Pacers' preseason schedule includes home games against Hawks, Cavs
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pacers are expected to find out their regular season schedule later this week and their preseason schedule is set.
They will begin preseason play on Oct. 8 against the Grizzlies at Memphis according to a league source, then play the Rockets in Houston on Oct. 10 according to Houston's social media release. Their two home preseason games will be against the Hawks on Oct. 16 according to their social media accounts and the Cavaliers on Oct. 20 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse according to a league source. The home games will be played at 7 p.m. Regular season play begins Oct. 26.
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The game against the Grizzlies will mark their first trip to Memphis since Jan. 29 when an altercation during the game led to the removal of an associate of Grizzlies guard Ja Morant. According to a report from The Athletic, after the game there was a confrontation between associates of Morant and the Pacers' travel party. Later, someone riding in an SUV that Morant was riding in reportedly trained a laser pointer on members of the Pacers' travel party. The NBA investigated and could not corroborate that the laser pointer was connected to a weapon but did call for the suspension of certain individuals from attending NBA games.
Morant will serve a 25-game suspension after multiple videos of him brandishing a firearm appeared on social media.
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The Grizzlies, Hawks and Cavaliers all reached the playoffs in 2022-23 with Memphis earning the No. 2 seed in the West, the Cavaliers grabbing the No. 4 seed in the East and Atlanta earning the No. 7 seed in the East by winning a play-in matchup with Miami. All three teams were defeated in the first round with Memphis falling to the Lakers, Cleveland losing to the Knicks and Atlanta falling to the Celtics. The Rockets were the only team in the four with a lottery pick, with which they selected Amen Thompson at No. 4 overall.
The Pacers finished 35-47 last season, narrowly missing the playoffs. They used their lottery pick to select Jarace Walker from Houston, added guard Bruce Brown in free agency and landed forward Obi Toppin in a trade from the New York Knicks.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NBA preseason schedule: Indiana Pacers hosting Hawks, Cavaliers
