Pacers postseason plans rely on consistency over final 25 games
The Pacers are in a dog fight for the one of the top six spots in the East making their remaining regular season games have a playoff feel.
The Pacers came out of the All-Star break hot on Thursday night in their win over the Pistons, taking a 72-43 lead to the half. And then the Pacers gave up 45 points to the Pistons in the third quarter. All’s well that ends well in the bottom line NBA and the Pacers won the game, 129-115.
While the eventual double-digit win was a great start to the stretch run, that putrid third quarter gave Rick Carlisle all of the benefits of a bad loss without having to actually take an L.
“I told the guys, it’s a great win, it’s a really important win,” Carlisle said after the game. “But we can’t back up the best defensive half of the year with one of the worst defensive quarters of the year.”
He went on to say they have a standard of consistency they aspire to and that level of inconsistency ain’t it. Carlisle quickly rubbed the team’s face in their mess right after the game, showing clips of the third quarter problems for the team to consider on Friday.
The Pacers showed the high ceiling they have in the first half and all of the concerns that remain in the third quarter. Their depth remains key, if not sporadic. On this night, TJ McConnell was the one to step up and give a huge boost off the bench.
But the best thing we saw was how the Pacers closed the game with Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton teaming up to make it happen. Having Siakam as a closing option is nice, and his two buckets around the four minute mark of the fourth quarter allowed everyone in the Fieldhouse to exhale.
Aside from adding to the depth with a healthy Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith, the Pacers have work to do to develop that consistency to play at a high level for 48 minutes. Avoiding the type of lapse flashed in the third quarter is critical over the final 25 games, considering the sudden tight race for playoff positioning in the middle of the East.
Finishing sixth or better to secure a first round playoff series is the goal at this point and the Pacers are in great position, considering they are currently sixth in the standings. Behind the Pacers, both Miami and Orlando are just a half game back. In front, Philly is 1.5 games ahead and the Knicks are 2.5 games ahead in fourth.
So, yeah, the playoffs kinda start now, no?
A few weeks ago, the Pacers post-All-Star schedule looked to lighten up compared to the a few of the daunting stretches they survived since the first of the year. However, things have changed.
Starting on Sunday with the Dallas Mavericks in town. The Mavs are on a heater with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving playing incredibly well together after a couple of trade deadline deals shored up the team’s front court defense to support the dynamic duo. The Pacers have to play the Mavs twice in about 10 days which I guess makes up for catching Cleveland for two games early in the year before they got on a roll. They also mix in Orlando and both games with New Orleans as two teams that are playing better of late and are not great matchups for the Pacers.
The dog days are over, this is must see action for the Pacers every night. The team has shown that they can play at a high level and take down any team in the East on a given night. They just haven’t done so reliably. Now they have to hone in on that standard of consistency Carlisle is preaching, to give themselves a chance to win late in games and then see how Haliburton and Siakam can continue to develop together to close out Ws.
If the Pacers do make a first round playoff series, they will have earned it and in the process actually be ready for that series. Watching that process unfold down the stretch will be quite interesting and hopefully, tons of fun for the Fieldhouse faithful, as well.
Speaking of the Mavs
The Mavs should have the Pacers full attention on Sunday evening following their impressive win over the Suns on Thursday. Luka and Kyrie accounted for 70 points and 14 assists in the 123-113 win which was the team’s seventh consecutive W. Yep, Dallas is rolling as they start a four-game roadie at the Fieldhouse.
The Pacers hope to continue trending toward fully healthy. With Haliburton off a minutes restriction, Jalen Smith appears close to returning. Hopefully, Aaron Nesmith isn’t far behind, although Nesmith is expected to miss the game on Sunday.
Game Details
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET
TV: Bally Sports
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +1
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Josh Green, PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II
Injuries
Pacers: Aaron Nesmith (lower leg)- out, Jalen Smith (back) - questionable
Mavericks: Dante Exum (knee) - out