After last night's Minny Massacre, there are no numbers to crunch or favorable matchups that lend me confidence enough to expect a win. However, I've been in this position several times this year and always enjoyed the bounce-back effort of the Pacers. Still, I don't know what to expect. The Wiz are trying to bounce back themselves after dropping a game last night to the Atlanta Hawks.
Bruno's Scouting Report looks back and explores the Pacers' "erratic" and "inconsistent" defense. Hmmm, erratic and inconsistent, aren't those euphemisms for HORSE(BLEEP).
We know the Wiz will exploit any defensive lapses. Looking at the numbers, the first team to 120 may be the winner tonight.
For a Wizards perspective, check out Bullets Forever.
Here's what the efficiency numbers say:
| Team | Pace | Off.Eff. | Def.Eff. |
|---|---|---|---|
| IND | 97.4(2nd) | 106.8(16th) | 106.0(13th) |
| WAS | 90.9(14th) | 109.5(11th) | 108.5(20th) |
Projected Starters
| PACERS | pos. | WIZARDS |
|---|---|---|
| Jermaine O'Neal | F | Antawn Jamison |
| Danny Granger | F | Caron Butler |
| Troy Murphy | C | Brendan Haywood |
| Mike Dunleavy | G | DeShawn Stevenson |
| Jamaal Tinsley | G | Roger Mason |
Feel free to leave your thoughts on the game in the comments.