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The Indiana Pacers will host the Charlotte Hornets at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday in the Eastern Conference's first 2020-21 NBA play-in tournament game.
The Hornets were eighth before their final regular-season matchup. But a loss against another play-in tournament-bound team, the Washington Wizards, saw them slip to tenth in the standings.
The Pacers, meanwhile, who were tenth before their final game, leapfrogged the Hornets into ninth position with a win against the Toronto Raptors, which has given them homecourt advantage for this matchup.
Match Details
Fixture - Charlotte Hornets vs Indiana Pacers | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Tuesday, May 18th; 7:00 PM ET (Wednesday, May 19th, 4:30 AM IST).
Venue - Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana, IN.
Charlotte Hornets Preview
The Charlotte Hornets have struggled massively since the start of April, winning only nine of their 26 games. The Hornets lost as many as five games last week and failed to win any of their regular-season clashes since May 9th.
Thanks to their poor recent form, the Charlotte Hornets have their postseason hopes in the balance. A loss would end their season, while it would take two straight wins for them to confirm their place in the playoffs as the eighth seed.
The Charlotte Hornets started their last game strongly, leading the Wizards 36-22 after the first quarter. But they ran out of steam, getting outscored 20-36 in the fourth quarter to lose 110-115. Terry Rozier scored a team-high 22 points, while LaMelo Ball tallied 19 points on the night.
Key Player - PJ Washington
PJ Washington will likely start as the center in this game and could be up against the in-form Domantas Sabonis, who has averaged a triple-double since the beginning of May. Sabonis has been key for the Indiana Pacers at both ends of the floor, so keeping him quiet could be the key to a win for the Hornets.
If Washington does manage to keep Sabonis at bay for most of the game, the Charlotte Hornets will fancy their chances of a win. The Indiana Pacers also tend to give up quite a lot of points in the paint, which means PJ Washington will have added responsibility on Tuesday.
Charlotte Hornets Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - LaMelo Ball l Shooting Guard - Terry Rozier l Small Forward - Jalen McDaniels l Power Forward - Miles Bridges l Center - PJ Washington.
Indiana Pacers Preview
The Indiana Pacers, much like the Charlotte Hornets, also had an inconsistent campaign. The Pacers won five of their last ten games, though, and will be the more confident team heading into this clash.
Just like the Hornets, a loss would bring an end to the Indiana Pacers' NBA campaign. Nonetheless, they are coming off a win over the shorthanded Raptors and have most of their key players available for this matchup.
The Pacers beat the Raptors 113-125, with Domantas Sabonis returning to the lineup after missing the Lakers game because of a quad injury scare. Sabonis fared well, playing 39 minutes and tallying 25 points, 16 rebounds and five assists on the night.
The Indiana Pacers took control of the game in the second quarter and didn't slacken their grip despite a late rally from the Raptors.
Key Player - Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert will have his hands full against LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier of the Charlotte Hornets. The duo has been key in the Hornets' offense, which means LeVert will need to produce a big outing for the Indiana Pacers.
LeVert has been in good recent form, averaging 27.3 points per contest while shooting at 45.7% from the field, including 42.1% from the deep, in his last nine appearances.
With Sabonis firing on all cylinders as well, the Pacers' duo could create problems for the Hornets from the get-go.
Indiana Pacers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Malcolm Brogdon l Shooting Guard - Caris LeVert l Small Forward - Edmond Sumner l Power Forward - Doug McDermott l Center - Domantas Sabonis.
Hornets vs Pacers Prediction
The Indiana Pacers will be the marginal favorites in this game, as they are in better recent form than the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Hornets have beaten the Pacers twice this campaign and could provide a formidable challenge to the Pacers. Thus, an evenly contested game could ensue.
Where to watch the Hornets vs Pacers game?
The game between the Charlotte Hornets and the Indiana Pacers will be televised nationally on TNT. The match can also be streamed live with an NBA League Pass.
