NBA Summer League 2021: Atlanta Hawks vs Indiana Pacers Prediction & Match Preview – August 10th, 2021

The Atlanta Hawks and the Indiana Pacers are looking for their first win in the NBA Summer League 2021 when they face off in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday night. Both teams are coming off losses in Las Vegas Summer League play.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks in a squeaker, 85-83, on Sunday. The Hawks gave up a three-pointer in transition to the Celtics’ Romeo Langford, which resulted in an 83-81 lead with 11.1 seconds remaining.

The Atlanta Hawks were led by rookie Jalen Johnson, who was the No. 20 overall pick of the 2021 draft. He had team-highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, lost to the Emmanuel Quickley-led New York Knicks, 94-86. The Pacers had two players score in the 20s, with Duane Washington Jr. scoring 23 points and Oshae Brisset contributing 22 points and seven rebounds. However, they had no answer for Quickley, who exploded for 32.

Match Details

Fixture – Atlanta Hawks vs Indiana Pacers | NBA Las Vegas Summer League 2021

Date & Time – Tuesday, August 10th, 6:00 PM ET (Wednesday, August 10th, 3:30 AM IST)

Venue – Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, NV

Atlanta Hawks Preview

When they take the floor on Tuesday, the Atlanta Hawks will have to shore up their defense. They will also have to shoot better from three-point range after shooting just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc against the Boston Celtics.

Guard Skylar Mays played well as a rookie with the Atlanta Hawks last season. He continued to show promise in the NBA Summer League, helping Jalen Johnson out with 13 points. Forward DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell also scored the same number of points.

Sharife Cooper is a capable point guard, dishing out six assists, but has to clean up his act. He had a game-high six turnovers, something he has to work on as they face the Indiana Pacers next.

Key Player – Jalen Johnson

Jalen Johnson was expected to go higher in the draft, but the Atlanta Hawks were happy to scoop him up when their turn came at No. 20.

Sporting a 7-foot wingspan, the Duke product has the tools to become a regular rotation player for the Hawks next season.

His double-double outing against the Celtics shows his versatility as he has the ability to play either forward spot. He will be a handful for the Indiana Pacers.

Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup

Point Guard – Sharife Cooper l Shooting Guard – Skylar Mays l Small Forward – DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell l Power Forward – Jalen Johnson l Center – Jordan Bell

Indiana Pacers Preview

To grab their first win in Las Vegas, the Indiana Pacers have to work on their defense, which surrendered 94 points to the New York Knicks and allowed them to shoot almost 50 percent from the field.

One thing that went really well for the Pacers was their three-point shooting. They made 13-of-28 shots from behind the arc against the Knicks for a sizzling 46.4 percent shooting.

However, Summer League is about individual players, and Washington stood out among his teammates, making 5-of-5 from long distance and hitting 8-of-9 overall from the field despite coming off the bench. He could be a valuable weapon when the Indiana Pacers take on the Atlanta Hawks.

Key Player – Oshae Brissett

Oshae Brissett had career-high numbers in his second season with the Indiana Pacers, averaging 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game.

His increased playing time from 7.1 minutes an outing boosted his confidence and gave Pacers fans a preview of what’s to come next season.

Having said that, his Las Vegas debut was a mixed bag. Though he was second on the team in scoring with 22 points, the Indiana Pacers forward was 5-of-14 from the field and 2-of-8 from three-point territory. He did make up for that by making all 10 of his free-throw attempts.

Don’t be surprised if he comes out with fire against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday,

Indiana Pacers Predicted Lineup

Point Guard – Jordan Bone l Shooting Guard – Chris Duarte l Small Forward – Cassius Stanley l Power Forward – Oshae Brissett l Center – Amida Brimah

Hawks vs Pacers Match Prediction

The Indiana Pacers may not have been prepared for a hot-shooting Quickley in their debut game in the Summer League, but it shows how much work they need to do. Against the Atlanta Hawks, who nearly won their first game, the Pacers will have to bring their A-game from the get-go.

The Indiana Pacers’ Brissett and the Atlanta Hawks’ Johnson should provide a very entertaining matchup, and it will likely determine the outcome of this game. Brissett is the more experienced of the two and should be able to lead the Pacers to victory on Tuesday.

Where to watch Hawks vs Pacers

The Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers game will be televised nationally in the U.S. by ESPN’s family of networks along with NBA TV. International viewers can also watch the game live on the NBA League Pass.

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