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Match details
Fixture: Sacramento Kings vs Indiana Pacers
Date & Time: Saturday 5th October - 9:00 AM (ET) / 6:30 PM (IST)
Venue: NSCI Dome, India
Match overview
What transpired during Game 1 was unprecedented. The playoff-like intensity and crunch plays spread out through the second half (and overtime) made India's very first NBA game unforgettable in every sense fathomable. The Pacers made a valiant comeback and edged past their opponents for a gritty win, setting up an even more exciting matchup for today.
The Kings must be writhing in pain on having failed to maintain a 21-point lead and would be desperate to even it up for their fans in India. Meanwhile, Sabonis and the Pacers would love to build upon their hard-fought victory yesterday and sweep the NBA India games before flying out.
Key players
Sacramento Kings - Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield showed why he was the team's leading scorer during the last season. His expertise in efficiently attempting unmakeable shots was outlined yet again when he dropped a team-high total of 28 points in Game 1. His ability to get buckets at regular intervals for his squad irrespective of the circumstances was on full display throughout the 32 minutes he spent on the court. The Kings will expect him to close out the next game and carry over his offensive prowess to the regular season as well.
Indiana Pacers - TJ Warren
There couldn't have been a better situation for TJ Warren to announce his arrival on the Pacers stage. The former Phoenix Suns player took over in his very first game with Indiana, stacking up a game-high total of 30 points - which included five three-pointers and heaps of clutch shots in the fourth period and overtime. His scoring game is outstanding, and if he fits with the roster in the future just as well as he did yesterday, good things await the Pacers.
Predicted starting lineups
Sacramento Kings: De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes, Marvin Bagley III, Bogdan Bogdanovic
Indiana Pacers: Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, TJ Warren
Match prediction
The Pacers' maturity outshined Sacramento and is bound to play a major role in Game 2 as well. However, the Kings would be looking to draw first blood with their signature runs, and unlike Game 1, hustle towards the keeping the advantage this time around. Despite the turnaround witnessed yesterday, odds (although slimmer now) are still in favor of the Kings scraping out a win for themselves.
