Meet the Opponent: Pacers Part II Is Magic's Last Test on Winless Road Trip

The Orlando Magic, struggling to create offense without injured leading scorer Paolo Banchero, play the second of four games this season with the Indiana Pacers.

Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) is guarded by Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) in the first quarter at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS – The Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night square off for the second time this season in the final stop on the Magic's disastrous five-game road trip. Tipoff is 7 p.m. ET.

In the first matchup between these two teams, Orlando needed all 50 of All-Star forward Paolo Banchero's points in a 119-115 Magic victory. Much has changed since Oct. 28.

Two nights later in Chicago, Banchero tore his right oblique in the fourth quarter of a 102-99 loss to the Bulls. Minus their leading scorer, who is expected to miss a minimum four to six weeks, the Magic dropped the next three road games, each by double-digit margins..

Indiana has endured a Jekyll and Hyde start. There have been impressive wins over NBA Finals participants Boston and Dallas and losses to Philadelphia and New Orleans. The Pacers' 134-127 win Monday evening over the Mavericks — a performance reminiscent of the NBA's most efficient offense last season — makes Indiana another daunting challenge for a Magic side struggling to generate offense.

About the Pacers

Leading Scorers

• Pascal Siakam: 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists
• Myles Turner: 17.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists
• Bennedict Mathurin: 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists
• Tyrese Haliburton: 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists
• Obi Toppin: 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists

Injury News to Watch

• Andrew Nembhard: Questionable (left knee soreness)

Notable Numbers

• 20th in net rating (13th offense, 26th defense)
• t-1st in assist percentage (20.4)
• 22nd in rebounding percentage (48.9)
• 4th in eFG% (56.5)
• 9th in pace (101.06 possessions/48 minutes)
• 27th in opponent turnover percentage (12.7)
• 24th in %FGA 3PT (36.7), 25th in %PTS 3PT (29.7)
• 8th in %PTS on fastbreak (15.0)

While Tyrese Haliburton still struggles to find his All-NBA form from a season ago, Pascal Siakam has looked far and away the best player on this year's Pacers team. Indiana potentially has the two best players on the floor Wednesday night.

The Pacers, like the Magic, leaned on continuity this offseason when considering their approach to roster construction. It's largely the same core from a year ago when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Most "additions" came in the form of a player returning from injury, i.e. Mathurin.

The Pacers will be without Aaron Nesmith, their best defender.

This Pacers offense still hasn't yet blossomed into the frenetic scoring machine that took the NBA by storm a season ago, but a 134-point showing two nights ago that featured seven double-digit scorers could be a sign that Rick Carlisle's team is finding a groove.

In the Oct. 28 matchup in Orlando, Siakam had 26 points and nine rebounds, and Haliburton was a rebound away from a triple-double.

The depth behind starting center Myles Turner is thin, with reserves Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman already losing their seasons to torn Achilles injuries. Orlando won't have the 6-foot-10, 250-pound wrecking ball that is Banchero or starting center Wendell Carter Jr. (left foot plantar fasciitis), so big men Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner, as well as defensive stopper Jonathan Isaac, will handle the forward minutes for the Magic.

The task facing Orlando to avoid a winless swing on the road and 3-6 start is considerable. Shotmaking the past two starts has abandoned the Magic, who scored in the 80s while making only 13 of 75 three-point attempts. But coach Jamahl Mosley says their process in creating those open looks is good.

Now, can they knock down enough shots to get a "W" against their Eastern Conference rival?

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

• MAGIC-PACERS TV INFO: How to watch Orlando and Indiana do battle inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening. CLICK HERE
• MAGIC-PACERS INJURY REPORT: Both Orlando and Indiana will be without key contributors for Wednesday night's matchup. CLICK HERE
• MAGIC-THUNDER RECAP: The Magic got "phenomenal looks" Jamahl Mosley said, but they didn't have the points to show for it in a 16-point loss to OKC. CLICK HERE
• TdS SHINES WITH ALTERED ROTATIONS: Magic rookie Tristan da Silva got his first moments of real playing time Friday night in Cleveland and made the most of it. CLICK HERE
• OPPORTUNITY IN BANCHERO'S UNWELCOME INJURY: "What we talked about this morning as a group was, it sucks," Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of the torn oblique injury that will sideline All-Star Paolo Banchero. At the same time, "it's an opportunity for guys to step up in their role." CLICK HERE
• MAGIC BURNING QUESTIONS AFTER PAOLO'S INJURY: The outlook for the Orlando Magic's 2024-25 season shifted Thursday night as they face a lengthy stretch without their do-everything All-Star. CLICK HERE
• BANCHERO OUT INDEFINITELY: A torn right oblique will sideline Paolo Banchero for the foreseeable future. DETAILS
• MAGIC'S 2024-25 SCHEDULE: See the complete slate for the Orlando Magic in 2024-25 and all the details – dates, locations, TV, tip times, and more – that you need to know. CLICK HERE

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