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Indiana Pacers vs Oklahoma City Thunder: NBA Match Preview, Prediction
On Friday, the Indiana Pacers will host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena to get their sixth consecutive victory.
After dropping their past three regular-season meetings against the hosts, OKC will be looking to snap a losing streak and win their fourth game after their heartbreaking loss in the 2024 NBA Final.
Previous Matches and Head-to-head
On Christmas Eve, the Indiana Pacers won 111-105 at Chase Center, capping up a three-game road trip by fending off a late rally by the Golden State Warriors.
After trailing by as many as 12 points in the third quarter, the Warriors could pull even in the fourth quarter thanks to a season-high 26 points from bench player Jonathan Kuminga, who came off the bench in Stephen Curry's 2-for-13 shooting performance.
Nevertheless, Myles Turner scored 23 points, which was good for the team average. He hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining to put Indiana up five points and give them some breathing room. This was their second victory in many games against Steve Kerr's squad since March.
Thanks to their Boxing Day victory, the Pacers had not won five consecutive games since January (including four successive road triumphs). Before this streak, they had lost five of their last six matches.
Rick Carlisle's squad has been on a roll recently, and as a result, they are now in eighth position in the Eastern Conference. They have a 0.5 winning %, meaning they have won 15 of their 30 matches and lost 15.
On Boxing Day, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Washington Wizards 123-105 at the Paycom Center, extending their lead atop the Western Conference power rankings.
Both teams traded leads throughout the game, with OKC holding a slim four-point lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Wizards lost their grip on the lead in the final period, going on a 2-19 run to open the quarter and losing their 21st game in 23 games, including 12 on the road.
At the Paycom Center, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stole the show despite Jordan Poole scoring 31 points for the Wizards. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 41 points on 56 percent shooting, his second 40-point game. He also went 10 for 10 from the charity stripe.
Three straight wins for the Thunder have followed their 97-81 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in last Wednesday's NBA Cup final, and they've won eight of their past nine games dating back to December 4.
Thanks to their remarkable streak, Mark Daigneault's squad is now 23-5, good for first place in the Western Conference. The Houston Rockets are in second place, with one game less played, but they are three victories behind.
Oklahoma will be looking for their fifth straight road win in Friday's matchup, but they'll be facing a team that has won their last three regular-season meetings, including a 126-112 triumph on April 6.
Indiana Pacers x Oklahoma City Thunder Team News
The Indiana Pacers are still missing their 23-year-old center, James Wiseman, who had surgery on his Achilles tendon in October and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
A 22-year-old attacker, Isaiah Jackson, will also miss the season as he works back to full health after tearing his Achilles tendon in November.
Forward Aaron Nesmith will sit out Friday's game and the one after that due to an ankle injury he sustained on November 2 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Adam Flagler (metacarpal), Nikola Topic (ACL), and crucial forward Chet Holmgren (hip) are still out with injuries that have sidelined the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Due to a back ailment, Alex Ducas will not be able to play, while Alex Caruso is questionable after being carted off the court in the fourth quarter of last game's loss to the Wizards.
With an average of 30.6 points per game, Gilgeous-Alexander is currently third in the league in scoring, behind only Nicola Jokic (30.9) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.7), thanks to his outstanding performance in the game described earlier.
Our predictions
Oklahoma City Thunder to win @ 1.51 on Sky247.ng
Two of the league's hottest teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, will meet on Friday after each team has gone on a hot streak. Even though we know the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena battle will be exciting, we still think OKC will pull off the win.
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