The Indiana Pacers Play Their Most Important Game on the Final Night of the Season

It all comes down to this. Paul George and the Indiana Pacers need one more victory to secure their playoff position. 

The Indiana Pacers are playing their most important game on the final night of the regular season. A win sends them to the playoffs for the 6th time in 7 years.

A loss sends them into an offseason of uncertainty clouded with a myriad of question marks.

Here are a few reasons why a win tonight against Atlanta is critical for Indiana.

A Win Keeps The Season Alive

The Pacers have been firing on all cylinders the past 4 games. Since Larry Bird inked Lance Stephenson to a 3-year, $12 million deal, the Pacers have found new found life. Indiana is 4-1 in the last 10 days with their only loss coming in a 2OT battle against the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

Not only does a victory tonight versus the Hawks mean extra basketball on 125 S Pennsylvania St., but it gives fans a larger sample size of what this new core of players can accomplish. The NBA playoffs is the competitive equivalent of a no holds barred street fight. Basketball purists will on edge ready to see a Pacers team playing to its full potential with a “win or go home” mentality.

Welcome Back, Playoff Paul George

“I Got Us!” Paul George bellowed in the Air Canada Center last April during Game 1 of the playoffs last season. PG-13 is historically  great during the postseason. Per Basketball-Reference.com, George posted a 27.5 PER, nearly doubling the league average PER of 15. During last season’s 7 game series versus the Toronto Raptors, George averaged 27.3 points per a game, making 45% of his shots from the field and 41.9% of his 3 point attempts.

Playoff Paul George has arrived a week early in 2017. George earned the Eastern Conference Player of the Week nod for the week of April 3rd. Per the NBA’s official release on April 10, George is playing like a superstar:

"George paced the East in scoring (31.7 ppg) and tied for seventh in rebounding (9.0 rpg) while shooting 57.4 percent from the field as the Pacers went 3-0 for the week to climb into seventh place in the East with two games to play."

It’s worth noting that George is also playing for a coveted All-NBA selection, which potentially nets him an added $73 million if he resigns with Indiana this off season under the designated veteran player exception.

So Long, Paul?

This is by far the most important reason the Pacers need to win tonight. Paul George has been vocal this season about his desire to play for a championship contender on his next contract. In an interview with ESPN Radio during the All-Star break, George spoke about his impending free agency in 2018:

"“As I told Larry, I always want to play on a winning team,” George said on the program. “I always want to be part of a team that has a chance to win it (all). That’s important.”"

Paul is a competitor, period. He wants to win it all and who can blame a guy who works in a profession where legacies are determined by the number of rings a player wins. Talk is cheap, actions make statements. Expect the Pacers to rally around their superstar and come out swinging against the Hawks tonight

What Does it All Mean?

Indiana has played one of the most perplexing seasons of basketball in franchise history. Expectations were sky high during preseason due to the additions of Jeff Teague and Thad Young. Some media outlets had Indiana on the cusp of 50 win season and contending for a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

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81 games later, the Pacers are 41-40 and fighting for their lives. The bottom line heading into tonight’s game is one team is desperate to prove they belong at the big boys table. One win tonight will wipe the slate clean on the most frustrating season in recent memory. One win tonight puts the so-called mediocre Pacers on the same level as the other 15 teams in the NBA Playoffs. Very few times do teams get an opportunity for a second lease on life and Indiana is staring that opportunity right in the eyes with game 82.