Pacers release preseason schedule

With the 2020-21 season rapidly approaching, the Indiana Pacers have announced the preseason portion of their schedule, featuring a trio of games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers after the start of training camps on December 1.

• Saturday, December 12 at Cleveland 7:00 p.m.
• Monday, December 14 at Cleveland 6:00 p.m.
• Friday, December 18 vs. Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.

The condensed preseason schedule gives a glimpse into the league’s plan to reduce travel this season by opening with a pair of games against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. The Pacers will opt to fall in the middle of the league’s required 2-4 preseason games, which additionally requires each team to play at least one home and road game. The Cavs, meanwhile, will play the maximum four game slate, including two straight in New York.

The December 18th match up against the 76ers will be the first time the Pacers will play a game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse since March 10, though according to Pacers.com, no fans will be in attendance for that game. It will be broadcast on Fox Sports Indiana, however. Less is known about the games at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, as details will be released later regarding those two games.

The preseason schedule will lead into a pair of schedule releases as the league will work towards a 72-game regular season in two parts, dubbed aptly the First Half and Second Half. The First Half schedule will cover games from December 22, 2020 through March 4, 2021. The Second Half will take place from March 11, 2021 - May 16, 2021 and will potentially include any games that will be postponed due to COVID-19, but won’t be a part of the initial schedule release.