Short-handed Pacers visit Jazz looking to end two-game skid
SALT LAKE CITY -- Efforts to carry on without injured guard Victor Oladipo aren't going as well as the Indiana Pacers hoped.
Oladipo's absence has been felt as other injuries continue to pile up. Oladipo, Indiana's leading scorer at 21.4 points per game, has been sidelined with a knee injury over the last three contests. Now the Pacers find themselves searching for an end to a two-game losing streak heading into a clash with the Utah Jazz on Monday night.
Indiana's 121-94 victory over Utah a week ago offered the lone bright spot for the team during Oladipo's absence. Losses to Charlotte and San Antonio showed the team has regressed defensively without Oladipo. Both teams shot over 50 percent against the Pacers.
Complicating matters are ankle injuries to Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis. Like Oladipo, both players are listed as questionable against the Jazz.
"You have injuries, but guys have to step in and play," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told the team's official website after Friday's loss to the Spurs. "Regardless of what those guys do, we were without them (Friday night) and we have to learn to play without them."
Turner sat out against San Antonio, while Sabonis tried to play through the ankle injury. His effectiveness and mobility were limited. The absence of Oladipo and Turner also impaired the defense.
San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge capitalized with 33 points and 14 rebounds.
"We didn't do a good job of challenging his catches," McMillan told the Pacers' website. "They were pretty much able to run their offense, get the ball where they wanted to. When guys get the ball in their sweet spots, it's going to be tough to stop them."
Keeping up with the Pacers won't be an easy task for a Jazz team that could also be without its top player. Donovan Mitchell suffered a rib contusion in the second quarter of Utah's 90-83 loss to the Lakers on Friday.
Mitchell did not play Sunday against the Kings. His status against Indiana is uncertain.
Mitchell's absence creates a major hole in the Jazz offense. The second-year guard leads Utah with 20.6 points per game. Five other players average double figures in points, led by Rudy Gobert at 14.9 points per game.
That's not a good sign for the Jazz, who have endured continued spells of poor shooting and a dearth of points since mid-November. It's one reason Utah has lost five of seven entering the rematch with Indiana.
Still, the Jazz are not panicking over a slow start to the season.
"There's no drama with this group," Utah coach Quin Snyder told the team's official website. "They're focused on what they need to do. We just need to be more consistent."
The Jazz were able to take some positive steps in Mitchell's absence with their 133-112 win over Sacramento. Ricky Rubio scored 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting before halftime to give Utah's offense an early lift. Rubio finished with 27. Gobert and Joe Ingles also chipped in 18 points apiece. The trio combined for 16 assists.
It's a far different story than what happened to Utah when the Jazz played Indiana a week ago. Rubio had a big game, scoring a season-high 28 points, but he didn't get much help on the offensive end, allowing Indiana to pull away in the fourth quarter.
