Despite efforts to halt a downward spiral, the Indiana Pacers find themselves grappling with a slump, while the Charlotte Hornets are once again striving to break free from their own struggles.

The two teams will face off for the third time on Sunday night in Charlotte, with each team having secured a victory in the season series.

Indiana suffered its third consecutive defeat on Friday night, falling 133-122 to the Sacramento Kings. The Pacers struggled defensively, failing to contain their opponents effectively.

“We didn’t do a good job of containment,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. “They got to the paint a lot.”

Meanwhile, the Hornets have endured a losing streak, having suffered six straight defeats, with four of those losses being by a margin of at least twelve points. Their most recent setback was a 126-106 defeat against Oklahoma City on Friday night.

“Our guys have to get refreshed, and we’ve got to get off to a better start on Sunday,” stated Hornets coach Steve Clifford.

In their previous encounters, the Hornets clinched a 125-124 victory in Indiana on Nov. 4, while the Pacers secured a resounding 144-113 win at home on Dec. 20. In the latest meeting, Buddy Hield led the charge for the Pacers with 25 points.

Guard Bennedict Mathurin has been a standout performer for Indiana recently, notching 31 points on Friday, the second-highest tally of the season, aided by a 10-of-14 shooting performance.

Mathurin had a combined total of 22 points in the first two games against Charlotte this season.

In the initial two clashes with Indiana, the Hornets’ top scorers were center Mark Williams and guard Terry Rozier. However, Williams has been sidelined due to injury for several weeks, and Rozier was recently traded to Miami.

Both teams have been without key frontcourt players. Indiana’s starting center Myles Turner (ankle) and regular backup Jalen Smith (back) were absent on Friday.

The Pacers have also had to manage the workload of All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is returning from a hamstring injury. Haliburton played 22 minutes on Friday and may be available for an extended role on Sunday.

Against Sacramento, Haliburton entered the game from the bench to ensure his availability for late-game action and was held out until the second quarter.

“(That) was not an easy thing to do,” Carlisle said. “Sometimes you go through these kind of challenges.”

Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball has been nearing a return from an ankle injury but has not featured since Jan. 26.

One of the positives for Charlotte has been the performance of rookie swingman Brandon Miller, who has scored 20 or more points in seven of the last nine games and achieved the 20-point mark 13 times this season.

“He’s very bright. He picks up things quickly,” Clifford said. “He has got a great attitude. He also has a natural feel for the game.”

Charlotte also saw a season-high 15 points from Bryce McGowens and a career-best 11 points from rookie Leaky Black on Friday.

However, defensive vulnerabilities have remained a core issue for the Hornets, with Oklahoma City posting a field goal percentage of 58.7%, the fourth-highest mark against Charlotte this season.

The Hornets are poised to kick off a sequence of seven games, with six of them at home.