Meet the Opponent: 3rd Pacers Matchup is Most Important Thus Far for Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. – Wednesday night's matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers is already the third contest between the two teams this year. Tipoff is 7 p.m. at the Kia Center.

The Magic are playing the second half of back-to-back games. They started NBA Cup group play on Tuesday with a 25-point win over the Charlotte Hornets.

The Pacers last played Sunday evening, when they bested the New York Knicks in a East playoff semifinal rematch in Indianapolis.

It's been only a week since these two teams saw each other, but their circumstances have changed. The 118-111 Pacers win on Nov. 6 capped a winless road trip for the Magic. At that low point, the Magic had cratered to a 3-6 overall record and 0-4 without leading scorer Paolo Banchero (torn right oblique).

Now, Orlando seeks its fourth straight victory and sixth at home without a loss. The Pacers and Magic will likely be close-quartered in the standings, so this matchup could prove critical in the long run.

Their fourth and final matchup isn't until game 81 of 82. But for tiebreaker purposes, it would do Orlando well to be ahead of the Pacers for most of the season.

About the Pacers

Leading Scorers

• Pascal Siakam: 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 54.4 FG%, 44.7 3PT%
• Bennedict Mathurin: 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 55.3 FG%, 50.0 3PT%
• Myles Turner: 17.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 46.6 FG%, 40.8 3PT%
• Tyrese Haliburton: 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 40.8 FG%, 27.3 3PT%

Gameday Injury News to Watch:

• Obi Toppin: Questionable (left ankle sprain)

Notable Numbers

• 20th in net rating (No. 13 offense, No. 24 defense)
• 14th in pace (99.72 possessions/48 minutes)
• 27th in rebounding% (47.5)
• 4th in eFG% (56.6)
• 6th in TS% (59.6)
• 26th in opponent FTA rate (.293)
• 26th in opponent pts in the paint (53.8)
• 21st in road point avg. point differential (-7.2)

The Pacers defense is struggling again this season, but that's perhaps to be expected without Nesmith or Nembhard in the lineup consistently and the lack of frontcourt depth. With injuries to backup bigs Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman sidelining them for the entire season, the need for bodies behind Myles Turner is glaring.

It could get worse if the Pacers are without Obi Toppin for another game due to a sprained ankle. Indiana has turned to Quenton Jackson and Enrique Freeman to fill out a sustainable rotation, but the Pacers also are relying on their healthy starters and stars to pick up the slack.

Siakam remains at a 20 point-per-game pace, and Haliburton is still finding his form. But third-year guard Bennedict Mathurin has been scoring in bunches since his elevation to the starting lineup.

In the past six games, including five starts, Mathurin is averaging 24.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists on incredible shooting efficiency – 54.7 FG% and 56.0 3PT%. He's also playing 36 minutes a game, another callback to the Pacers' shallow bench due to injury.

A week ago in Indianapolis, the Magic were torched by Jarace Walker and T.J. McConnell, who combined for 32 points on 14-of-14 shooting. They contributed to a balanced effort that saw six Indiana players score at least 15 points.

Orlando turned the ball over 16 times in that game, but forced only 11 out of the Pacers – tied for the fewest this season. The Magic's identity derives from its defense, and getting out to run in transition produces their best counterattack.

The Magic will need to steal possessions from an otherwise potent Indiana offense.