Portland @ Indiana preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 26, 2020 ) Indiana 129, Portland 139

The Indiana Pacers bounced back from one of their worst performances with one of their best on Tuesday, trouncing the Charlotte Hornets 119-80 at home. The Pacers will try to maintain that consistently high level of play when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.

Indiana was embarrassed in a 127-81 loss at Toronto on Sunday but looked like a different team at home on Tuesday, shooting 57 percent from the floor while holding the Hornets to 33 percent. "I didn't see the Toronto game coming, where we never really established ourselves," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "I really felt that we were going to go up there and win that game. I felt we could beat that team, but they totally smacked us. But I loved our response tonight. We were all about business and we put together a really solid 48-minute game and I thought we were connected out there at both ends of the floor and it looked like they were having some fun but without trying to embarrass anyone." The Trail Blazers are trying to make a run at a playoff spot in the Western Conference but fell for the fourth time in five games with a 118-106 setback at home against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. "It's our reality, so we've got to figure out how to get as many wins as possible starting in Indiana and progressing forward," Portland guard CJ McCollum told reporters.

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: TNT, NBCS Northwest, NBA TV Canada

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (26-33): Portland is still missing All-Star point guard Damian Lillard (groin), who sat out the last five games and could stay behind to continue rehab while the team takes off for a three-game road trip. The Trail Blazers enter play on Wednesday three games behind the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference and are 10-20 on the road and will face two teams in the top eight in the East - Indiana and Orlando - on the trip before playing seven of the following eight at home. McCollum is doing his best Lillard impression over the last three games and is averaging 32 points and 10.7 assists in that span.

ABOUT THE PACERS (34-24): All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis led six scorers in double figures with 21 points and narrowly missed a triple-double with 15 rebounds and nine assists in Tuesday's win. "You know, coach just wanted us to come out with a different mentality," Sabonis told reporters. "After an embarrassing night last game, we just wanted to come in and set the tone early." Indiana took the floor on Tuesday without guard Jeremy Lamb (12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds), who is expected to miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Pacers C Myles Turner recorded a career-high eight blocked shots on Tuesday.

2. Trail Blazers C Hassan Whiteside collected 18 points and 19 rebounds on Tuesday in his seventh consecutive double-double.

3. Portland owns a five-game winning streak in the series, including a 139-129 triumph over Indiana at home on Jan. 26.

PREDICTION: Pacers 116, Trail Blazers 112