Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers preview: After three losses, the Nets want a win

There’s a lot to be excited about for the Nets, despite being in the midst of a three-game skid. Prior to the losing streak, the Nets proved that they consistently beat really good teams around the NBA with an organic combination of playing hard and working together, rather than over-reliance on talent and matchups. Also, the Nets’ young core continues to grow every day, with Dariq Whitehead being the next guy after his 18-point performance against the Chicago Bulls. He is not a bust person!

Tonight, Brooklyn will look to turn things around against the Indiana Pacers, who are coming off their own loss against Toronto Raptors Tuesday evening.

Where to see

See the action at 19.30 on YES Network and NBA League Pass.

Damage report

Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain), Noah Clowney (left ankle sprain), Bojan Bogdanovic (left foot injury recovery), Ziaire Williams (left knee sprain) and Jaylen Martin (G-League) will all be out. Do you want more? No you don’t, but Ben Simmons (left knee soreness), Cam Johnson (left ankle sprain) and Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle sprain) are currently only questionable for Wednesday night’s outing.

For the Pacers, Aaron Nesmith (ankle), Ben Sheppard (oblique), Isaiah Jackson (torn Achilles) and James Wiseman (surgery) are out. It’s a back-to-back for Indiana.

The game

If I’m coach Jordi Fernandez — spoiler alert, I’m not — I’d feel comfortable bringing my guys into this matchup with the Pacers, who are tied with the Nets and Bulls for eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 9- 13 . After a Cinderella conference final that was interrupted by the ultimate champions of the Boston CelticsThe Pacers have not been the team they were expected to be.

While they are capable of scoring, it is on the defensive side where the Pacers have struggled. Two months into the season, they are just 27th in scoring defense, 29th in field goal shooting, 18th in three-point defense and 16th in turnovers forced this season. The Pacers are also 28th in total rebounds per game. match. With these awful stats, the Nets have the chance to open the floodgates, especially with shooters like Whitehead, Tyrese Martin and hopefully Cam Johnson.

With Ben Simmons shaky for this game, the Nets will have to rely on another playmaker (probably Schroeder) to find openings on defense for the Nets to expose the Pacers’ defense and shoot them out of the gym. Trendon Watford could also be a candidate for this role with his ability and guile to get to the rim.

It’s a big game for the Pacers. Losing to the Raptors and Nets back-to-back would be just another blow to the team and their fans. In fact, they have now lost three straight overall and seven straight on the road and are one of only three NBA teams with at least 10 losses on the road.

Player to watch: Tyrese Haliburton

Haliburton will be a tough cover tonight. Not just because he’s an NBA player, but because he’s 6’5″. The Nets will need to find someone to defend Haliburton who matches his length while also being able to thwart that quick first step .Haliburton is currently averaging 17.6 points and 8.5 assists – sixth in the league – on a 42/34/86 split.

All of Haliburton’s numbers are down except for his free throws from last year when he looked like he was going to make a big jump but fell victim to a hamstring problem last January. For the 2023-24 season, the then-23-year-old averaged 20.1 points and 10.9 assists, his second straight season in double figures. His shooting percentages were also higher at 47.7% overall and 36.4% from deep. All of those numbers were even higher before his injury.

If Indiana is going to win in Brooklyn and get out of their rut, Haliburton needs to lead them. Last night, even though the Pacers lost north of the border, Haliburton’s performance was encouraging. He looked fresh and dropped 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-9 from deep. He also got to the line seven times, making six.

However, after the match. Haliburton made it clear that he is not happy with what is going on.

“I think the product we’re putting on the floor right now as a group is embarrassing,” Haliburton told reporters in Toronto. “I’m just trying to navigate the water a little bit, figure out the right way to attack it, just be myself while also trying to help us win games,” Haliburton said. “So it feels good to see the ball go in – especially on the road, I’ve struggled on the road this year – but the only thing that matters right now is winning. And as the leader of this group, I don’t care about individual things right now. We have to put a better product on the floor.”

From the Vault

Of course, Indiana is also home to the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark, all-all WNBA guard. Two days ago, the W released its season schedule, and defending champion Liberty will play the Fever on July 16 at the Barclays Center. (Then it gets hot.)

The Libs also released the latest in his continuing series of videos featuring Ellie the Elephant. It’s a fun one.

More reading, SB Nation and Indy Cornrows.