Pacers vs. Jazz Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats09:00 PM
by Gracenote on 01/14/2018

The surging Indiana Pacers look to match the offensive efficiency from the opener of their five-game road trip when they visit the struggling Utah Jazz on Monday. The Pacers, who led by 30 points after three quarters, shot 54.5 percent and drained 11 of their 23 attempts from 3-point range while seven players scored in double figures en route to Sunday's 120-97 rout at Phoenix.

"We wanted to start the road trip off right," Indiana coach Nate McMillan told reporters after his team committed just six turnovers. "I thought defensively we were focused, making them earn everything they got. Offensively, we had good ball movement, and we were pretty consistent with that all night." The Pacers hope to take advantage of an injury-depleted Jazz squad that has dropped four of its last five contests and is 4-14 since starting the season with 13 wins in 24 games. Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell poured in 35 points and is averaging 24.3 over his last six games, but Utah managed to score just 16 in the fourth quarter before suffering a 99-88 setback at Charlotte on Friday. The Jazz lost more than the game as Thabo Sefolosha, who is averaging 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, suffered a right knee injury and may need season-ending surgery.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Utah)

ABOUT THE PACERS (23-20): Leading scorer Victor Oladipo was limited to 21 minutes in Sunday's blowout win but still finished with 17 points and is averaging 20 in five games since returning from a four-game injury absence during which Indiana failed to record a victory. Darren Collison is 17-for-25 from the field and averaging 20.5 points over his last two games after scoring just seven in Wednesday's loss to Miami. Myles Turner (13.9 points) missed his third straight game Sunday due to an elbow injury as Domantas Sabonis, who was questionable with a shoulder ailment, grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds in his place.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (17-25): Mitchell turned over the ball four times late in the game at Charlotte, but the Louisville product tops the team with 18.8 points per contest and is averaging 3.4 assists. "We try to not put a ceiling on him, one way or the other," coach Quin Snyder told the Salt Lake Tribune on Friday. "From that standpoint, he continues to get better. He struggled late in a playmaking position. But he's figuring things out." Rodney Hood is second on the team in scoring (16.5), but the former Duke standout is shooting just 33 percent over his last six games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Utah SF Royce O'Neale recorded his first career double-double on Friday with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

2. Indiana veteran C Al Jefferson reached double figures for the third time this season on Sunday with 10 points.

3. The Pacers won the last meeting 107-100 in March after the Jazz had captured three straight in the series, which is tied at 42-42.

PREDICTION: Pacers 110, Jazz 96