Winning on the road is key to a great season. The Indiana Pacers are 11-11 with 19 road games remaining. Can they finish with a winning road record?
The Indiana Pacers are in the midst of a five-game road trip and currently sit 11-11 on the road. Only three times in the past decade have the Pacers finished the season with a winning road record. The Blue and Gold compiled a 21-20 road record in both 2017/18 and 2013/14, and they finished with an impressive 19-14 in the lockout shortened 2011/12 season. Can they finish this season with a winning record?
Winning on the road is imperative to playoff success. All great playoff teams can win both at home and in enemy territory. Last year’s NBA champions, the Toronto Raptors, won huge playoff games in both Milwaukee in the Conference Finals and in Oakland in the NBA Finals. The Pacers must be able to win on the road to take the next step.
Looking ahead at the road schedule, 10 of the 19 road games are against teams with losing records. This includes games against the Suns, Warriors, Trailblazers, Knicks, Cavaliers, Spurs, Magic, Kings, and Wizards. Even though the teams above have losing records, most of them still play well at home.
It’s always tough to win in San Antonio. The Pacers have lost seven of the last ten games there. Winning in Portland is even more elusive. The Blue and Gold haven’t won in Oregon since 2007.
The other nine road games are against teams the Pacers are battling for playoff positioning with plus three match-ups with Western Conference powerhouses. This includes two games against the Raptors as well as games against the Bucks, Mavericks, 76ers, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, and Celtics.
After starting the current road trip with a brutal back-to-back in which the Pacers pulled off a signature win at Denver followed by a blowout loss to the Utah Jazz. It would make an important statement to finish the current trip 4-1.
Such a road trip would also help carry momentum into Victor Oladipo‘s return to the line-up on the 29th. Keeping the team healthy will be important in the battle for playoff positioning.
Prediction: The Pacers take care of business the rest of the road trip finishing with wins against the Suns, Warriors, and Trailblazers.