New Orleans vs Indiana Prediction: It's No Problem to Reach the Total

The Pelicans already faced the Pacers this season, and even with a fully optimal roster they failed to take on their opponent. Now New Orleans will play at home - can they get revenge?

The Pelicans have played their last two regular season games without Zion Williamson and have won two games, but it's hard to find a direct pattern here. Yet New Orleans' opponents in both games were not top-10 teams in the West, while San Antonio finished in last place. The Pelicans themselves are tied for 2nd place with Memphis, with only Denver ahead of them. Brandon Ingram is still injured, and Larry Nance Jr. may be back: his participation in the Indiana game is questionable.

Willie Green's squad has played a balanced game on both ends of the floor for the season as a whole. The Pelicans are ranked No. 6 in the NBA in both defensive and offensive ratings, but in games against the Thunder and Spurs, the offense came out on top. CJ McCollum took out San Antonio almost single-handedly, but against Oklahoma, he fell, hitting just 5 of 18 shots from the field. His teammates had plenty of help: Trey Murphy made five three-pointers, Jaxson Hayes made 8 of 9 field goals, and seven New Orleans players had at least 10 points on the night. Importantly, the team constantly fouled their opponent and earned 40 free throws.

The Pacers are struggling to stay in the play-in zone, and their place in the top 10 looks fully deserved. Indiana doesn't look down on any authority, and in their last two games, they've beaten Miami and Boston. Tyreese Haliburton, in his recent game against the Heat, had one of the best performances of his career, hitting ten three-pointers and adding seven assists to his 43 points. More importantly, Hield's 7 made three-pointers in the game with the Floridians also proved invaluable. The final score was 111-108, a win for Indiana.

Indiana's current results largely determined how the team would change over the course of the season. Trading Buddy Hield and Myles Turner is still a possibility, but even without the high-profile trades, the team is slowly rebuilding. Aaron Nesmith is already playing a steady 30 minutes, and he has averaged 14 points in the last two weeks. Isaiah Jackson is increasingly sitting his pants on the bench, Jalen Smith's playing time has decreased, and Oshae Brissett is out in the dunks. Chris Duarte is back from injury, and a throwing defensive player certainly won't be out of place for a top-10 East contender.

With Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton in good shape, Indiana is capable of inconveniencing any opponent. Rick Carlyle's men had good timing at the arc in the game against Miami, but now they need to focus on playing under the basket, as Zion Williamson is in the NBA's top 3 in points scored from the paint for a reason. That didn't go over well last time, but the Pacers put on a great offensive performance and won 129-122. You don't have to be a superstar to reach the total, so we can expect a high-scoring performance this time, too.

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