Passive Pacers can't push right buttons right now

The visiting Pacers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-76 Sunday afternoon. The Pacers lost their fifth straight on the road and fell to 52-22 on the season. They are now even in the loss column with the Miami Heat as they each battle for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Cavaliers improved 30-45 on the season.
Forethoughts

Paul George had 15 points, seven rebounds, five
assists and four steals in Sunday's loss.

This may have been the worst loss of the season for the Pacers. First, it came after a loss at Washington Friday, which one would hope was a bit of a wake-up call to the team. It wasn't that they lost to Washington, a team that is fighting for playoff position, it's that the Pacers never were really close in that game. So, one would think Cleveland was showing up on the schedule at the right time. The Cavaliers were without their best player in all-star Kyrie Irving, so one would also think with a little effort and a little execution on offense, this would pretty much be a win. But now it pretty much is a reason to hit the panic button. It's not as if this is one bad game that cropped up in the midst of a long NBA season. This has been going on for a while. The Pacers shot below 40 percent for the fifth straight game. They have scored 100 or more points just three times in 17 games in March. They have scored about 80 just once in the last five games, that happened to be 84 in the win against the Heat, their only win in those last five games. For most of this stretch, even when the Pacers have not played well, the consensus has been that it's OK, they won't have to be at their best in the opening rounds of the playoffs to win and advance until they presumably meet the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. But a game like Sunday's now brings that assumption into question. If the Pacers play a better Brooklyn team or an improved Toronto team, it's not safe to say their going to win the seven-game series. I think they still would, but instead of being 95 percent sure about it, now it's close to 75 percent sure, or maybe a little less than that. But the problem here is that it's hard to say if the Pacers are sure how they will perform in the playoffs right now. Time is running out to get ready for the postseason. The arrow has been trending down for a while with the Pacers. They've got eight games left to reverse that trend and instead of wondering "when" that will happen, we unfortunately must ask "if" that will happen.
The Big Plays
The Pacers were down just 35-34 after a Chris Copeland 3-pointer and Donald Sloan layup midway through the second quarter. But the Cavs ended the half on a 14-2 run. The Pacers did go on a 7-0 run to cut the gap to six on three occasions midway through the third quarter. But when Spencer Hawes hit a 3-pointer to put the Cavs up 59-49 with 5:03 left in the third, sadly, the Cavs lead was never under double digits for the rest of the game.
The Ups
1) The Pacers are still one game ahead of the Heat for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. So, there's that.
The Downs
1) There could be a lot of things to put in this category, but one here really sticks out. The Pacers were 5 of 10 from the line in the first quarter (forget the poor percentage there just for a second). Then, they only went to the line one time in the next two quarters. The lack of free throw attempts is not a commentary on the officials. It says the Pacers were just settling for whatever shots that came their way instead of working through some kind of offense or at the very least being aggressive and taking the ball at the defense to draw the fouls. It was just another sign of how the Pacers are a very passive team right now.
Next Up
The Pacers play host to the San Antonio Spurs Monday night. It was back on Dec. 7 that the Pacers went to San Antonio and beat the Spurs 111-100 in a game that was only that close because of spirited Spurs late rally. It was probably the best game the Pacers have played this season. Well, now the Spurs come into the game with the best record in the league at 57-16 and are on a league season-high 17 game winning streak. So, no time to waste here if the Pacers want to get things back on track. The Spurs are led by
point guard Tony Parker at 17 points and six assists, Tim Duncan at 15 points almost 10 rebounds, Manu Ginobili and Kahwi Leonard each at 12.4 points, Marco Bellinelli at 11.7 points, Patty Mills at 9.9 points and Boris Diaw at 9.3 points.

Pacers have no magic in loss to Wizards

The visiting Pacers lost to the Washington Wizards 91-78 Friday night. The Pacers are now 52-21 while the Wizards are 37-35.
Forethoughts

Paul George had a tough night hitting just six of 22 shots from the field.

This had all of the makings of a let down game after Wednesday's big win over Miami for the Pacers and it sure turned out that way. It was OK to win ugly against the Heat and it actually would have been OK to win ugly against the Wizards. But instead, it was just ugly. Period. The tone was set early when the Pacers had seven turnovers in the first quarter and shot just under 35 percent. It would have been even worse if Luis Scola had not gone 4 of 6 from the field. So, it was a disappointing effort all the way around. Those big time third quarters where the Pacers just used to take over games now seem like a thing of the distant past. The Wizards outscored the Pacers 30-19 in the third and that was pretty much the game.
The Ups
1) Not many good things here. Donald Sloan did come off the bench and score seven points. Roy Hibbert had five blocked shots. There was 12-0 run in the later stages of the second quarter to cut the lead to four. But that was really about it.
The Downs
1) Wizards center Martin Gortat is a decent player, but when he goes for 17 points and 12 rebounds and Hibbert goes for eight points and two rebounds, no matter what the blocked shots are, that's just not a good thing. Hibbert needs to play like he's playing the Heat every night, I guess.
2) Let's just do a little roll call here: Paul George 6 of 22 from the field five turnovers; Evan Turner zero points; Lance Stephenson was 3 of 13 from the field, but he did get 14 rebounds, so there was that.
3) The Pacers never led in this game. Not once.
Next Up
The Pacers come back home Sunday and play host to Cleveland in a 3 p.m. game. The Cavs have struggled throughout this season. They Cavs are 29-45 after losing Friday night at Brooklyn.
The Cavs had won three straight before Friday even though they have been without top scorer in Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 21.2 points and 6.2 assists, for the last six games due to a biceps injury. The Cavs also have Dion Waiters at 15.3 points, Luol Deng at 14.7 points, Spencer Hawes at 13.8 points and 8.4 rebounds, Tristan Thompson at 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds and C.J. Miles at 9.9 points.

Pacers step forth in fourth to beat Heat

The Pacers defeated the visiting Miami Heat 84-83 Wednesday night in a battle of the top two teams in the East. The Pacers are now 52-20 overall and 33-4 at home while the Heat are 48-22. The teams have one more regular season head-to-head meeting remaining on April 11 in Miami. The Pacers also clinched the Central Division title with this win.

Forethoughts
If there was any better example of why the Pacers need to have the best record in the East and earn the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage presumably against the Heat in the Eastern Conference, it was this game. The Pacers were down seven to start the fourth quarter and to be honest, that kind of deficit against Miami on the road would have been hard to overcome. But the Pacers did overcome it this time and being at home was certainly one reason for that. This was pretty much the type of game that most expected. Not a lot of easy shots, and some pretty physical play from both teams. The good news for the Pacers is that style points didn't really matter in this win. Just finding a way to get it done is what mattered. It now puts them in prime position to claim that No. 1 seed in the East, something they've talked about wanting since the beginning of the year. It's right there for them to take now.

The Big Plays

Paul George had a key dunk in the fourth quarter
to help the Pacers comeback and beat the Heat.

There were quite a few in this game. First you had Paul George's drive past Lebron James and dunk early in the fourth quarter that cut the lead to one. Then, late in the fourth quarter and the Pacers down one, Evan Turner wanted the ball and made a nice move to beat Mario Chalmers for the basket at the 1:30 mark to give the Pacers the lead for good. And finally, too, on the Pacers next to last possession in the final minute, David West hit a step back 3-pointer with 50.2 seconds left to give them a four-point lead. West has been a clutch shooter for the Pacers all year, so while some might have been shocked that he made that shot, those of who watch the Pacers know West has delivered in key situations all year.

The Ups

1) One big advantage the Pacers have against the Heat is center Roy Hibbert. So, it was good to see the Pacers establish Hibbert's inside game early on as he scored seven points in the early going, hitting four of his first five shots. Hibbert responded well in the rest of the game too and finished with 21 points on 7 of 15 shooting.

2) The Pacers defense was pretty good most of the night, but it was especially good in the fourth quarter. The Heat hit just 4 or 13 shots in the quarter and had seven turnovers. The Heat can say what they want, but the Pacers' defense had something to do with their inefficient offense.

3) When Lance Stephenson was ejected for his second technical (we'll get to that in a minute), it forced Turner into the game for the final minutes of the fourth quarter. And really, there had to be some question on how he would perform in a real pressure situation. He had not been in many of them in the past couple of seasons in Philadelphia. But Turner responded just fine, hitting two key baskets late and scoring six points in all in the fourth quarter. They were all big baskets and hopefully a bit of confidence boost for Turner and for his teammates to know they can depend on him in late-game situations.

The Downs

1) Yes, it's true Stephenson did get two technical fouls and was ejected after the second one. The problem was of course the second one, after he made a basket and said something to Dwyane Wade on the way past him. Wade, being the veteran he is, sold the situation to the refs and the whistle blew for the second technical. There were all kinds of things wrong with the play. First, yes, Stephenson needs to be aware of his situation and importance to the team and just not even come close to getting a technical. Second, if Wade had not sold it, I don't think the officials would have called it. So, it's not good when the officials give the appearance that a player talked them into a call. And third, I agree with ESPN announcer Jeff Van Gundy in that for a player to be thrown out of a game, it should take a lot more than what Stephenson did in that situation.

2) The Pacers, save for Turner's eight points, pretty much got nothing from their bench. Even with Turner's output, the only other points were two from reserve center Ian Mahinmi. Overall, the bench hit just five of 20 shots from the field, and that includes Turner's 4 for 10. The bench doesn't have to carry them in these games, but it does have to give the Pacers a little more than that. 

3) George Hill is one of the game's really good guys. One of the guys you want to see do well. But he's got to hit those two free throws with 2.3 seconds left instead of missing them both. He just has to hit them if this happens again in the playoffs, and it very well might.

Next Up

The Pacers play next at Washington in a 7 p.m. game on Friday. The Wizards are 36-35 and currently sit in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, so unlike previous late season games in recent years, they have plenty to be playing for now. The Wizards lost three of four on a recent road trip before returning home Wednesdsay and losing to Phoenix. The Wizards are led by point guard John Wall at 19.8 points and 8.8 assists, shooting guard Bradley Beal at 17.2 points, including shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range, Trevor Ariza at 14.9 points and 6.4 rebounds, Marcin Gortat at 12.8 and 6.9 rebounds, Drew Gooden at 10.6 points and Martell Webster at 10.2 points. The Wizards will be without starting center Nene, who hasn't played since Feb. 23 due to a sprained medial collateral ligament. In earlier meetings this season, the Pacers won at Indiana 93-73 on Nov. 29 and 93-66 on Feb. 10, back in the salad days when they overwhelmed teams with their defense.

Pacers offense offensive in loss to Bulls

The visiting Pacers lost to the Chicago Bulls 89-77 Monday night. The Pacers are now 51-20 while the Bulls are 40-31.

Forethoughts

Any one who follows either the Pacers or the Bulls knew this game had a chance to be an ugly one offensively. And for most of the first half it was much that way, with the Pacers leading 34-33 at the break. But the biggest disappointment in this one is that the Pacers allowed 31 points to the sometimes offensively challenged Bulls in the third quarter and 56 points in the second half. It's not an embarrassment to lose to the Bulls in Chicago, but you shouldn't allow a Bulls team that is without Derrick Rose to score 30 or more points in any quarter. It was frustrating to watch too as the Pacers flirted with getting with in a possession of taking the lead a couple of times, but could never get there.

The Big Play

This came midway through the third quarter. The Pacers, thanks to two straight Lance Stephenson three point plays, one traditional, one from behind the 3-point line, had just cut the Bulls lead to six points. Then Paul George came up with a steal and was on a breakaway. Expecting to him rise up and maybe even dunk the ball over Kirk Hinrich, George took a step and looked like he stepped in quicksand, allowing Hinrich to block the ball with two hands and the Bulls quickly got the lead back up to 10.

The Ups

George Hill was one of the few Pacers to
play well Monday night in Chicago.

1) George Hill has had his ups and downs this season, but he was solid in this one. Hill made what looked to be a big basket at the end of the half when the Pacers ran their three-man weave play in closing seconds. Hill, instead of handing off to Lance Stephenson as is the usual play, kept it and found himself wide open for a 3-pointer and hit it to end the half. Hill also did not have a turnover in this game. Hill finished with 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting.

2) The Pacers did hit 19 of 21 free throws for the game. So there's that.

The Downs

1) Yes, it's true the Bulls are one of the best defensive teams in the league and were sure to make some adjustments between Friday's game, a Pacers win, and Monday's game. But there were often times where the Pacers offense was very much out of sync in this one. The Pacers shot just 36 percent overall and an offense that was based on ball movement Friday night, had way too much one-on-one action in this one. The Pacers had 27 assists Friday and just 10 Monday. The Pacers have offensive problems and the Bulls exposed them to full measure in this one.

2) That Evan Turner choosing to go under the screen thing on defense, instead of in front of it, cost the Pacers again as the Bulls' Kirk Hinrich used the extra space to hit a 3-pointer. I tried to jump through the TV screen and tackle Turner,  (as I said I would do in my last post) but it didn't go well either.

Next Up

The Pacers play one of their biggest games of the regular season when they play host to the Miami Heat in a 8 p.m. game Wednesday against the defending champion Miami Heat. The Heat are just one game back of the Pacers for the lead in the Eastern Conference after defeating Portland Monday night. The teams split their two games earlier this season, with each winning at home. Both teams have struggled a bit as of late, with the Heat sometimes losing on the same night the Pacers do. The Heat have been led as expected by Lebron James at almost 27 points, 7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. They also have Dwyane Wade at 19 points per game, Chris Bosh at 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds, Ray Allen at 9.7 points and Mario Chalmers at 9.5 points. Indianapolis native center Greg Oden has returned to NBA action with the Heat this season, too. He averages three points and 2.3 rebounds, playing nine minutes a game.

Back to the struggle in Memphis

The visiting Pacers lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 82-71 Saturday night. The Pacers fell to 51-19 while the Grizzlies are now 40-28.
Forethoughts
The Pacers played so well against the Bulls on Friday night, that there was some hope they could repeat the effort in Memphis. And the Grizzlies had something to do with this, but the points were a struggle in this one for the Pacers. With the exception of losing track of one player, the defense overall wasn't terrible. However, with two of the league's better defensive teams facing off, you would expect this to be a bit of grind-it-out, no-easy-shots, down-to-the-wire battle. But it just didn't happen that way. I wouldn't consider this game a disaster because Memphis is good and is a difficult team to beat at home. But it would have been nice to see them keep this thing close going into the final two minutes instead of struggling to score a season-low 71 points.

Lance Stephenson was one of the few
bright spots for the Pacers Saturday night.

The Ups
1) Lance Stephenson continued his solid play as of late. He was one of the few bright spots offensively as he had 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and no turnovers. Stephenson didn't make any spectacular plays in this one as he has done at times this season, but he was solid throughout. Stephenson has hit 52 of 99 shots in the last eight games.
The Downs
1) I swear, if I see Evan Turner go under a screen one more time and then see his guy stop and hit the shot before Turner get back to him, I'm going to jump through the TV and tackle him. I understand that this happens on occasion, but it's a regular occurrence with Turner when he's on the floor. He needs to be reminded, and maybe in a harsh way, that he cannot only not afford to take a game off now, but he cannot take a possession off either.
2) Ditto No. 1 with Paul George when it comes to seeing him talk to the referees after not getting a foul call he thinks he deserves/
3) At one point in this game, the Pacers had zero fastbreak points and the Grizzlies had 16 (It ended 18 to 7). The Grizzlies are not a fastbreak team, so to see this happen on a night after the Pacers had played so well against the Bulls was a bit discouraging. And maybe the most discouraging thing defensively was that the Pacers lost track of Mike Miller in the second quarter when he hit four 3-pointers to help extend the Grizzlies lead into double figures. It's not as if Miller's game is a mystery. When he's in, his job is to shoot from long range because he's one of the best in the game at it and has been doing this for years. He certainly got the best of the Pacers in this one.
Next Up
The Pacers turnaround and play Chicago in a 8 p.m. game. The Bulls defeated the Sixers on Saturday to improve to 39-31. And since the Bulls lost at Indiana Friday night, you know they will be looking for some revenge in this one. The Bulls are led by former Pacers reserve point guard D.J. Augustine at 14 points and five assists per game, Carlos Boozer at 14 points and 8.5 rebounds, Taj Gibson at 13 points and six rebounds, Jimmy Butler at 12.9 points, Joakim Noah at 12 points, 11.5 rebounds and five assists and former Pacer Mike Dunleavy at 11.2 points. The two teams split games in November, each winning at home, before the Pacers won on Friday in Indianapolis.

Pacers bullish in this win

The Pacers defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls 91-79 Friday night. The Pacers are now 51-18, including 32-4 at home, while the Bulls fell to 38-31.
Forethoughts
Now that was more like it. If the Pacers had been just an decent team early on in the season, this game might be looked on as one of the best performances of the season. But the fact is they played like this quite often in the first half of the season, but had not been doing that lately. Yes, they have been beating some below average teams, but the Pacers are good enough now that how you win sometimes matters just as much as if you win. After the loss at New York Wednesday, when some of the Pacers were voicing their displeasure with each other that was actually a good sign. The fact they were openly admitting they weren't playing the way they needed too was a big step. No blaming the referees, or just running into a hot player or a hot opposing team. That responsbility led to the Pacers defense being what it once was. The real key now will be to carry these types of efforts throughout the rest of the regular season. That's going to be the best way to get ready for the playoffs.
The Big Plays
It wasn't so much one big play in this game, but a couple key runs that spurred the Pacers to victory. First, the reserves came in and turned a 23-21 deficit at the end of the first quarter in a 42-35 advantage with 3:54 left in the half. Then, the starters continued that momentum in the third quarter by going on a 19-0 run that built the Pacers lead to 17 points. The Bulls were never closer than eight points the rest of the way.
The Ups
1) It's not often than Paul George gets accolades on a night where he hits just 3 of 13 shots and scores just 10 points. But George may have taken a big step forward in this game, realizing he was getting extra attention from a good Bulls defense, he made sure everyone was involved in the offense and he finished with his first triple double of the year with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. The fact that George didn't force up a bunch of bad shots and try to win the game by himself was a pleasant thing to see in this one, even if he did miss most of the ones he took.

Luis Scola scored a season-high 19 points Friday.

2) The bench may have had its best game of the season. Led by Luis Scola's season-high 19 points, the reserves scored 34 points in this one, and that was without point guard C.J. Watson and center Andrew Bynum. And while the numbers were good and all, the energy the bench players brought into the game in the second quarter was a big factor in this win. They combined to score 23 of their points in the first half. When that happens, the Pacers are a real difficult team to beat.
3) The team play returned on both ends in this one. On defense, the Pacers held the Bulls to 36 percent shooting from the field. And while the Bulls can be a bit offensively challenged at times, the Pacers defense rarely allowed them to get easy and open looks at the basket. Also, on offense, the Pacers had 27 assists. And they didn't come just because a couple of players had hot hands. They came because there was a conscious effort to look for and find the open man. That's nice to see at any level of basketball.
4) I loved that Pacers coach Frank Vogel got a technical on what was a terrible foul call against George Hill, when Hill was actually shoved into another Bulls player by Joakim Noah. Vogel's technical just added to the energy and showed his team, that he too, was into this game.
The Downs
There were not many downsides in this game. But as well as Lance Stephenson played, his technical foul was deserved and a bad one. After making a shot against Mike Dunleavy, and feeling as though he was fouled, he went and stood over Dunleavy in a taunting manner. Stephenson's energy is a big part of the Pacers success, but he clearly stepped over the line on that one.
Next Up
The Pacers turnaround and play at Memphis in an 8 p.m. game Saturday night. The Grizzlies had some injury issues earlier this season, but have played better as of late and have played themselves into the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race with a 40-28 record. The Grizzlies did play Friday night, losing at Miami 91-86. The Grizzlies are led by Indiana natives Zach Randolph at 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds and point guard Mike Conley at 17 points and six assists per game. Memphis also has center Marc Gasol at 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds, Courtney Lee at 12.1 points and Tony Allen at 10 points per game. The Grizzlies allow opponents to shoot just under 45 percent from the floor and allow 94 points per game.

Pacers prove there's still work to do in loss

The visiting Pacers lost to the New York Knicks 92-86 Wednesday night. The Pacers are now 50-18 after having a four-game winning streak snapped while the Knicks are 28-40 and now have won seven straight.
Forethoughts
It wasn't really surprising that the Pacers lost this one, not with the way they have been playing lately. The signs were there partly because the Knicks have been playing the best they have all season, even though their last five wins had come against teams with losing records. And even though the Pacers had won four straight, none had come against teams with winning records. But the real issue was the Pacers had been playing down to their opponents' levels and that continued again Wednesday. It's not just the loss that's the problem here, but the fact that it continued a string of sub-par performances, save maybe the second half against the Pistons Saturday night. So, if you were thinking, maybe hoping, a trip to Madison Square Garden might help bring the Pacers back to their former selves, a team that didn't mess around against lesser opponents in the first half of the season, well it didn't happen yet. It's certainly possible for them to get it back. Maybe they will against Chicago Friday. Maybe not.
The Big Plays
As usual there are several key moments in this type of game, but a particular one that sticks out came with 5:48 left in the game and the Knicks leading 75-69. With the shot clock running down after the ball was knocked away, Knicks guard Raymond Felton retrieved the ball and in front the Knicks bench banked in about a 27-foot 3-pointer. That put the Knicks up nine and while the Pacers cut the gap back to four, once Felton's shot went in you just kind of knew it wasn't going to be the Pacers' night.
The Ups
1) Pacers center Roy Hibbert had been mostly missing on offense for the previous nine games, hitting just 29 of 68 shots for 43 percent. But Hibbert was the key to second half comeback and he hit 8 of 10 shots on the night and finished with 20 points. The Pacers will need more efficient games like that from Hibbert from this point forward if they want to get back to where they were earlier in the season.

Paul George didn't have his best game Wednesday, hitting just 4 of 17 shots.

2) Overall, the Pacers' defense was respectable. They held the Knicks to 39 percent shooting from the floor. If the Pacers can keep that going that may be a sign of better things to come.  The Knicks also hit just 4 of 17 3-point attempts, including Felton's prayer that went in, so that may be a good sign too of the defense picking up a bit.
The Downs
1) Paul George didn't have his best night. And that's OK, he doesn't have to play at an MVP caliber level every game for the Pacers to win. But he does need to be least average and he wasn't in this one. George hit just 4 of 17 shots from the floor and had five of the Pacers 13 turnovers. It's also a bit concerning too that George had foul issues again, which causes him not to be on the floor for key stretches sometimes.
2) Without key guys C.J. Watson and Andrew Bynum, the Pacers bench couldn't get much going in this one. The reserves scored just 12 points and hit just 4 of 14 shots. If the Pacers could have gotten just a little push from the second unit in this one, they may have well won.
Next Up
The Pacers come home to play the Chicago Bulls in a 7 p.m. game Friday. The Bulls have been without all-star point guard Derrick Rose for most of the season, but they have still played well and have a 38-30 record. The Pacers lost their first game of the season to the Bulls back when Rose was still playing 110-94 on Nov. 16. The Pacers defeated the Bulls 97-80 on Nov. 6. This game will be the first of two matchups in four days against the Bulls as they will also play in Chicago in an 8 p.m. game Monday night. The Bulls are led by former Pacers reserve point guard D.J. Augustine at 14.3 points and five assists per game, forward Carlos Boozer at 14 points and 8.5 rebounds, forward Taj Gibson at 13.3 points and six rebounds, Jimmy Butler at 12.9 points,  center Joakim Noah at 12.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and five assists and former Pacer Mike Dunleavy at 11.2 points. The Bulls calling card remains to be defense though as they are allowing just 92.3 points per game while opponents are shooting just 43.1 percent.

Pacers keep it interesting against Sixers

The Pacers defeated the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 99-90 Monday night. The Pacers are now 50-17 on the season, including 31-4 at home, while the 76ers fell to 15-52 while losing a franchise record 21st straight game.
Forethoughts
If you were wondering if the Pacers' big comeback win over the Pistons on Saturday night was maybe one of those turn-the-corner type of wins, there was little evidence of that Monday night. The Sixers, playing as poorly any team in the league, were in this one until the final three minutes. That's something that should never happen when the team fighting for the best record in the league is playing at home against the team fighting for the worst record in the league (and yes you read the right, fighting for the worst record in the league). So, while it's nice to have won four straight, just looking at this game, you can't say with any certainty that the Pacers have returned to their early season form when they regularly embarrassed weaker opponents. This is the kind of game you the Pacers should have built an early double digit lead in and then pull away by 20-something points in the third quarter to rest the regulars in the fourth quarter. But instead, the Pacers had to fight to win this one, and they did, and I suppose that is a good thing for the team. There, however, is a higher standard for this team and playing just good enough to win against bad teams doesn't come close to meeting it.
The Big Plays
Unfortunately these all came late in the game, but better late than never. The Pacers were up 88-85 with 2:52 to go when the Sixers had the ball and chance to tie it. Fortunately, Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams missed a 3-pointer and the Pacers responded with three straight 3-point plays. The first was a 3-pointer by George Hill, then Roy Hibbert rebounded a miss and put it back in and was fouled and made the free throw. And the highlight worthy play at the end was Paul George's dunk, when he was fouled and also made the free throw.

Lance Stephenson had 19 points in the first in the
Pacers win against the Sixers Monday night.

The Ups
1) Maybe just being the backup center it what it takes to play well. The Pacers were without Andrew Bynum in this one, so the backup duties went to Ian Mahinmi. He responded by scoring 10 points while grabbing five rebounds and blocking a shot. Mahinmi led a bench effort too that saw them combine for 24 points, while hitting 9 of 18 shots from the field. So without Bynum, overall a good effort from the bench on a night that they needed it.
2) Lance Stephenson finished with 25 points, including having a 19-point first half. The Pacers need Stephenson to be active and when he's making plays, or at least trying to make plays, that's a good thing. Sure the five turnovers he had in this one are a bit of an issue, but at this point in his career it's just something you have to live when when it comes to Stephenson. I'd rather see him active and involved and making an occasional turnover than being a spectator while he's on the court.
The Downs
1) It's hard to say what exactly is going on with Roy Hibbert. I've long been a Hibbert fan, knowing how hard he has worked to be able to play at a high level in this league. Hibbert always brings the defense and that's the most important thing. But they need to get something from him offensively, too. In his last nine games he has scored in double figures just three times on 29 of 69 shooting. Hibbert isn't meant to carry the offensive load for the team and that's OK. But the Pacers do need him to be a confident offensive player so they can take advantage of his size when he is matched up against smaller centers. The good part is you know Hibbert will keep working to get his offensive game back up to par, but any time now would be fine.
2) This has nothing to do with the Pacers, but it was St. Patrick's Day and the Celtics were on the road. That's just not right.
Next Up
The Pacers travel to New York to take on the hated Knicks in an 8 p.m. game at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night. The Knicks have had a disappointing season, but they are now trying to rally and find a way into the playoffs. They are 27-40 and have won six in a row, but it's important to note that only of those wins (against Minnesota) have come against teams with winning records, and two of them were against the Sixers and Milwaukee, the teams with the two worst records in the league. So take that for it's worth.  But nonetheless, the Pacers will have to play better in New York than they did Monday night to get a win there. The Knicks are led by Carmelo Anthony at 28 points per game, Andrea Bargnani and J.R. Smith each at 13.3 points, Amare Stoudemire at 10.9 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. at 10.2 points, Raymond Felton at 9.9 points and 5.7 assists and Tyson Chandler at 9.2 points and 10.2 rebounds. The Pacers defeated the Knicks 117-89 at Indiana on Jan. 16 and also 103-96 in overtime at New York on Nov. 20.

Will Pacers build off big comeback win in Detroit?

The visiting Pacers defeated the Detroit Pistons 112-104 in overtime Saturday night. The Pacers are now 49-17 while the Pistons are 25-41. The Pacers are also 4-0 in overtime this season while the Pistons are now 0-4.
Forethoughts
After being down by 25 points in the first half and 19 at halftime, the big question here is if this is a momentum turning type of win for the Pacers or not. That question will definitively be answered in the coming weeks, but it certainly has that potential. To be down by 25 on the road on the second night of a back to back against a team that has two days rest and then to comeback and win, is a good sign. The better signs came in the second half when it was not uncommon to see a Pacers player, and in a couple of cases two players at once, dive on the floor for loose balls. A couple of times it didn't work out (like when Brandon Jennings picked up the loose ball and launched and made a 3-pointer), but just seeing the effort like that was nice again. And when this game went to overtime, it was still in the Pacers favor because they had worked so hard to get back into this one. They were too invested to let it slip away. And so, with that feeling back, and the reward of victory, I would be surprised if this is not the momentum builder it has the potential to be.
The Big Plays
There were a few of them in this game. When Roy Hibbert hit a 12-footer in the lane that gave the Pacers a 100-98 lead that turned out to be a big basket as the Pistons tied it on the next possession to force the overtime. The biggest plays in overtime came on back-to-back possessions when David West hit open jumpers after being set up by Lance Stephenson that pushed the Pacers lead to eight.

Paul George had 30 points, but it was other
parts of his game the helped in this win.

The Ups
1) If there was any question about whether Andrew Bynum's first game with the Pacers was a bit of fluke that was answered Saturday night. Bynum came off the bench to score 15 points and grab nine rebounds in 20 minutes of action. It was clear by the time he left the floor midway through the fourth quarter that Bynum was tired. And even though he was just 6 of 18 from the field, the legitimate threat he presents on offense makes him taking that many shots OK. Remember, he's still working his way back into playing shape and the last couple of misses came when he was clearly out of gas. But nonetheless, it's safe to say Bynum is going to be a very important addition to the team for the rest of the regular season and in the playoffs.
2) Admittedly, I was beginning to wonder if Evan Turner was going to be able to fit into the Pacers schemes at all. At times he has looked lost on both ends of the court and his defensive rotations have been especially slow. But Turner, forced to play some point guard with reserves  C.J. Watson and Don Sloan out, may have found his way to fit in here. He used his size to his advantage on offense and finished with 20 points on 8 of 15 shooting. Turner's not a great outside shooter either, but he is capable if left alone. He also held his own on defense in this one and clearly was a key player as the Pacers rally.
3) This may have been Paul George's best game in quite some time. Yes, he did score 30 points and that's always good because he did it on 9 of 19 shooting, even though he was just 2 of 10 from 3-point range. But with the exception of the last shot in regulation, George did not force up a lot of bad shots. He remembered that he has capable teammates who can make shots too when the defense concentrates on him. That's a big step for George because lately he has been taking too much on himself on offense. George also had eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Those numbers may be better indicators of how he played rather than the points scored.
The Downs
Sure, the Pacers played the second half a lot more like what we regularly saw for whole games in the first half of the season, but the first half for most of Saturday night was down right ugly. Even if you are on a second night of back-to-back and the other team is not, and the other team has lost 15 more games than is won this season, that's just no excuse to come out and try to coast through a game. The Pistons do have some talent in Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe and Josh Smith. But the defensive challenges were few and far between early on and there's simply no excuse to allow 60 points in a half to the Pistons.
Next Up
The Pacers get another break in the schedule as they are at home against the 76ers Monday night. The Sixers are now owners of a 20-game losing streak after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday night and have a 15-51 record. The Pacers defeated the Sixers 101-94 in an uninspiring effort in Philadelphia Friday night. The Sixers are led by Thaddeus Young at just under 17 points and six rebounds per game, rookie of the year candidate Michael Carter-Williams also at just under 17 points and 5.5 assists, reserve guard Tony Wroten at 13.5 points and guard James Anderson at 10 points. The Pacers also defeated the Sixers 106-98 back on Nov. 23.

Allen's homecoming good news for Pacers

The visiting Pacers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 101-94 Friday night. The Pacers are now 48-17 on the season while the Sixers fell to 15-50 after losing their 19th straight game.
The Big Plays
It was actually a bit of a shame their had to be a big play in this game because the uninspired Pacers allowed the Sixers to hang around for most of the game. This game had some suspense in it late. The Pacers were up 95-90 when George Hill hit a 3-pointer in the corner to give the Pacers an eight-point advantage with 1:46 to go.
The Ups

Lavoy Allen had 13 points and hit all six of his shots in Friday's win.

1) When the Pacers made the trade deadline day deal with the Sixers, the big news was the Pacers  getting Evan Turner. And it was oh by the way, the Pacers got Lavoy Allen, too. So, with the Pacers back in Philly, it would have been natural to think that Turner might be fired up and have a big game. Well, Turner wasn't and didn't, but Allen was and did. Partly by benefit of being in the right place at the right time on offense and catching good passes from teammates, Allen finished with 13 points, hitting all six of his shots, and had four rebounds off the bench as backup centers Andrew Bynum and Ian Mahinmi were unavailable. Allen is also a Philadelphia native, so you know it had to mean a lot to him to play well in front of his home crowd. And his performance certainly meant a lot in the Pacers win.
2) Paul George had one of his better games as of late with 25 points on 9 of 15 shooting. George also had a couple of ankle breaking moves on the Sixers that help set him up for easy shots. George also added six assists and four rebounds. His one issue on the night was turnovers as he finished with five.
3) The Pacers did hold their opponent to under 40 percent shooting for the second straight game. I wouldn't call it a great defensive effort by any means, but it was good enough against the the Sixers. It also helped that the Sixers' Thad Young kept shooting as he finished just 10 of 31 of from the field.
The Downs
1) This was certainly an uninspiring effort by the Pacers. They let a team they should easily beat by double digits, hang around and have some life in the fourth quarter. The Pacers had built the lead to as much as 17 points in this one and as has often been the case lately, instead of keeping the foot on the gas pedal, they let up and let an opponent back in the game.
2) Turnovers have been an issue at times this season and Friday was one of those nights. The Pacers finished with 21 turnovers and Hill was the lone Pacers starter to finish with less than three turnovers at two. The turnovers also contributed to the Sixers having 18 fast break points, an area where the Pacers have generally excelled at stopping opponents this year.
Afterthoughts
The Pacers were lucky enough to be playing a pretty bad Sixers team in this one. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Sixers were down by just five and then committed three straight turnovers. Also, when the Sixers were making their comeback the Pacers offense often left George standing in the corner instead of their being some kind of movement. That was disappointing to see because a player not moving around is much easier to guard then one in motion. Nonetheless, it's still two straight wins after a four-game losing streak and it keeps the momentum going in the right direction.
Next Up
The Pacers travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons in a 7:30 p.m. game Saturday. The Pistons are 25-40 and did have Friday night off after last playing and losing to Toronto Wednesday night. The Pistons are led by forward Josh Smith at 16.6 points and 7.1 rebounds and guard Brandon Jennings at 16.5 points and 7.8 assists. They also have Greg Monroe at 14.7 points and 9.2 rebounds, Andre Drummond at 13.3 points and 12.9 rebounds and Rodney Stuckey at 13.2 points. The Pacers won at Detroit back on Nov. 5 by a 99-91 score, while Pistons defeated the Pacers in Bankers Life Fieldhouse 101-96 on Dec. 15.