OK, I hope the Pacers have been following the news coming out of Sacramento. Ron Artest is not playing. There's no need to game plan for him. Shift your focus on Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby. Ten days ago, the Kings crushed the Pacers in a game that was hyped as Ron Artest's return to the Fieldhouse. When Artest flaked out and didn't show, the Pacers played like Ronnie was the only King they were prepared to defend. With plenty of good looks at the hoop, Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby combined for 63 points. Come to think of it, the Pacers haven't really played any D since.
With the turmoil in Sacramento, this is as good an opportunity as the Pacers will find to halt the madness and notch a W. Here's Bruno's Preview. He mentions the recent offensive and defensive slump and gets Carlisle's take on how the simultaneous poor play on both ends are feeding each other and sucking the confidence team dry.
"Huge" is putting it mildly. No excuses.
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