It’s going down on Tuesday night. The NBA’s play-in tournament has arrived, and the fringe playoff teams will have to win to stay in. A loss in this Hornets vs. Pacers matchup will equal an instant elimination. Good for Indy to get the chance to host this game, given how rough the last several weeks have been going for them.
The Charlotte Hornets will not be getting Gordon Hayward back, which is a massive blow. The only reason they got here in the first place is because of the impact he was having on his new club. There is a lot of talent on the roster, but they lack winning players. They really don’t have many other guys besides Terry Rozier with experience in big games. This is new for most of the roster. Good luck to the youngsters.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers have plenty of experience. They have made the playoffs several years in a row but have not advanced since the 2013-14 season. It was when they lost to the Miami Heat in the conference finals for the final time. Paul George hurt his leg that summer. The rest is history.
First-round letdowns have become the norm in Indy, regardless of who is coaching. Frank Vogel was canned after a first-round defeat. Same with Nate McMillan. Might Nate Bjorkgren be canned if they fail in the play-in?
ODDS
The spread for the Play-In opener is set at IND -3.5. The over/under is 227.5 points.
Hornets Seek to Move Up
One win is all it takes for Charlotte to get within a win of the actual postseason. Nobody gave them a chance coming into the season. Signing Gordon Hayward for $120 million was seen as throwing money down the drain. They were bound to be exciting after drafting LaMelo Ball. But for much of the first half of the season, they were a +.500 team.
Things have gotten worse as the injuries mounted, but sans Hayward, everybody else is available. That being said, the team has a chance. They need to win by hitting more threes and protecting the rim. They need to make Domantas Sabonis a facilitator. They have to double Caris LeVert every time.
Can Charlotte pull it off?
Pacers Thinking Big
Even with Myles Turner out of the lineup, Indiana does have a little size. That comes in the form of their newly-minted backup center. His name is Goga Bitadze, he’s in his second year in Indiana, and he averaged 1.4 blocks over just 12.4 minutes per game this year. That is as impressive as any shot-blocking stat from the NBA season involving any player.
Bitadze is Sabonis’ primary backup and so doesn’t get a ton of run. Oshae Brissett could play a large role in the offense for Indy. They will need the Holiday brothers and Doug McDermott to score. But at the end of the day, even with LeVert, Sabonis, and possibly Brogdon, one player makes the difference.
Undrafted guard TJ McConnell, now something of an NBA vet, will be the ultimate X-Factor. His ability to get into the passing lane and wreak havoc on both ends of the floor cannot be understated. He drops dimes and is one of the best in the game at stealing the rock.
Pacers Move On!
Sorry Hornets, but your year ends here. On to the Thursday, the Indiana Pacers!
FREE PLAY: IND -3.5
OVER/UNDER: OVER 227.5
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.