Indiana @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 13, 2019 ) Indiana 110, Atlanta 100

The Indiana Pacers finished a homestand on a sour note with a loss to Denver on Thursday night. They'll try to turn things around when they begin a stretch loaded with road games Saturday at the Atlanta Hawks.

After scoring 37 first-quarter points against the Nuggets and carrying a lead into the third quarter, Indiana faltered down the stretch in a 124-116 setback to snap a six-game home winning streak. "I felt like we had the feeling we were up more than we were," forward Domantas Sabonis told reporters. "I felt like we were just cruising because we were making shots. But those are the times we have to improve as a team and go up by 20." The lowly Hawks led by 18 early at Boston on Friday before falling 109-106. Trae Young scored 28 points but had a potential go-ahead 3-pointer blocked in the closing seconds.

TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: FS Indiana, FS Southeast

ABOUT THE PACERS (22-13): Star guard Malcolm Brogdon (back) has missed four of the last five games and will not travel on the road trip to Atlanta and Charlotte. Jeremy Lamb picked up much of the slack in Thursday's loss with a season-high 30 points while making 9-of-13 shots. Sabonis flirted with his first career triple-double before falling short with 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the loss.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (7-28): Atlanta finally got some help for Young when forward John Collins returned from a suspension just before Christmas, but the third-year man out of Wake Forest is uncertain for Saturday's game after suffering a back contusion at Boston. "I'm just begging for a break one night," coach Lloyd Pierce told reporters when asked of the injury to Collins, who had 16 points in 22 minutes. Rookie Cam Reddish continued his offensive struggles by making 1-of-6 shots against the Celtics, leaving him 2-of-15 over his last three games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pacers PG Aaron Holiday has 17 assists against two turnovers over the last two games.

2. Hawks SG Kevin Huerter averages 10.1 points per game but has at least 12 in six of his last eight contests.

3. Indiana owns a seven-game winning streak in the series after taking the first two meetings this season.

PREDICTION: Pacers 117, Hawks 109