Central Division teams meet at Conseco Fieldhouse

This is the second meeting of the season between the two squads. On February 6, the Pacers knocked off the Raptors, 83-77, at Air Canada Centre. The teams will also play on April 2nd at Indiana and on April 7th at Toronto.

The Pacers hold an 8 1/2 game edge on the New Jersey Nets for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. On Sunday, Jermaine O’Neal collected 31 points and hauled down 10 rebounds, as the Pacers became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff berth with a 103-94 triumph over the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

Anthony Johnson started at the point in the win for Indiana because of Jamaal Tinsley’s sprained toe, and scored 21 points to go along with seven assists. Jeff Foster chipped in with 11 points and 10 boards for Indiana, which won its fifth straight and its eighth in the last nine games.

The Pacers are 10-3 in Tuesday games this season. Indiana is 23-10 on the road.

Toronto comes into tonight’s game off a win over a Central Division foe. On Sunday, Carter poured in a game-high 26 points in leading the Raptors to an 84-76 win over the New Orleans Hornets at the Air Canada Centre. Donyell Marshall netted 14 points and hauled in 14 boards for Toronto, which snapped a six-game home losing streak.

Morris Peterson added 17 points and Chris Bosh had a strong game, chipping in 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the win for Toronto, which has won just two of its last 13 games. Newly-acquired guard Rod Strickland added six points in 24 minutes in the triumph.

Toronto is tied with the Miami Heat in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, but it is just 1/2 game behind Boston and Cleveland.

The Raptors are 12-20 on the road this season.

The Pacers have won five of their last six meetings with the Raptors, who have lost three straight at Indiana.