Still ugly, but at least Pacers snap 5-game losing streak

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dqtzb3nN4Co

There’s no denying it: the Indiana Pacers are in a slump. But at least they gutted out an ugly win tonight against the struggling New Jersey Nets, 93-88, relying on Danny Granger’s 32 points (despite a sprained ankle) to snap their season-high 5 game losing streak. Can you believe it? Not that long ago the team was boasting that it hadn’t lost 2 in a row all season, and now they are scrambling to find a solution.

To be fair, this type of slide was expected in a shortened, unprepared season like this, and at 18-12, the Pacers shouldn’t be panicking, though it’s clear they still have a lot of work to do to get back to the level they were at earlier in the season.

On the bright side, they are entering one of the softest parts of the schedule, where they will play the Bobcats, Hornets, Bobcats, Warriors and Hornets (including the All-Star break in between). Even with the way they’ve been playing, there’s no reason why they can’t go at least 4-1 during this stretch. Even if they don’t, it’ll be a good opportunity to play their way into form again.