Injury-plagued teams meet when Pacers face Pelicans

After a miserable time with 12 losses in their past 13 games, the New Orleans Pelicans will try to reverse the trend on the road with a game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at Indianapolis.On Thursday, New Orleans saw a late rally end with a 111-109 home loss to the Sacramento Kings. In a nightmare start to the season, the Pelicans’ roster has suffered several injuries and is currently without star forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram and point guard Jose Alvarado.In his first season with the Pelicans, Dejounte Murray fractured his left hand in the season opener and the 28-year-old guard has struggled in eight games since returning on Nov. 27. Murray’s 16.3 points per game is paired with career-lows of 34.7-percent shooting from the field and a 25.9-percent mark on 3-pointers.”He’s coming back from being out for a while,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said. “Coming back into a situation where he’s thrust right into having a lot on his shoulders is tough.”He’s responsible for getting the team involved, getting us in our sets, guarding some of the best players night in and night out and then trying to score 20-plus a night. He’s still knocking off some rust, still trying to find his rhythm, but at the same time he’s accountable.”While Williamson recovers from a strained left hamstring and Ingram deals with an ankle sprain, CJ McCollum’s 21.5 points per game has paced the team, while Trey Murphy III chips in 18.2.Indiana is still trying to find its form following last year’s Eastern Conference finals run. The Pacers have won two of three following a four-game losing streak, most recently earning a 121-107 road win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.Also burdened by injuries, Indiana lost two big men for the season with Achilles injuries in Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman, while Ben Sheppard (oblique) and Aaron Nesmith (ankle) are both sidelined.