The 5 Reasons the Pacers Will Make the Playoffs

The Indiana Pacers Remaining Schedule

The Indiana Pacers have played one of the most-road-heavy schedules in the NBA so far this year. Of their 48 games played, 27 have been away compared to just 21 at home.

That leaves the team with 20 more games remaining in the friendly confines of The Fieldhouse and just 14 on the road.

Given that they are 9-12 so far in Indiana, that might not sound like a recipe for vast improvement. But they have gone 5-5 in their past 10 games at home, and three of those losses have come against the Trail Blazers, Bulls and Raptors — three squads they are going to struggle to beat in any arena.

This tweet from @EdKupfer is a bit dated now (January 11), but it shows that, as of then, the Pacers had traveled more miles than all but six teams this season. Especially given all the injuries and all the needed therapy for the players, that had to wreak havoc on the team’s rest and ability to develop any semblance of routine.

More promising still, that graphic shows that the Pacers had the fewest miles left to travel among all teams. Indeed, among their 14 remaining road games, four are nearby in Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, or Detroit. Will they win in Chicago (again) and Cleveland? Probably not, but at least those plane rides and hotel stays will be short.

Even looking at the ugly start of the season, there is plenty of reason to think that the Pacers can play close to .600 ball (12-8) in Indianapolis the rest of the way with a healthy George Hill. If they do that and go 7-7 on the road, that’s 36 wins.

And a likely invite to the postseason.

Next: Desire to Make the Playoffs