Fading Pacers visit Milwaukee

Indiana, which has reached the playoffs nine straight years, is two games behind Orlando for the eighth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference. It has lost six of the last nine games, including Tuesday’s 90-86 setback at Philadelphia.

Jermaine O’Neal tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who have five games to play on the regular season schedule. Jeff Foster added 15 points off the bench and Troy Murphy netted 11 in a losing effort.

The Pacers will also visit Miami on the trek and are 12-26 away from Conseco Fieldhouse this season. In injury news for Indiana, guard Jamaal Tinsley (elbow) is questionable for Wednesday. He has missed the last three games.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee will close out a three-game homestand tonight and has lost three straight and 10 of its last 11 games.

In Monday’s 117-94 loss to the Magic, Ersan Ilyasova had 18 points and the Bucks fell to 0-2 on the stand and 17-21 at home this season. Earlier in the day the team announced star guard Michael Redd will miss the remainder of the season after aggravating his left knee injury in Saturday’s loss to the New York Knicks.

Redd played in 53 games this season and averaged a career-high 26.7 points, which is the highest scoring average for a Bucks player since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averaged 30 during the 1974-75 campaign.

Wednesday’s meeting between Central Division foes is the fourth and final matchup of the season. Indiana is 3-0 so far this season and has won five of six and seven of the last nine meetings.

Indiana has lost six of eight and 10 of its last 13 at the Bradley Center.