The Indiana Pacers put their five-game winning streak on the line in a visit to Eastern Conference rivals the Philadelphia 76ers, live on Sky Sports Action in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The Pacers (18-10) sit fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and have not lost since a narrow 111-110 reverse to the Sacramento Kings on December 2. They impressively dispatched the Milwaukee Bucks 113-97, shutting down Giannis Antetokounmpo in the process, last time out.
Indiana's recent strong form has been all the more impressive given the 11-game absence of their best player, shooting guard Victor Oladipo, who was sidelined by a knee injury. Without Oladipo, the Pacers cranked up their defense (they concede less points per game than any team in the league) and relied on scoring contributions from Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Oladipo returned to the Pacers' starting line-up against Milwaukee and supplied a double-double. Keeping him 100 per cent fit will be vital as Indiana look to push on towards a top-four playoff seeding.
The Sixers (19-10), currently third in the East, will provide a stern test for the red-hot Pacers. They've won nine of their last 12 games, led by the MVP-level play of center Joel Embiid and the two-way toughness of November trade acquisition Jimmy Butler.
Philadelphia's success to date has been built on strong home form. They've won 14 of their 16 games at the Wells Fargo Center, but fell to a surprise 127-124 defeat to the visiting Brooklyn Nets last time out, a game Butler missed due to a groin issue.
Key Battle: Joel Embiid vs Myles Turner
Philly center Embiid seems to relish the opportunity to assert his dominance over rival big men - just ask Pistons' center Andre Drummond.
Following a quiet start to the season, the 6ft 11in Turner has come to life over the last week, pouring in 26 points against the Washington Wizards and 23 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He has also notched double-figure rebounds in five his last eight appearances.
None of that will worry Embiid, who is oozing confidence thanks to per game averages of 26.5 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.2 three-pointers. The charismatic Cameroonian remains at the forefront of the MVP conversation two months into the season.
Last time out
Numbers game
37.5 - That's the Pacers' three-point shooting percentage, and it's the fourth-best in the league. The issue for Indiana is they don't take or make enough shots from beyond the arc. They average 9.4 made threes (26th in the league) from 25.1 attempts (27th in the league) which impacts their offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions - 108.6, 20th in the league).
That lack of scoring punch from beyond the arc - which may well change with the return of Oladipo - has caused their reliance of defense to win games.
One to watch (Pacers): Domantas Sabonis
Lithuanian Sabonis, whose father Arvydas ranks among the greatest European players of all time, offers the Pacers efficient scoring and rugged rebounding off the bench.
The third-year forward is averaging career-highs in points (14.1) and rebounds (9.6) per game and has produced five double-double in his last nine games.
One to watch (Sixers): Ben Simmons
Simmons is a unique player, a 6ft 10in point guard with freakish athleticism who offers a genuine triple-double threat on any night.
Simmons was named NBA rookie of the year last season and his production this year is almost identical (15.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.9 assists per game), something of a worry for those who hoped his game would take another step forward - an improvement in his jump shooting from mid and long range is very much needed - in his second full season.
That said, there is so much of Simmons' game to enjoy, from his creative passing to his powerful finishing at the rim, and the Pacers will have their hands full with the Aussie playmaker.
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