The Indiana Pacers are hitting their stride right in time with the season coming to a close. Currently, on a four-game win streak, Indiana looks to extend against the 17-61 Washington Wizards tonight. In their last contest, the Pacers set franchise records for points (162) and three-pointers made (27) in a 162-109 victory.
Do not let this big win fool you. When playing against teams below a 500 winning percentage, this Indiana team does not perform how you would expect. Two of their last four opponents hold a losing record and could be a momentum killer ahead of the playoffs.
There is a mentality in sports of a team thinking they do not have to play as hard against an opponent simply because they are the “better” team. Underdogs thrive off of this mentality and use it as fuel to pull off the most unimaginable upsets. The Indiana Pacers are not immune to this thought process.
When lacing up against teams with a losing record this season, the Blue and Gold hold a 30-16 record. Alarms may not be set off initially because this is a winning record, but it points to a deeper issue. These 16 losses against opponents under 500 are more than 18 other teams in the NBA.
For being the fourth-best team in the Eastern Conference, it is concerning to see easier wins being left on the table. This enforces the notion that the Pacers play down to their opponent’s level rather than performing at a consistent degree. The young Indiana team has proved they can win tough games, it’s just a matter of showing up night in and night out.
For their last four games, the Pacers face off against the Wizards, Cavs, Magic, and Cavs in that order. Building momentum before the playoffs is crucial for any team and Indiana has their work cut out for them. Not only do they play two teams below 500, they also play the number one team in the east twice.
So far this season, the Pacers are 3-0 against the Wizards, making this the most tempting matchup to overlook. In their contests with the Cavs and Magic, Indiana has a 1-1 and 1-2 record, respectively. Cleveland may be the easiest of the three matchups as they have secured the one seed and could look to rest their starters ahead of the playoffs.
Orlando is shaping up to be the toughest opponent. They have clinched a play-in spot and want to keep building momentum as well, having won seven of their last ten. Although they have a record below .500, they are not a team to be taken lightly, as their winning record against the Pacers shows. It is time for Indiana to continue their recent winning ways and not play down, no matter the opponent.
After a 121-103 loss to the Bulls on March 10th, the Pacers have seemed to turn a page. Since their defeat, Indiana has achieved a 12-3 record in their last 15 games. This includes a five-game win streak and a current four-game win streak. When asked what the common thread has been in their last four games, Myles Turner had this to say:
“Our strength is in our togetherness, you know. I think we have a very deep team. Anybody at any time can go for 20 points. That’s off the bench, that’s starters, even third unit at times.”
The whole team seems to be finding chemistry between each other, resulting in great basketball and quality wins. The challenge is to keep this energy going into the postseason. The Pacers have an opportunity to end the season on an eight-game win streak. If this is to come to fruition, handling business against weaker opponents is a must.
For a majority of the season, the Pacers have struggled to show up when facing seemingly easy opponents. This is concerning for a team that has shown much promise, displaying they lack the consistency to be a high-caliber team. However, with their stretches of wins in the last 15 games, worries have been eased. Keeping healthy and Indiana’s performance in the last games of the season will give insight into their postseason performance.
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