Pacers to play preseason games in Asia

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Indiana Pacers will play two preseason games next October in Asia.

The Pacers will face the Houston Rockets in Manila, Phillippines, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Oct. 10, and then, again on Oct. 13, at the Taipei Arena in Taipei, Taiwan.

This marks the Pacers’ third trip overseas. They played in Berlin, Germany and Seville, Spain in 1996, and in Taipei and Beijing, China in 2009.

“I can’t wait to travel with my teammates for these two games and be ambassadors for the NBA,” said Pacers’ center Roy Hibbert, who was part of the 2009 trip in a Pacers’ press release today. “Taking NBA basketball to the Philippines for the first time is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the last time we had a great visit to Taiwan and I’m really looking forward to going back. The fans there were great.”