Indiana @ Denver preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 2, 2020 ) Denver 124, Indiana 116

The Indiana Pacers continue to distribute the shots based on the hot hand and are winning with a team effort while they await the imminent return of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo. The Pacers will try to find a hand hot enough to get them around the Nuggets when they visit Denver on Sunday.

Indiana leaned on small forward T.J. Warren on Friday and was rewarded with 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting in a 116-114 victory over Minnesota, which improved the team to 17-5 at home. "He can score anywhere possible," Pacers guard Jeremy Lamb told reporters of Warren. "He can score off the dribble, catch and shoot, floaters, threes, pullups, the post, however you want it, he'll give it to you." Indiana is 10-10 on the road and is beginning a five-game trip at Denver, which owns a 17-5 record at home and comes in riding a three-game winning streak after holding off the Golden State Warriors in a 134-131 overtime victory on Thursday. The Nuggets were missing three starters - guard Jamal Murray (ankle), forward Paul Millsap (knee) and swingman Gary Harris (groin) - on Thursday and are hoping to get one or two back for Sunday's contest, though Murray will be out for the "foreseeable future," according to coach Michael Malone.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: FS Indiana, Altitude, TSN5

ABOUT THE PACERS (27-15): Warren led the team in scoring on Friday but when it came down to the final shot, point guard Malcolm Brogdon was the player who stepped up. Brogdon capped a 12-point, 10-assist effort against the Timberwolves with a tiebreaking runner down the stretch. "It's a privilege," Brogdon told reporters. "Being the closer, sometimes it's about making the last shot, but sometimes it's about making the right play ... making the right pass. So, my teammates, this organization, my coach, they trust me with the ball and I'm going to continue to try to make good decisions."

ABOUT THE NUGGETS (29-12): Denver's injury issues gave the team a chance to show off the depth of its lineup on Thursday, and Malik Beasley, Mason Plumlee and Michael Porter Jr. all enjoyed big games off the bench. Plumlee (15 points, 15 rebounds) and Porter (18 points, 10 boards) each recorded a double-double while Beasley broke out for a season-high 27 points in 39 minutes. "It was so fun, it was good to be in there late game like that," Porter told reporters. "... It was just fun because we were battling back and everybody was playing hard, and we knew, we all knew we were going to come back."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pacers reserve PG Aaron Holiday scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting on Friday after going scoreless at Minnesota on Wednesday.

2. Nuggets G Will Barton scored a season-high 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting Thursday.

3. Denver earned a 124-116 win at Indiana on Jan. 2 behind 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting from Porter.

PREDICTION: Nuggets 116, Pacers 109