The set-up: The Pacers are 32-30 after Sunday's 97-96 win at Atlanta, leaving them with the No. 6 seed in the East. They travel to Charlotte tonight, to face a Hornets team which will be playing its first home game since Feb. 13, after going 3-4 on their longest trip of the season. Charlotte enters a stretch in which it will play nine of 12 at home. The Hornets are currently three games behind Detroit for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

Indiana: Paul George (21.7 & 6.1) is the Pacers' main man but the All Star forward had averaged only 14.3 PPG (on 28.6 percent shooting) in a six-game span before breaking out against the Hawks on Sunday. George was 12-for-19 from the floor, en route to 34 points, his best total since Dec. 28. PG Jeff Teague, in his return to Atlanta where he spent seven seasons, added 16 points and six assists. Teague (15.3 & 8.0 APG) and 6-11 center Center Myles Turner (15.4 & 7.1) have been Indianas top-two supporting players all season but Turner had a string of 22 straight double-digit scoring efforts snapped when he was held to a season low-tying five points in 30 minutes (also just five rebounds).

Charlotte: The Hornets' 112-102 win in Denver on Saturday, allowed them to return 3-4 (not 2-5) from their recent road trip. The win also came in the team's first game since losing red-hot center Frank Kaminsky III to a shoulder injury two nights earlier. Forward Johnny O'Bryant III stepped up with a career-high 15 points on 7-of-9 from the from, as he reportedly earned a second 10-day contract. "Johnny O'Bryant was great," head coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "It's a little bit difficult because he hasn't been here very long, but he hit a big shot and we were fairly organized when he was on the floor. He gave us a big lift."

The pick: The Hornets had lost 12 times in a span of 13 games (Jan. 23-Feb. 23), averaging only 101.7 PPG. However, in the last five games (3-2), the Hornets are averaging 108.8 PPG. Seven points per game more is nothing to sneeze about, as Indiana improved to 4-1 in games decided by three points or fewer with Sunday's win. Charlotte last won consecutive games Jan. 18-21 when it posted three straight home wins. Those wins gave the Hornets a 23-21 record, but since then Charlotte is 4-14 and returns home in 11th place and three games out of the final playoff spot. However, the Pacers are off a one-point win on Sunday, which was just the team's third in 11 games. More importantly, Indiana is only 11-20 SU on teh road this season and isn't getting nearly enough points to back them here playing on consecutive nights. Charlotte is an 8* play.