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Road Warriors: Indiana Pacers spend a week on the road

By Jesse Smith

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 12: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers shoots a free throw against the Houston Rockets on November 12, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 12: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers shoots a free throw against the Houston Rockets on November 12, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Road Warriors series will be highlighting the Indiana Pacers road trips and how they have fared historically in opposing arenas. This time, we have a long trip out West to break down.

The Indiana Pacers enjoyed two of their first three games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but will now spend the next week on the road.  After splitting the weekend on both ends of a blowout, the Pacers appear to be back in a rhythm offensively.  The team traveled to help open the new Bucks arena and ended up losing 101-118 in a frustrating evening.  They would redeem themselves the next night at home against Brooklyn 132-112.  For the week the Pacers will spend time in Minnesota on Monday, San Antonio on Wednesday, and Cleveland on Saturday. Let’s get to it.

Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday @ 8 pm ET

This will be the 57th meeting between the Indiana Pacers and Wolves with the Pacers holding a steady 36-20 lead, according to Land of Basketball.  The Pacers actually have a winning record in Minnesota at 15-13 while visiting.

The Wolves has had a less than ideal start to their season, to say the least.  All-Star Jimmy Butler has made the whole organization a bit miserable by requesting a trade.  They have started the season 1-2 with their only win coming against an anemic Cavaliers team.  They’re still trying to figure out their offensive strategy, which is hard considering the unknowns around Butler and when he will play.  Karl-Anthony Towns is currently fifth on the team in shot attempts per game (10.7), trailing both Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose.  This is a winnable game for the Pacers despite being on the road considering the dysfunction surrounding the Wolves.  If Jimmy Butler plays, this will be a tough road test for them.  This is the game the Pacers are most likely going to lose on this trip, especially if Domantas Sabonis has not fully recovered from his knee injury.

Prediction: Pacers 105 Wolves 101

What’s in Town?

If you’re traveling with the team and are looking for more entertainment, Fleetwood Mac is playing at the Xcel Energy Center in Minneapolis.  Hoodie Allen is playing at Amsterdam Bar and Hall.

San Antonio Spurs, Wednesday @ 8:30 pm ET

This will be the 92nd meeting between the two teams.  The Indiana Pacers have not fared as well against the Spurs, posting a 38-53 record. The Pacers have performed terribly on the road going 16-30 in the series.

Time will tell to see how the Spurs are going to look after the Kawhi Leonard era came to an end.  The Pacers will get another look at a familiar foe in All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan.  So far this season the new look Spurs have yielded mixed results.  After squeaking out a win against the Wolves in their home opener, they failed to find an offensive rhythm against the Trail Blazers.  For his part, DeRozan has been offensively brilliant, averaging 28 points per game.  This is another winnable game for the Pacers.  The aging Spurs likely do not have enough speed on defense to keep up with weapons of the Pacers.

Prediction: Pacers 101 Spurs 92

What’s in Town?

If in San Antonio, check out their zoo’s Zoo Boo Halloween nights. Musically, Allen Stone will be performing at The Rustic.  If you haven’t seen him, I highly recommend doing so.

Cleveland Cavaliers, Saturday @ 7:30 pm ET

The meeting will be the 205th regular season game between the two teams.  The Indiana Pacers are 38-60 in Cleveland dating back to 1976.

The Cavaliers on the road used to be one of the more terrifying statements in the league.  Without LeBron James in the picture, this went from being a perennial playoff preview to a game you would expect to win.  The Cavaliers have started the season 0-3, dropping games to the Raptors, Wolves, and Hawks.  Each of the games was competitive throughout before the Cavs just simply ran out of gas.  Kevin Love remains the only star on the team but has started somewhat of a statistical renaissance.  He is currently averaging a double-double, albeit very early in the season.  There’s not enough transitional game on the roster to keep up with the Pacers and it should be an evening for the offense to flourish.

Prediction: Pacers 110 Cavs 101

What’s in town?

If you have kids with you, the IX Center is throwing their Trick or Treat Street event, which pretty much serves as a fall festival.  The weekend in concerts is highlighted by Paula Abdul on Friday and Good Charlotte on Sunday.

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What is your prediction for this road trip’s record? Tweet me @jesslogan11 with your predictions!

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