I've been too depressed with how the Pacers have been playing to post regularly. The Eastern Conference's 3rd seed has lost four of their last five games, and it would have been five of five but for that miraculous comeback against the Cavs.
On Friday against the Nets, the Pacers dug themselves into a massive 20+ point deficit again before mounting a furious rally that fell short in the final minutes. Final score, 117-109. Tonight, they just weren't good enough against the Knicks, dropping a 90-80 decision on the road.
Despite the horrific losses, the Pacers have wrapped up the 3rd seed thanks to a Toronto victory over Brooklyn, and will most likely face the Chicago Bulls in the first round. Unless Derrick Rose walks through the door, that's looking like a great matchup for the Pacers right now, though with the way they've been struggling it's not a sure thing.
The Pacers are now 49-31 for the season and finish the last two games against the Celtics on the road and the 76ers at home. They don't need either win, and as coach Frank Vogel suggested, they will likely rest key players for the playoffs. Paul George is in a massive slump and a bunch of other guys look visibly fatigued. I hope this is something a few days of rest can solve because right now it's not looking great for a team that looked really dangerous just a couple of weeks ago.
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