The Indiana Pacers visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, December 20, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM ET at Smoothie King Center. Both teams are struggling in the standings, with Indiana at 6-21 and New Orleans at 6-22.
Indiana’s injury list includes Tyrese Haliburton (right Achilles), Aaron Nesmith (left knee MCL), Ben Sheppard (left calf), and Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture), while Tony Bradley is questionable with a thumb fracture. Kam Jones and Taelon Peter are also listed as doubtful due to G League assignments.
The Pelicans are without Dejounte Murray (right Achilles) and two-way players Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson. Peyton Watson’s status remains uncertain for New Orleans.
Indiana’s offense centers on Pascal Siakam, who averages 23.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, while Bennedict Mathurin contributes 19.8 points and Andrew Nembhard adds 18.0 points per contest.
New Orleans leans on Trey Murphy III (21.3 PPG) and Zion Williamson (20.7 PPG) to carry the scoring load, supported by Saddiq Bey (14.7 PPG) and Jeremiah Fears (15.4 PPG).
Both squads enter with contrasting streaks: Indiana on a three-game skid and New Orleans riding a three-game winning run. The matchup is the first meeting of the season between these struggling teams.
