The Pacers face the Clippers’ defensive Buzzsaw.

The Indiana Pacers welcome the Los Angeles Clippers to Indianapolis on Saturday for their New Year’s Eve matinee matchup.

Indiana are looking to win their third straight and fifth in their last six games as they continue down the homestretch. The Pacers have won 3 of his 4 straight games at home, including 8 of his 10 at Indianapolis.

They started the stretch with a high-scoring victory, beating Atlanta 129-114 on Tuesday and winning 135-126 against Cleveland on Thursday.

Tyrese Halliburton led the Pacers with 29 points against the Cavs. He had 9 assists to keep up the NBA-leading pace of 10.2 assists per game. Buddy Hield scored his 3 points he scored 25 points at 5/6 from range, Aaron Nesmith scored 22 and Benedict Maturin scored 23 from the bench.

Maturin’s 17.3 points per game ranks second among all NBA rookies.

“We’re a young team,” Maturin said after the win against Cleveland. “But we have a lot of good players. We also have a lot of veterans who have played a lot. They can help us in tough situations.”

Indiana has been one of the NBA surprises this season, mixing youthful energy with veteran leadership. Maturin and his third-year guards Halliburton and Nesmith are joined by seventh-year guard Hield, eighth-year center Myles Turner, and eighth-year Reserve Spark his plug. It has been blended with the experience of major veterans such as TJ McConnell.

Indiana is averaging nearly 115 points per game, jumping more than 3 points per game from a season ago. The Pacers tested their improved offense in Saturday’s meeting with one of the NBA’s best defensive teams, the Clippers.

Los Angeles are in their fifth straight road game against Indiana, with seven of eight away from home, holding the opponent to 108.8 points.

The Clippers suffered a 116-110 loss in Boston, but dropped their game record when an opponent scored 115 or more points to go 3-8. They were his 18-8 when he held opponents to 114 points or less, including his 114-110 victory over Indiana on November 27.

Los Angeles played without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in their last matchup against the Pacers, but Ivica Zubak carried the load with a season-high 31 points and a career-high 29 rebounds.

Zubak had a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, while Leonard and George (former All-NBA winner Clippers tandem) posted 26 and 24 points, respectively.

Leonard returned to the lineup on December 5 and played consistently through sporadic absences, missing three games. He scored 25 or more points four times while increasing his playing time.

Thursday’s 36:53 was Leonard’s longest run of the season.

Leonard said via Los Angeles after Thursday’s loss. Angeles Times.

–Field level media