Biggest Keys to Pacers Breaking Losing Streak vs Hawks

The Indiana Pacers have gotten off to a slow start this season, starting out the year 2-5 so far.

Part of this has been due to not having star guard Tyrese Haliburton for a few games, as he deals with an injury. Haliburton has been out with a hamstring injury, and this has hurt the Pacers overall ceiling.

Given how tricky hamstring injuries can be to recover from, the Pacers likely won't rush Haliburton back, giving him time to fully heal. Indiana has said that the veteran will return in two weeks, but that remains to be seen at this point.

The Pacers will be taking on the Atlanta Hawks tonight, with the group looking to stop a four-game losing streak. Indiana will be at home in the game, but the Pacers have gone 0-3 in front of their fans this season.

Atlanta will be coming in with a record of 3-4 for the season, with them having lost last time out. The Hawks are 2-2 on the road this year, and they will be looking to keep Indiana at bay in the game.

But for the Pacers, here are three of the biggest keys to help break the losing streak to get back on track against the Hawks:

1. Can Jarace Walker Step Up?

With so many players out for this game, Indiana will be relying on forward Jarace Walker even more tonight. Walker has underperformed so far this year, but he needs to step up in this game against Atlanta.

So far, Walker has averaged 6.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game for the team. Against the Hawks, Walker could be one of the main scoring options and this team needs him to put together a strong outing.

2. Back-to-Back Game Fatigue

Part of why so many players are out is due to the team being on a back-to-back. Indiana lost to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, and the remaining players could be fatigued entering the game against Atlanta.

For any guys on the floor tonight, they will need to push through this, finding a way to get the job done. But given that multiple stars are out, this could be much easier said than done for the Pacers.

3. Rick Carlisle 

Since so many players are out, having a veteran coach like Rick Carlisle could be what this team needs. Carlisle has dealt with situations like this before, and the Pacers are going to count on his leadership to help get them through the game.