Utah Jazz vs Indiana Pacers preview: Nothin’ ethical about it

SB Nation

The road trip continues, as the Jazz are welcomed by our fellow bottom-of-the-league dwellers in Indiana. Viewers have been warned: This game will contain a substantial amount of unethical tanking. Utah

is slowly sinking into what they were always meant to become, currently sitting 13th in the West with a 15-35 record. Whilst our fellow tank connosiours in Indiana are slightly ahead (or behind?) with a 13-37 record, dead last in the Eastern Conference. The Jazz won the first meeting between the two teams back in November, previously covered by our gorgeous, handsome staff writer Kato Parina.

The Jazz are going to squeeze as much juice out of this Keyonte injury as they possibly can; he’s out yet again, along with Jusuf Nurkic and the rest of the regulars.

It’s almost a certainty that the Jazz are severely held back without Keyonte on the floor, falling to 0-3 when he’s absent. Isaiah Collier will likely receive the starting role once again if nothing changes, and we need to start seeing an impact. Of course, he’s not the type to lead an offense or turn into a dangerous scorer, but it’s hard to be a serviceable NBA role player if you can’t shoot the ball, make smart decisions and play with confidence. Though he’s a valuable transition facilitator and an unselfish player. But at what point does a player become too unselfish? Tonight’s Pacers are near the bottom of the NBA (24th) in conceding assists in mid-range, where Collier facilitates the majority of his offense. If Collier can set up his teammates while limiting mistakes in his aggressive, downhill style, that’s a job well done for me.

Now don’t be fooled by the Pacers’ measly record in 2026 — they’re still capable of winning games, backed by their Finals supporting cast. The team has struggled to establish a consistent rotation, with more players often on the injury report than in the lineup. Beyond the obvious catastrophic injury to Tyrese Haliburton, injuries throughout the season, including Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Andrew Nembhard, have disrupted chemistry.

If you needed to look out for one player, you’re going to find it in recently named 2026 NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam; ignoring the Eastern selections is a hilariously worse talent range than the Western Conference. He remains a reliable self-creator that can score in isolations, post mismatches and attack closeouts. The Jazz key: Don’t give him downhill angles. Make him operate sideways. His efficiency spikes when defenses give him space to build momentum — that’s when the spins, euro-steps, and foul-drawing come out like we’re all familiar with. The Jazz cannot allow themselves to get out-hustled, which has accounted for historically awful rebounding performances as we’ve this season. Just over a week ago, they allowed Miami to corral 26 offensive rebounds, resulting in 22 second-chance points. Pacers rank 21st in offensive rebounds, sitting at 10.7 a game — meaning it shouldn’t be too gigantic an issue for the Jazz to cover, but it greatly weakens the effectiveness of Siakam from the floor.

Injury Report

Jazz:

OUT – Keyonte George (left ankle sprain), Jusuf Nurkic (rest), Georges Niang (left foot, fourth metatarsal stress reaction), Walker Kessler (left shoulder surgery)

Pacers:

OUT – Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture), Tyrese Haliburton (torn achilles)