Indiana's injury list is worse on paper. Tyrese Haliburton has a mild left hamstring strain, and Rick Carlisle says he'll miss at least 2 weeks. Ivica Zubac sprained his left ankle in the Oct. 25 win at Brooklyn and hasn't played since. Ben Sheppard is out for months after meniscus surgery. T.J. McConnell and Johnny Furphy are both working back through the G League. The Pacers dressed only 11 players in Miami after Obi Toppin was a late scratch with a back issue, and as of Sunday they've lost 3 straight.
One thing is still undecided. Indiana hosts Brooklyn first, so this is the second night of a home back-to-back for the Pacers, and the Nets game will shape what's left of their rotation. The Nets came into Sunday 0-5, and the Pacers already beat them 136-109 back in October. How many minutes Indiana's thin roster has to play on Sunday matters as much as the result. Atlanta last played Saturday, so the Hawks get a day off before tipoff.
The Miami loss shows how the Pacers have been playing. They scored 42 in the 1st quarter, then got outscored 109-83 the rest of the way in a 145-125 defeat. A short rotation can keep up for a quarter but not for 48 minutes, and the second game of a back-to-back makes that harder. Atlanta's problem is similar but starts earlier: both the Pelicans and the Heat built leads on the Hawks fast, and Atlanta never caught up.
Tipoff is 7:30 PM ET. Before then, watch the Hawks' injury report for Johnson's ankle and Landale's hip, and watch how many minutes Indiana's starters play against Brooklyn. Both teams have defended poorly and both rosters are short, which usually means a high-scoring game decided by bench depth. Whichever team gets better news on Sunday will be in the better spot on Monday.
