Upcoming Brutal Stretch of Games Could Tank Pacers Playoff Chances

Courtney Tate | 8 Hours Ago

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The Indiana Pacers have seemed to finally found their footing coming off two key wins against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Pacers are now met with their toughest challenge yet as they prepare for a brutal 9-game stretch against teams at or above .500.

Although Indiana has shown glimpses of great offensive production, consistency, and defense have been this team’s Achilles heel. Not to mention, the team has been met with a number of injuries keeping some of their key players and supporting cast members off the floor.

Fortunately for the Pacers, fans saw their best defensive performances of the season against the Pelicans and 76ers winning by their largest point margin so far of 14 and 15 points. However, spectators still question whether or not the Pacers can perform well against playoff-contending teams.

Indiana is 6-11 against teams at or above .500, facing tough losses already this season to the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Denver Nuggets. Rim protection has been a major issue for the Pacers, forcing them to go and seek out another big man, in which the team recently traded for Thomas Bryant.

The Pacers will now need to continue building on the improvement and momentum from the past two games as they prepare for a huge test in a three-game West Coast road trip. The Pacers are set to face off against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, Nikola Jočić and the Denver Nuggets, and Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

This kind of road trip would be tough on any team, more less a team trying to make a real turnaround and secure a spot in the playoffs.

Major adjustments defensively will still need to be evident in the coming weeks, as the team is still working to limit the number of easy layups given up. They will need to continue making improvements on communication, rebounding, and all-around effort and intensity to come out with some must-need wins.

Offensively, the Pacers need to find a way to keep getting everyone involved. This team has shown many glimpses of scoring brilliance, but players like Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam have struggled to perform that well on a nightly basis.

When Indiana is on offensively, they are almost impossible to stop, and should this team be able to figure out how to put together consistent offensive performances, they could start to become a scary team in the NBA.

Other challenging matchups coming up on the Pacers schedule include two back to back games against the Celtics, and matchups against the Bucks, Thunder, and Heat. The coming weeks will truly establish an identity for Indiana.

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