NBA India Games 2019: A lookback at the 2018-19 regular season matchups between the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers

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Myles Turner and Buddy Hield

Since the NBA-ABA merger, the Kings and Pacers have been in the same Conference only for three seasons (1976-79). So, for those three seasons, both franchises faced each other four times, however, since 1979, being in different conferences, the Pacers and Kings have only competed twice every season.  

That tally could have been more than two had both teams met in the NBA Finals but the Kings have never made it to the championship round since 1951 when they were the Rochester Royals and the Pacers' lone NBA Finals appearance came in 2000.  

MORE: History of the Pacers' franchise

Note: In the ABA, the Pacers made it to the five Finals and won three ABA Championships.

As per Land of Basketball, the Pacers and Kings have competed in 89 regular-season contests since 1976 with the Pacers holding a 49-40 edge. 

Let's take a lookback at their most recent ones in 2018-19 before they take the floor in Mumbai's NSCI Dome for the NBA India Games: 

Note: Pacers' All-Star Victor Oladipo missed both games against the Kings due to an injury.

Pacers 110-111 Kings - December 2, 2018

Pacers -  Darren Collison - 11 points, 12 assists, six steals and four rebounds.

Kings - Bogdan Bogdanovic - 20 points (7-12 FG's), six assists, two rebounds, and two steals.

For the Pacers, this was the last of a four-game West Coast road trip. On the other hand, it was the last of a three-game homestand for the Pacers and the first before a four-game Eastern Conference road trip. 

Over the last three minutes of this game, the Kings held the Pacers to just one field goal (a Darren Collison 3) and outscored them by five to clinch this nail-biting contest. Willie Cauley-Stein's putback dunk with 16.1 seconds remaining sealed the deal. 

Both teams had six players score in double figures in a high-turnover game. The Kings turned the ball over 20 times while the Pacers finished with 25 turnovers including six in the fourth quarter. 

MORE: History of the Kings' franchise

Both the Bogdanovic brother were top-scorers for their teams with Bojan finishing a team-high 27 (10-19 FG's) for the Pacers.

Kings 97-107 Pacers - December 9, 2018

Kings - De'Aaron Fox - 18 points (7-14) and six assists.

Pacers - Myles Turner - 9 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and 2 assists.

While the Pacers-Kings took part in a tight contest in Sacramento, in Indiana, it was an easier contest.

The Pacers opened it up with nine minutes to go in the game, outscoring the visiting Kings 26-17 during that span which included a 16-2 run. The win ensured the Pacers split the season series, the first time that has happened between both teams since the 2010-11 season. 

Despite having seven players in double figures, the Pacers won this game with their defense. With both teams playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the game lacked real pace and witnessed both sides shooting less than 10 3's.

The biggest contributors for the Pacers were the forward duo of Thaddeus Young (20p, 9r) and Bojan Bogdanovic (18p, 4r, 2a). 

For more updates and stories on the NBA India Games 2019, you can follow NBA.com's page dedicated to the historic event.

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