Paul George: “We’ve Got to Win Out”
By Ben Gibson
As far as Paul George is concerned, the Indiana Pacers playoff run has already began. With 5 games left on the schedule, it is an elimination situation the rest of the way.
"“We’ve got to win out. We’ve got to treat every game like it’s a playoff game,” George said. “It’s going to help us down the road if we make the playoffs. We’ve got to start habits now.”"
That’s what he said to the media on Tuesday as reported by the Indy Star, and it is hard to see it any differently. The Boston Celtics are a game ahead of the Pacers in the standings and holds the tiebreaker between the two clubs. The Brooklyn Nets are two games ahead of the Pacers and beat Indiana in two out of the three match-ups.
Also on the outside looking in are the Miami Heat, standing a half game ahead of Indiana.
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According to ESPN’s playoff odds, Brooklyn has a 75% chance of making the playoffs but it is Miami that is projected to overcome the Boston with a 54.9% chance as the Celtics (37.8%) and Pacers (31.3%) are left out.
On Indiana’s side is the schedules remaining. Brooklyn and Boston have two of the toughest schedules left in the Eastern Conference, while Indiana’s is the 7th toughest schedule remaining. Unfortunately for the Pacers, Miami has one of the easier schedules left and won’t face any Western Conference teams.
Indiana takes on one of the worst team’s in the NBA tonight in the New York Knicks, but the Pacers are on the road and probably distracted by Chris Copeland’s stabbing on Wednesday morning. Copeland’s health is more important than basketball (Not that that really needs said.), so you have to imagine despite the Pacers saying they are focused on tonight’s game, that has to have some effect on them.
After New York, the Pacers head north to play the Detroit Pistons before a two-game home stand against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards. Indiana’s final game comes on April 15 when they head to Memphis for a game against the Grizzlies.
Boston’s schedule includes a pair of games against the Cleveland Cavaliers as well as the Pistons, Toronto Raptors, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Even if Boston loses out the Pacers have to overcome Miami in the standings as well. The Heat face the Chicago Bulls, the Raptors, the Orlando Magic, and the Philadelphia 76ers in their final games.
Brooklyn faces the Atlanta Hawks, Wizards, Bucks, Bulls and Magic to close out their season.
If you made it through those lists, you can see Indiana will have to play some of their best basketball of the season while hoping the Heat and Celtics (and maybe even the Nets) fall off as well.
Indiana can’t control its fate, but winning out is their best hope for making the playoffs instead of only having a 0.1% chance at the lottery’s top pick.