Atlanta vs Indiana: Pacers lose motivation

The game against Atlanta may be Indiana's last chance to stay in the playoff race. Will the Pacers take revenge on the Hawks for their defeat in the last game?

Trae Young is having a brilliant season, and he deservedly made the starting five for the All-Star Game, but his teammates have been less consistent. Injuries plague De'Andre Hunter, Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic, and John Collins doesn't exactly fill the role of No. 2 star. The club could use some trade to climb above the current 10th place in the Eastern Conference. By the way, Collins' participation is now in question, and Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari may not play.

The Hawks have suffered three losses in their last four games. Nate McMillan's team lost 94-103 away to Dallas the day before. Young's play was poor this time, hitting just 6-of-19 shots from the field. Long-distance attempts were disappointing, and his 15 offensive rebounds did little for Atlanta. John Collins was the highest scorer on the team with 22 points.

The Pacers are almost out of the playoff race. The team is only 13th in the Eastern Conference, six wins behind the top 10. The exchange of Caris LeVert has only confirmed Indiana's intentions to go into a rebuild, and indeed Myles Turner is about to leave the club. One of the best ring defenders in the league has yet to hit the floor: Turner was injured, and Indiana planned to save him until the trade deadline. T.J. Warren and T.J. McConnell remain in the infirmary, and they were joined the day before by Ricky Rubio, who is out for the rest of the season. Malcolm Brogdon, Isaiah Jackson and Terry Taylor are all questionable.

Rick Carlisle's men are coming off seven losses in their last nine games, and the day before, they lost on the road to Cleveland, 85-98. Domantas Sabonis wasn't particularly noticeable on offense, and amid the losses, that made all the difference. Dwayne Washington and Justin Holiday shot just under 50% from the field, while Chris Duarte scored 22 points.

The Hawks just recently gave a series of 7 wins in a row so that the team as a whole is ready to face serious challenges. The same cannot be said for Indiana, who are without one of their top offensive options after the trade of Levert. Clint Capela isn't likely to give much room for Sabonis, and the Pacers are already made up of nearly half the players who haven't been around in the NBA recently. Even with Brogdon and LeVert, Indiana came short in their last meeting at home. It's going to be tougher now. I suggest betting on the following outcomes:

• Handicap 1 (-8.5) for 1.53;
• Total Over 226.5 points for 1.85;
• Trae Young: Total over 27.5 points for 1.95.