Kenneth Faried, C - Nikola Jokic

Injury Report

Pacers: Rodney Stuckey - out (right foot sprain and bone bruise)

Nuggets: Darrell Arthur - questionable (left quad strain), Nikola Jokic - questionable (right knee tibial contusion), Joffrey Lauvergne - questionable (right 1st toe paronychia), Jameer Nelson - questionable (sprained left wrist), Wilson Chandler - out (right hip arthroscopic surgery)

Last Meeting

January 17, 2016: Despite leading by as many as 15 points, the Pacers lost a heartbreaker on the road to the Nuggets, 129-126.

With 3:00 left, the Pacers led 119-116, but a 3-pointer from Denver bench scorer Will Barton knotted the game up.

With less than a minute on the clock, Randy Foye nailed a triple to take the game's final and deciding lead.

The Pacers had one final chance to tie things up, but a Paul George attempt from beyond the arc was tipped, sending the Pacers to the road loss at the Pepsi Center.

Noteworthy

  • The Pacers have lost eight of their last nine regular season games to the Nuggets, dating back to the 2010-11 season.
  • Indiana leads the all-time series, 42-40.
  • With one more 30-point game, Paul George will have racked up 15 on the season, which is the total number of 30-point games he had achieved his entire career prior to the start of the 2015-16 season.

Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »

TV: FOX Sports Indiana - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)
Radio: 93.5 FM/AM 1070 The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Slick Leonard (analyst) Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)
Please Note: Inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Pacers radio broadcasts can be heard on 1080 AM instead of 1070.

Tickets

Good seats still remain for Saturday's game against the Denver Nuggets: Find Tickets »

Home Court Gift Shop Game Night Special

Select Hooded Fleece - $25. Game Night Specials can be purchased in the Home Court Gift Shop or any of our souvenir stands located on all levels of Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The special is also available online at PacersGear.com until midnight.