Indiana Pacers: Predicting results for the final 7 games

Atlanta Hawks at Indiana Pacers, May 6 (8:00 ET)

Since parting with Lloyd Pierce, the Atlanta Hawks are 20-9 with former Pacers coach Nate McMillan at the helm. Behind a spirited offense and a rejuvenated defense, they are well on track to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2017. Currently, they are 5th in the East at 36-30 and poised to avoid the play-in.

The Pacers and the Hawks are tied 1-1 in the season series so far, with both contests played at State Farm Arena. Indiana won 125-113 on February 13, while Atlanta prevailed 129-117 on April 18. This game, second night of a back-to-back, will settle the tiebreaker, but with the Navy and Gold relatively far behind them in the standings, it won’t matter much except for the chance to close in on the 8th seed.

If the Pacers are healthy, I would be confident in their chances of defeating the Hawks at home, but without Myles Turner to protect the paint, they have greatly struggled defending the rim. Atlanta is one of the campaign’s best offensive rebounding squads. And with John Collins and Clint Capela feasting on the inside while Trae Young does his usual thing, it would be tough to knock defend them, or even outscore them because of their much-improved defense.

Final Score: Atlanta 128, Indiana 119