Brooklyn Nets vs Indiana Pacers Prediction & Match Preview - March 17th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The star-studded Brooklyn Nets take on the Indiana Pacers at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday next as they aim to extend their winning run in the 2020-21 NBA to six games.
The Nets have won 13 of their last 14 games and sit second in the Eastern Conference Standings. The Indiana Pacers, meanwhile, have won just three of their last ten outings and are struggling to find their rhythm at the moment.
Match Details
Fixture: Brooklyn Nets vs Indiana Pacers | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 17th; 7:00 PM ET (Thursday, March 18th; 4:30 AM IST).
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN.
Brooklyn Nets Preview
The Brooklyn Nets have been unstoppable since they beat the Indiana Pacers in on 10th February.
The Nets had a 15-12 season record at that time but have now improved that to 27-13 to climb to second in the East. Steve Nash's side have established themselves as one of the strongest championship contenders, in the process.
The Brooklyn Nets beat the New York Knicks 117-112 in their last game, thanks to James Harden's triple-double and Kyrie Irving's 34-point outing.
The Nets played their 12th consecutive game without Kevin Durant as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. New signing Blake Griffin was the other notable absentee as Steve Nash doesn't want to rush him into the lineup just yet, as he has been out of action for a while.
Key Player - James Harden
James Harden has taken his game to a whole new level this season and has been effective in his new role as a facilitator for the Brooklyn Nets.
The former Houston Rockets talisman is averaging a career-high 11.3 assists and 9.1 rebounds per game this campaign for his new team. He has been more than efficient with his scoring as well, averaging 25.1 points per game.
His addition to the Nets roster has proved to be a successful one, as the team have not missed Kevin Durant's services. Harden will once again be key for Steve Nash's side as they aim to win their 28th game of the season.
Predicted Lineup
G - James Harden, G - Kyrie Irving, F - Joe Harris, F - Jeff Green, C - DeAndre Jordan.
Indiana Pacers Preview
The Indiana Pacers have been off-color lately and haven't had the best of starts post the All-Star break.
They did beat the in-form Phoenix Suns but couldn't carry that momentum in their next game against the Denver Nuggets, where they succumbed to a 106-121 defeat. The loss saw their season record fall to 17-21. However, they are still tenth in the East and are very much in playoff reckoning.
Meanwhile, new signing Caris LeVert made his debut for the Indiana Pacers against the Suns and has looked decent in the two games he has played so far. His arrival has come at the right time, as the Pacers now aim to revive their season.
However, it won't be an easy task to topple the mighty Brooklyn Nets, but if the Pacers play to their potential, they could produce a shock win.
Key Player - Malcolm Brogdon
Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon has been in top form this season. He is having a career-high season in terms of average points scored (21.6) per game.
While he will be expected to stack the scoresheet, as usual, Brogdon's main challenge on the night will be to keep his counterpart James Harden quiet.
Harden conducts the Brooklyn Nets' offense, and if Brogdon does manage to reduce his threat, the Pacers will fancy their chances to pull off an upset.
Predicted Lineup
G - Malcolm Brogdon, G - Caris LeVert, F - Domantas Sabonis, F - Doug McDermott, C - Myles Turner.
Nets vs Pacers Match Prediction
The Brooklyn Nets are the overwhelming favorites for this matchup, simply because of how strong their team is at the moment.
The Indiana Pacers, however, do have the potential to play well against strong teams, something they showed against the Phoenix Suns. The Brooklyn Nets should be wary of the same and shouldn't let their guard down when the two sides meet on Wednesday.
Where to watch the Brooklyn Nets vs Indiana Pacers game?
The game between the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers will be televised locally on Fox Sports Indiana and YES. The match can be streamed live with an NBA League Pass as well.