Pacers release preseason schedule, will face off against Maccabi Haifa
The Indiana Pacers released a shortened preseason schedule on Wednesday, with only four games on the docket.
All hail the shortened NBA preseason. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s finally happened. On Wednesday, the Pacers released their four game schedule, with matchups against three other midwest teams and one squad that’s a little further away.
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The Pacers will kick everything off by heading to Milwaukee to face a Bucks team that has high hopes for their season. The two teams will show down on Oct. 4 at 8pm in the Bradley Center.
After that, the Pacers will head to the Quicken Loans Arena to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 6. Still on the road, the Pacers will play the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 9 before heading home for their final opponent.
The preseason will end on Tuesday Oct. 10 at 7pm, with the Pacers hosting Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Super League. The Israeli squad finished in second place last season in the Super League, falling to Hapoel Jerusalem.
The matchup is one of many examples across the NBA of attempts to grow the brand of the NBA beyond the borders of the United States and into places where potential fanbases are more nascent.
As I mentioned above, this year’s preseason is shortened in conjunction with an earlier start to the regular season than in years past. It remains to be seen whether this shortening will have any effect on the level of competition in these games, but if you’re hoping to see LeBron James suiting up on Oct. 6, I would maybe temper those expectations.
Next: previewing every single game of next season
Things have changed with the preseason, but in a way it’s still the same. Bring on the real games.