Wednesday night's contest between the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic is the second time the two teams will play each other. The previous match went in favor of another up-and-coming Eastern Conference playoff contender as head coach Rick Carlisle saw his team lose.
The four-point defeat was the second in as many nights and the third in a row after opening up their season with a comeback win on the road against the Detroit Pistons. In the second installment of the Pacers vs. Magic this season, a lot is different. Different enough to give Indiana the edge and perhaps their fourth win of the year.
1. Aaron Nesmith is out, Bennedict Mathurin (should be) in
Third-year swingman Bennedict Mathurin had his best game of the season against the Boston Celtics. The Pacers' young athletic wing scored 30 points, collected 11 rebounds, and racked up four assists.
Mathurin made all but one of his 11 free-throw attempts. The next game, he was placed in the starting lineup for an injured Andrew Nembhard. Three days later, Mathurin was etched into the starting lineup again. This time for a hurt Aaron Nesmith.
In both games, Mathurin scored in double figures by making seven of his 13 field goal attempts. He pulled in 13 total boards and had six assists in the pair of games.
Nesmith has been ruled out. Last week against the Magic, he scored 10 points but struggled to do so as he made just three of his nine shots. The injured starter also fouled out in the game. He committed five fouls in the previous game the Philadelphia 76ers and did so again versus the Celtics.
Mathurin only played for 14 minutes in the first game against the Magic. With him slated to be the starting small forward on Wednesday, his minutes should go up significantly.
His ability to go off offensively could be the lone reason why Indiana avenges their four-point loss against Orlando earlier in the season. However, that is not the only reason why the odds are in the Pacers' favor.
2. The Pacers' 'Big 3' are playing much better
The tandem of Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner have played stronger as of late. Turner missed the loss on the road against the Pelicans. Collectively, the trio has found a way to fill the stat sheet with ease for Indiana.
The All-Star point guard has looked more like he did last year with four double-doubles in a row. He has scored at least 10 points and recorded 10 assists in the game against the Magic and three more to follow.
Offensive productivity must be contagious as Turner has caught fire. In the loss against the Pelicans, the Pacers' starting center returned after missing one game.
Turner scored 12 points and snatched four rebounds. In the next game, he went off for 30 points, snagged 11 rebounds, and aided on four other field goals against the Dallas Mavericks.
Former NBA champion Pascal Siakam has averaged 22.7 points a game in his last three contests. Prior to playing Orlando the first time, the Pacers' starting power forward only averaged 16 points. He scored 26 in the narrow defeat to the Magic.
Having strong showings again from these three takes the load off of the other starters, Nembhard and Mathurin. The offense has been able to score more as a team as they have averaged 129 points since the 119-115 loss against Orlando.
3. Orlando's injuries are not magical
The Magic's power forward torched the Pacers for 50 points the last time these two teams faced off against each other. He also hauled in 13 rebounds and was one assist shy of recording a triple-double.
Indiana struggled mightily keeping the former overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. Banchero netted 15 points off of his 22 free-throw attempts against Mathurin and company.
The third-year star is scheduled to be out for a month as he is recovering from an oblique tear. He is averaging 29 points a game on nearly 50% shooting. Orlando will miss his contributions on offense in addition to another big man of theirs.
Wendell Carter, Jr. is also ruled out for Wednesday's rematch against Indiana. The veteran center also had a double-double against the Pacers last time out. He tallied 10 points to go with his 11 boards. It was his fourth game in a row to open up the season with at least 10 rebounds or more for Carter Jr.
Going into Wednesday's game, Orlando has the Eastern Conference's worst offense. They are scoring just 105.1 points a contest. The absence of Banchero has been felt offensively as the Magic are on a four-game losing streak.
Indiana avoids having to defend either player for Orlando tonight. A pair of Wagners, Franz and Moritz, look to be in the starting five for the Magic. With a win, the Pacers would improve to 4-4 and break the .500 mark for the first time since the first week of the young season.