Atlanta @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 10, 2019 ) Indiana 135, Atlanta 134

The Indiana Pacers have found the right balance on offense with multiple contributors helping lead the way, a major factor why they have won 11 of their past 14 games entering Friday’s home contest against the Atlanta Hawks. Wednesday’s 121-102 home triumph over Utah was just another example, as Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Warren each scored 23 points and Malcolm Brogdon sparked a fourth-quarter run in finishing with 22 points and eight assists.

“When you have a number of guys who can score and they’re offensive-minded, what you have to get is that team to sacrifice,” Indiana coach Nate McMillan told the media after the Pacers' fourth straight victory. “These guys are sacrificing right now.” Jeremy Lamb added 18 points and six assists for Indiana, which finished with 23 assists against just 12 turnovers and shot 52.1 percent from the field. The Hawks played one of their better games of the season Wednesday but the result was all too familiar, a 111-102 defeat at Milwaukee sending Atlanta to its eighth loss in a row and 14th in the past 16 games. “The fourth quarter is where we lost, so I’d rather have the momentum at the right time,” Atlanta forward Jabari Parker told reporters after scoring a season-high 33 points, only two coming in the final 12 minutes.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Indiana

ABOUT THE HAWKS (4-14): Parker also recorded a season-high 14 rebounds Wednesday, finishing 13-for-23 from the field, and in his first season with Atlanta is averaging 17.8 points on 51.8 percent shooting. Point guard Trae Young is third in the NBA in assists at 8.6, scoring 29 points on 12-for-24 shooting, and is averaging a team-leading 26.7 points. Atlanta is last in the league in 3-point shooting (31.3 percent) and next-to-last in fewest turnovers (17.8).

ABOUT THE PACERS (11-6): Brogdon is averaging a team-best 19 points per game and ranks fourth in the NBA in assists (8.1), while Sabonis is averaging 18.9 points and sits fifth in the league in rebounding (13.3). Warren has scored 49 points across his past two games, shooting 21-for-31 from the field and 5-for-9 from 3-point range. Indiana ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring defense (103.8 points) and 10th in 3-point shooting (36.3 percent).

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The 111 points Atlanta allowed Wednesday is the fewest an opponent has scored in its past 11 games.

2. Brogdon missed his first free-throw attempt Wednesday, snapping a streak of 44 consecutive makes.

3. Indiana swept the season series from Atlanta in 2018-19, and has won five in a row and nine of its last 10 against the Hawks.

PREDICTION: Pacers 114, Hawks 104