Continuing their return to form, the Indiana Pacers again left no doubt in a home game against a Los Angeles-based opponent, defeating the LA Clippers in blowout fashion. The Clippers entered this game having been one of the most active teams in the NBA Trade Deadline, shifting their focus towards the future with three separate trades and as many players waived.
All this shuffling effectively made Los Angeles a skeleton crew against the Pacers, limiting them to 10 players. Indiana did their best to take advantage of LA’s roster transition, shooting well to start, but were forced to contend with a perfect start from the Clippers, who hit their first 11 shots, eventually resulting in a 36-31 Pacers lead after one.