Brooklyn’s Winless 0-5 Start Tests Indiana’s Shorthanded Guards

Brooklyn brings an 0-5 record and the league’s No. 29 power index to Indiana, where the Pacers are 2-4 and ranked No. 23, making this an early chance for both sides to change course. The Nets are allowing 121.2 points per game, while Indiana scores 116.7, setting up a test of whether the Pacers can turn their scoring into control. Brooklyn’s Julius Randle has 105 points but also 22 turnovers in five games, and Michael Porter Jr. has added 104 points and 17 threes; Indiana’s Pascal Siakam leads the Pacers with 133 points and 47 rebounds. With Tyrese Haliburton out, Andrew Nembhard’s 40 assists in five games become crucial to Indiana’s playmaking, while Obi Toppin is questionable. The decisive question: can Indiana’s available guards keep the offense organized and limit Brooklyn’s leading scorers’ impact?