The Indiana Pacers, finally, brought home a big win.
During a two month slump that has caused the league, media, fans and Pacers themselves to question their capability, Sunday’s 102-97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder should help them sleep easy.
At least for a night.
With the win, the Pacers positioned themselves to successfully claim home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Despite Friday’s crucial loss at Miami, because the Heat slipped up against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, the Pacers control their own destiny.
A win against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, Indy’s last game of the season, will secure it as they own the tie breaker (overall conference record) with Miami.
So all that turmoil may be for nothing if the Pacers can close out the regular season with a win in Orlando and start focusing on the playoffs, something Paul George may already be doing.
Slaving for FTs
— Paul George (@Paul_George24) April 13, 2014
George recorded 20 points and 12 rebounds, but despite the solid performance, was unable to negotiate more than five free throws from the refs. Oklahoma City did a great job defending him at the rim and upping the difficulty of his shots. Obviously George wasn’t pleased.
But this may be more of a cry for help come playoff time rather than a complaint about today’s games. After all, the Pacers did come away with the win regardless.
George’s performance was encouraging, but the Pacers still need to be worried about the recent play of Roy Hibbert. He was at a career worst on Sunday, shooting 0-9 from the field and lost the trust of his coach Frank Vogel, who kept him off the court in the fourth quarter.
Regardless of where the games are being played, if Hibbert cannot return to All-Star form, the Pacers do not have a chance to beat the Heat.
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.