A good draw, a bit of luck, and some fine Indiana Pacers basketball. The result is 8 wins from the last 10 games and a sudden surge into the 8th and final playoff spot in the Leastern Conference.
The Pacers blew away the Philadelphia Tankers tonight, 94-74, in a game that was probably a little closer than it should have been until a final spurt in the last couple of minutes. It was one of those games where they Pacers were clearly the better team but struggled to put the 76ers away for good.
With Paul George sitting with the Pacers broadcasters tonight, Roy Hibbert had one of his rare “the stars are aligned” monster games with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks. George Hill continues to be on fire after his triple-double against the Cavs in the previous game and led the team with 17 points, while Luis Scola had 13 and Rodney Stuckey finished with 12.
The Pacers didn’t shoot well, finishing just about 40% for the game, but in typical Frank Vogel fashion they stifled the 76ers at the other end, keeping the youngsters to sub-35% shooting and forcing 16 turnovers.
With 59 games played and 23 to go, the Pacers are now 25-34 and inched into the 8th and final playoff spot on percentage points over Brooklyn and Charlotte. Miami is just half a game ahead with one less loss, but Boston and Detroit are both within 2 games.
So with 6 teams vying for 2 playoff spots, it’s sure going to be a wild ride to the finish line. The Pacers do have an advantage though. Miami has added Goran Dragic but lost Chris Bosh for the season, and Dwyane Wade’s health is always a question mark. Brooklyn lost spiritual leader KG, and Kemba Walker is still missing for the Hornets. Boston and Detroit both have new additions and will take time to develop chemistry.
The Pacers, on the other hand, have been relatively healthy (fingers crossed) and feel upbeat with Paul George returning to practice and eyeing a return in mid-March. He’s not going to be the same PG from last season, but just his presence will invigorate the team. They also have the easiest remaining schedule of the lot, with 13 home games and 10 road games to go.
Looking ahead, the Pacers will play the Knicks twice, sandwiched around a meeting with the injury-battered Chicago Bulls, who may have lost Jimmy Butler to an elbow injury in addition to Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson. Pau Gasol is also apparently ill. Then it’s another 4-game home stand against Orlando, Milwaukee, Boston and Toronto, before a road game in Chicago. By then, Paul George might be back.
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