After last night’s disappointing loss, the Indiana Pacers now stand at 30-35, still 9th in the Eastern Conference and well within the play-in. Though farfetched, the team remains in the running to crack the top eight and get two chances to sneak into the playoffs despite their disappointing campaign.
However, with the Wizards and Raptors looming after recent surges, the Navy and Gold needs to secure as many wins as they can to not only qualify for the postseason, but also bring in some much-needed momentum if they want to play spoilers to the East’s upper echelon teams.
The final seven games for the Pacers will not be easy, especially with games against four playoff teams with lots of reason to still play creeping on them. Pivotal games against Washington and Toronto also remain, and both contests will be heavily-contested as they jockey with Indiana to clinch the last two play-in spots.
Five of the last seven games will be played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Normally, this would be a big advantage for the Pacers, but the team has been victims to the lack of fans in home arenas, standing at a meager 11-20 at home.