The Indiana Pacers pick themselves up off the canvas tonight only to see a heavyweight champion dancing in the corner. The San Antonio Spurs are rounding themselves into playoff shape and I can't help but think they'll just put their collective thumb on the Pacers to control them all night. They still have to play 48 minutes tonight so never say never, but after watching the Rockets control the action last night, I have a hard time seeing the Pacers make the Spurs uncomfortable tonight.
Here's Bruno's Scouting Report which again begs for some defense out of the Blue and Gold. So consistent effort on the defensive end is the problem? I have an idea. Try something new, like, oh, I don't know, playing Stephen Graham. The guy is nothing if not active and willing to bust a gut on defense. Free 23!
For a Spurs perspective make sure you check out Pounding the Rock.
Here's what the efficiency numbers say:
| Team | Pace | Off.Eff. | Def.Eff. |
|---|---|---|---|
| IND | 96.1(3rd) | 106.9(18th) | 109.0(18th) |
| SAS | 87.1(28th) | 109.8(12th) | 103.3(3rd) |
Projected Starters
| PACERS | pos. | SPURS |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Dunleavy | F | Bruce Bowen |
| Troy Murphy | F | Tim Duncan |
| Jeff Foster | C | Kurt Thomas |
| Danny Granger | G | Manu Ginobili |
| Travis Diener | G | Tony Parker |
Feel free to leave your thoughts on the game in the comments.