The Indiana Pacers will host the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening.

The Pacers reached the playoffs last season after ending the regular season with a 45-28 record, good for fourth in the Eastern Conference, but their postseason was short-lived since they were swept by the Miami Heat in the first round. The Pacers will return most of their core for the 2020-21 campaign, anchored by names such as T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner, but the biggest doubt lies on how much can Victor Oladipo contribute to the team. Oladipo missed most of last season due to injury but averaged 14.5 points per game in 19 contests. Having him at full health could be huge for an Indiana team that looks like a playoff contender once again.

Indiana is reporting four absences for the Opening Night contest against the Cavaliers, as Amida Brimah (not injury related), Goga Bitadze (ankle), Jeremy Lamb (knee) and Brian Bowen (groin) have all been ruled out for Wednesday's tilt.

The Knicks were a complete disappointment in 2019-20 and once again ended as one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, as they ended with a 21-45 record -- the fourth-worst mark in the East. The prospects of a drastic rise in the standings for the 2020-21 campaign aren't very high, as the Knicks did little to improve the team in free agency and will rely on other areas to deliver better performances such as bounce-back years from names such as Julius Randle, Dennis Smith and Kevin Knox, among others. They also have high hopes for Obi Toppin, who showed flashes of brilliance during the preseason.

The Knicks won't have Austin Rivers (groin) due to injury, but he's far from the team's lone absentee. Dennis Smith (undisclosed), Frank Ntilikina (Achilles), Elfrid Payton (undisclosed) and Alec Burks (personal) are all listed as game-time decisions for Wednesday's tilt.