Atlanta @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 28, 2018 ) Indiana 102, Atlanta 107

The Indiana Pacers find themselves in the midst of a key stretch as they battle for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference, hosting the Atlanta Hawks on Friday before four consecutive games against playoff contenders. The Pacers’ three-game winning streak ended with Wednesday’s 104-84 home loss to Utah, moving Indiana into a fourth-place tie with Washington – 1 ½ games out of third place but just three games ahead of the conference’s final playoff spot.

Wednesday is a performance the Pacers are eager to put behind them, after scoring just 15 points in the fourth quarter and finishing the night with only 12 assists. “I didn’t think we were able to disrupt them at all on the defensive end of the floor,” Pacers coach Nate McMillan told the media after the loss. Atlanta entered Thursday tied with Orlando and Brooklyn for worst record in the East, but has won two of its past four and pushed conference leader Toronto for three quarters of a 106-90 loss Tuesday. “For three quarters it was some of the most competitive, best basketball we played on both ends,” Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters after the game, in which the Hawks were outscored 30-13 in the final 12 minutes.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Atlanta), FS Indiana

ABOUT THE HAWKS (20-45): Top scorer Dennis Schroder is on pace to become the fourth Atlanta player to average 19-plus points and six-plus assists per game (19.3 points, 6.1 assists). Rookie John Collins, who scored 14 points in the Toronto loss, ranks seventh in the NBA in field-goal percentage (57.8 percent) while averaging 10.3 points and seven rebounds per contest. The Hawks are second in the league in forced turnovers per game (16) and points off turnovers (18.7).

ABOUT THE PACERS (37-28): Leading scorer Victor Oladipo averages 23.8 points per game, but has scored just 27 points in his past two games on 11-of-38 shooting from the field. Center Myles Turner led Indiana with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting against Utah, rebounding from a five-point night in Monday’s win against Milwaukee. The Pacers have won 11 of their past 14 home games and are 18-9 overall since Jan. 6.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Oladipo recorded five steals Wednesday, and the NBA leader (2.22 per game) is averaging 3.6 per contest in his past 10 games.

2. Collins leads all NBA rookies in blocked shots per game (1.1), ranks second in field-goal percentage and is tied for third in rebounding.

3. The Pacers have won two of three meetings with Atlanta this season, including a 116-93 home victory on Feb. 23 before the Hawks prevailed 107-102 in Atlanta five days later.

PREDICTION: Pacers 108, Hawks 94