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The Indiana Pacers are as healthy as they have been all season after George Hill started his first game of the year in Brooklyn on Saturday.
The return to health has been noticeable at the offensive end of the floor of late as the Pacers have shot at least 50% from the floor in their last four games. For the season, the Pacers are near the bottom of the league (above Philly) with an offense scoring 98.2 points per 100 possessions, but in the past four games the offensive rating has jumped to 107.9 points per 100 possessions (per nba.com/stats).
The recent upswing will be put to the test by the Chicago Bulls who are also feeling good about their level of play as their health solidifies. In fact, Derrick Rose was talking about a championship run at Chicago's shootaround on Monday (via Nick Friedell). Rose usually diminishes expectations, so that is a pretty good indication that he is feeling quite well.
The Bulls also feature the newly minted, NBA Player of the Week for the East in Jimmy Butler, so there is no shortage of positive vibes coming down from the UC to the Fieldhouse on Monday night.
For more on the Bulls, check out Blog A Bull. Also, please add your thoughts and observations on the game in the comments.
| 2014-15 NBA Regular Season | ||
|---|---|---|
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| December 29, 2014 - 7:00 p.m. ET | ||
| Bankers Life Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, IN | ||
| TV: Fox Sports Indiana ---- Radio: AM 1070/107.5 FM The Fan | ||
| Probable Starters | ||
| Derrick Rose | PG | George Hill |
| Jimmy Butler | SG | Rodney Stuckey |
| Mike Dunleavy | SF | Solomon Hill |
| Pau Gasol | PF | David West |
| Joakim Noah | C | Roy Hibbert |