Key Player Will Set Tone for Indiana Pacers vs. Denver Nuggets

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Feb 24, 2025 2:05 PM ET

On Monday night, the Indiana Pacers will host the Denver Nuggets. The Nikola Jokic-led team is coming off an embarrassing loss to the new-look Los Angeles Lakers but has been one of the better teams in the NBA over the last few weeks, despite the loss.

Of course, Jokic plays a central part in the Nuggets' success, and the three-time MVP has continued to play at an elite level. While the Pacers can't hope to stop him, they can aim to contain him, similarly to how they faced James Harden in last night's win over the Clippers.

Jokic is one of the few players in the NBA who is truly elite at everything. If the Pacers clog the paint, he can shoot from deep. If they negate his scoring, he becomes the best passer in the league, and, on top of that, is averaging 12.7 rebounds per game this season.

Since returning from a neck injury and the All-Star Break, Myles Turner has averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, and 4.5 blocks. Granted, the sample size is only two games, but the Pacers will need him to bring the best version of his defense to the contest if they plan on slowing down Jokic, which is always the key to beating the Nuggets.

The Pacers enter the game as five-point underdogs, and tipoff is scheduled for 7:10 PM EST. The game--weirdly--is not going to be broadcast nationally despite two of the better teams in the league facing off, although it can be streamed on NBA League Pass.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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