The Indiana Pacers will host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday.

The Pacers (43-34) sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference entering Friday’s action. The team is battling to secure a direct spot in the first round of the playoffs. Indiana is fighting with the Miami Heat for that elusive sixth spot, but the Heat have played fewer games, so they seem to have an edge in this battle. Plus, they hold a slim lead over the Philadelphia 76ers (8th) and are within reach of the New York Knicks (5th), so their playoff seeding is far to be determined. The Pacers need to bounce back, though, as they’re coming off a 115-111 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, a game Indiana probably shouldn’t have lost in their race for a playoff berth. Indiana has gone 23-15 at home and has won three of its last five contests.

The Pacers are listing Myles Turner (finger) as a game-time call for Friday, while Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) is out for the rest of the season.

Like the Pacers, the Thunder (52-24) aim to use the final days of the 2023-24 regular season to determine their playoff seeding. Even though Oklahoma City has already secured a playoff berth in the Western Conference, the team is still within reach of the first seed. However, the Thunder are expected to engage in a tight battle with the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves for that top seed. The Thunder also have to prioritize their health over winning a few games, as they’ve been missing key pieces such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in recent outings. The Thunder are also in dire need of a bounce-back performance. They’re coming off a 135-100 loss to the Boston Celtics and have dropped two in a row, as well as three of their last five contests.

The Thunder are listing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quadriceps) and Jalen Williams (ankle) as game-time decisions for Friday. The rest of the team is available.