Game date, time and location: Wednesday, Mar. 25, 7:00 p.m. EST, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Indiana, FanDuel Sports Network Sun (Miami)
Radio: 93.5 FM/107.5 FM (Indiana), 104.3 FM (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), ESPN 106.3 FM, (West Palm Beach), FOX Sports Radio 105.9 FM (Ft. Myers/Naples), 1450 AM (Suart), 97.7 FM (Florida Keys), WAQI 710 AM (Spanish-language broadcast, South Florida)
VITALS: The Indiana Pacers (16-56) and Miami Heat (39-35) meet for the third and final regular season matchup. So far this season, the teams have split both previous games, 1-1, with each squad winning on their home floor. The Pacers are 77-59 all-time against the Heat during the regular season, including 52-15 in home games and 25-44 in road games.
The Pacers, on the other hand, are coming into this game as the 15th seed in the East, (one game behind the Brooklyn Nets, 1.5 games behind the Washington Wizards), and the worst record in the NBA.
The Heat, on the other hand, head into this game as the ninth seed in the East, in a virtual tie with the tenth-seeded Charlotte Hornets and half a game ahead of the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic.
PROJECTED STARTERS
PACERS
G Andrew Nembhard
G Quenton Jackson
C Jay Huff
F Pascal Siakam
F Ben Sheppard
HEAT
G Davion Mitchell
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Pelle Larsson
F Andrew Wiggins
INJURY REPORT
PACERS
Pascal Siakam: Available – Knee
Andrew Nembhard: Available – Back
Aaron Nesmith: Doubtful – Back
Obi Toppin: Available – Back/Foot
Jarace Walker: Doubtful – Back
T.J. McConnell: Available – Hamstring
Ivica Zubac: Out – Ribs
Johnny Furphy: Out – Knee
Tyrese Haliburton: Out – Achilles
Taelon Peter: Available – G League (Two-Way)
Ethan Thompson: Available – G League (Two-Way)
Jalen Slawson: Doubtful – G League (Two-Way)
HEAT
Norman Powell: Out – Illness
Trevor Keels: Out – G League/Two-Way
Jahmir Young: Out – G League/Two-Way
Vlad Goldin: Out – G League/Two-Way
Terry Rozier: Out – Not with team
Spread: Pacers +9 (-112), Heat -9 (-108)
Moneyline: Pacers +300, Heat -375
Total points scored: 244.5 (over -112, under -108)
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
QUOTABLE
Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle after loss to Los Angeles Clippers: “Pretty amazing, all that can happen within 0.4 seconds, if you think about it. But, a lot of what our season has been about is guys stepping up into situations they’ve never been in before.”
“Whether it’s depth players playing during crunch-time or a situation like Jay [Huff] going to the line with 0.1 [seconds] in a one-point game and he’s never done that in an NBA game and he will learn from that. We had some other mistakes down the stretch that were costly, those are things we must learn from.”
Alexander Toledo is a contributor to Indiana Pacers On SI and producer/co-host of the Five on the Floor podcast, covering the Miami Heat and NBA. He can be reached at Twitter: @tropicalblanket
