The Indiana Pacers try for their fifth win in a row Saturday night when the Charlotte Bobcats visit the Fieldhouse. We'll be keeping an eye on the Boston-Atlanta game which will be going on at the same time since the Pacers are two games behind the Hawks with three to play. A Pacers win and Hawks loss could make the final two games of the season quite exciting.
Charlotte has always given the Pacers fits. The Bobcats won both games at Charlotte earlier this year and lost their last meeting in Indy. The Pacers catch a break as a groin injury will keep Gerald Wallace out of the game. That means we won't see Wallace tearing through the Pacers and then leaving the game early after crashing to the floor like usual. Or so it seems.
Pacers have to hit the glass, but more importantly they need to rise up with another intense effort. Back-to-backs are tough, but the excuse bucket is empty for the season.
Here's Bruno's Scouting Report which focuses on the race to the playoffs and how the Pacers have to take care of their business without getting hung up on needing help from the Hawks opponents.
I will be at the game tonight and try to check in if I can make it work.
Here's what the efficiency numbers say:
| Team | Pace | Off.Eff. | Def.Eff. |
|---|---|---|---|
| IND | 95.3(3rd) | 107.8(19th) | 108.8(14th) |
| CHA | 90.2(14th) | 106.0(23rd) | 111.2(23rd) |
Projected Starters
| PACERS | pos. | BOBCATS |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Dunleavy | F | Jason Richardson |
| Jeff Foster | F | Emeka Okafor |
| Troy Murphy | C | Nazr Mohammed |
| Danny Granger | G | Matt Carroll |
| Flip Murray | G | Raymond Felton |
Feel free to leave your thoughts on the game in the comments.