The two games will be what preseason games tend to be, meaningful opportunities to learn about the roster and prepare for the regular season. But the flight to those games might be the most valuable aspect of the Pacers' trip to Mumbai, India next week.
The team and assorted franchise personnel leave Tuesday, Oct. 1 on a 16-hour jaunt to a country that never has hosted an NBA game, preseason or otherwise. The Pacers will play Sacramento on Oct. 4 and 5 beginning at 9:30 a.m., EST, following a few days of rest, practice, and youth clinics.
"We feel like we're pioneers," Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said in a conference call on Thursday.