8 points, 9 seconds
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The Indiana Pacers Control Their Own Destiny

By Ben Gibson

Dec 27, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill (3) dunks over Brooklyn Nets center Mason Plumlee (1) and Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Sergey Karasev (10) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. The Pacers defeated the Nets 110-85. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill (3) dunks over Brooklyn Nets center Mason Plumlee (1) and Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Sergey Karasev (10) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. The Pacers defeated the Nets 110-85. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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If you are a Indiana Pacers fan it was O.K. last night to be cheering for the Chicago Bulls.

Thanks to Indiana’s rival beating the Brooklyn Nets, the Indiana Pacers now control their own post-season fate.

If Indiana beats both the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies on back-to-back nights they are headed to the post season.

If they lose one of those games they’ll need the Orlando Magic to beat the Nets on Wednesday to keep the Brooklyn from tying Indiana’s record and by virtue of owning the tie-breaker, jump ahead of the Pacers.

So what are the Pacers chances?

ESPN’s odds still don’t like Indiana as well as Brooklyn, and understandably so. The Pacers have to beat two playoff teams to make it in to the postseason on their own accord.

Fortunately for the Pacers, the Wizards are locked into the 5th seed — unable to surpass the Raptors and get home-court advantage in the first round. So they don’t have anything to play for, and John Wall has been nursing a balky ankle, so he may well sit out tonight (no word yet).

UPDATE: Welp. We missed this until now, but it sounds like Wall will definitely play — and is motivated to help keep the Pacers out of the playoffs. He told the Indy Star that “We still got some salt in our mouths from last year” and told the Washington Post “we feel like we owe them from last year.”

The Grizzlies, however, have fallen all the way to the 6th seed recently after having the 2nd as recently as this past weekend. That’s just how tight things are in the West before 2nd and 6th. Still, things may look different by tomorrow (though of the relevant West teams, only the Clippers play tonight), and Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are banged up so it’s possible one or both of them will sit.

Regardless, Indiana will really hurt its chances if they don’t beat Washington tonight, and their quest to win on back-to-back nights against playoff teams is why ESPN has Indiana on the outside looking in.

  • Nets — 59.8%
  • Pacers — 35.5%
  • Heat — 4.7%

With the Boston Celtics clinching last night that leaves only one remaining spot left for the three teams. Pacers fans can take solace in the fact Basketball-Reference loves them.

  • Pacers — 58.6%
  • Nets —45.3%
  • Heat — 1.6%

Last up is NumberFire.com, which has the Pacers a tad below the ESPN probabilities.

  • Nets – 55.3% (down 16.0%)
  • Pacers – 38.5% (up 11.5%)
  • Heat – 6.3% (up 3%)

Indiana’s task isn’t easy and each game against the Wizards has been close this season, even with a injury-ravaged roster in November. After Indiana lost those first two games on the tail end of back-to-backs, they beat Washington 103-101 on the front end of a back-to-back in January thanks to a George Hill game-winning lay-up.

Interestingly enough, their final game against Washington is in another back-to-back situation, this time with the Wizards on the front end of the situation. Indiana is 3-4 this season when the first game of a back to back is at home. No matter what happens in tonight’s game the Pacers will have to get ready for Memphis tomorrow on the road. In the second games of back-to-backs Indiana is 5-8 this season, losing their last three.

Indiana may control its own fate, but it is far from a guarantee that the Pacers will make it to the post-season.

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