Indiana Pacers – New Orleans Pelicans: who will be the best 15th seed ?
A showdown between two strugglers — the Pacers and the Pelicans — both sitting at the bottom of their conferences. Still, it could be more watchable than you think. Plenty of talent on both rosters. Momentum, oddly enough, is trending up for each club.
Indiana Pacers: take care of business at home 
The Pacers have three wins in their last four, including a tight one over Boston (98-96) built on serious defensive work. That result feels like an outlier for an Indiana side that likes to play fast — same vibe when Tyrese Haliburton’s out there — and this season that speed has mostly exposed a lagging defense: 118,3 points allowed per game, putting them in the lower third of the league.
Offense is where they really struggle. Third-worst scoring in the league at just 110,6 points per game, Indiana flat-out has trouble putting the ball in the hole. The team shooting percentage tells the tale: 44,2% on the season, dead last in the NBA. Still, there’s been signs of life lately — they lit up the Heat (123-99) — and when they’re hitting, they become dangerous fast.
New Orleans Pelicans: on the verge of another streak? 
The Pelicans have found a bit of form, beating the Nets (116-113), and they have a golden chance to follow up with a second straight win — only the third time this season they’d do that. On the road, they’re a mess: three wins in 18 away games, one of the worst records in the league.
Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III can carry the offense in turn, and their chemistry has shown up recently. But as a unit the offense is messy. Defensively it’s worse: 122,2 points allowed per game. Injuries for this matchup don’t help — Jose Alvarado, Herb Jones and Dejounte Murray are out. Against Indiana, any lapse in focus will be punished; the Pacers can exploit mistakes and make the scoreboard jump.
NBA Pick Indiana Pacers vs New Orleans Pelicans
Over 235,5 points
Two of the league’s worst defenses face off, so it makes sense to expect offensive fireworks. Even if the Pacers have shown they can lock in defensively at times, the odds they repeat that level are low. The Pelicans will struggle to contain Pascal Siakam and the Pacers don’t have a clear answer for Zion Williamson or Trey Murphy III. Expect a high score.
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