The Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat meet for the second straight matchup tonight at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. On Friday night, Miami rolled over Indiana in their own backyard defeating them 124-111, in NBA Cup action. All-Star center Bam Adebayo had his best game of the season so far scoring 30 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and 5 steals, even dishing out seven assists.
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The win was a crucial bounce-back for the Heat, who were coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Pistons due to a critical error by head coach Erik Spoelstra in the game’s final moments. Reflecting on that defeat, Adebayo shared, “It really weighs on you when you lose games like that, especially the way we lost. I know it weighed on us, but it definitely weighed on our coach a lot.”
The Pacers, now 5-7 for the season, have dropped two consecutive games. Following their loss to the Heat, head coach Rick Carlisle took full accountability for the team’s lackluster performance, stating, “I didn’t have these guys ready to play, so put the responsibility on me. I’ve got to do a better job getting these guys prepared. It was embarrassing.” Carlisle also emphasized the need for adjustments before their next game on Sunday.
As for tonight’s matchup, the starting lineups are expected to resemble Friday’s, with minor tweaks if necessary. Let’s dive into the latest injury reports to assess player availability and examine the depth of both squads ahead of this rematch.
Pacers vs Heat Injury Report
Miami Heat Injury Report
Heat only have a single player on their injury list, Jimmy Butler, who is ruled out for tonight’s game against the Pacers due to an ankle injury.
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
For the Pacers, Aaron Nesmith has been ruled out until December by coach Rick Carlisle due to an ankle injury. Furthermore, guard Andrew Nembhard is set to miss at least two weeks of action because of a knee injury. Isaiah Jackson will also remain absent after suffering from a torn Achilles in the game against the Pelicans. Lastly, James Wiseman who underwent a successful surgery to repair his torn left Achilles will also miss the game.
Depth Charts
Miami Heat Depth Chart
| Position | Starters | 1st Rotation | 2nd Rotation |
| PG | Terry Rozier | Josh Richardson | Tyler Herro |
| SG | Tyler Herro | Duncan Robinson | Josh Richardson |
| SF | Jimmy Butler (out) | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | Haywood Highsmith |
| PF | Kevin Love | Haywood Highsmith | Nikola Jovic |
| C | Bam Adebayo | Kel’el Ware | Kevin Love |
Indiana Pacers Depth Chart
| Position | Starters | 1st Rotation | 2nd Rotation |
| PG | Tyrese Haliburton | T.J. McConnell | Quenton Jackson |
| SG | Ben Sheppard | Johnny Furphy | Quenton Jackson |
| SF | Bennedict Mathurin | Ben Sheppard | Johnny Furphy |
| PF | Pascal Siakam | Jarace Walker | Obi Toppin |
| C | Myles Turner | Obi Toppin | Enrique Freeman |
The Miami Heat, fresh off their Friday victory over the Pacers, are likely to be near full strength for tonight’s rematch, even without Butler’s availability. This positions them as clear favorites. Meanwhile, the Pacers have been inconsistent this season. Their star, Tyrese Haliburton, is off to a slow start, and only two of their starters managed to score in double digits on Friday—a telling sign of their struggles. Miami appears poised for a comfortable win in this matchup.