Coming into December, I have the Indiana Pacers with a record of 9-12. In those games, I mentioned that I could see many of them being tight, nail-biting games. The Pacers have sixteen games in December and it will be one of their tougher months of the year. Here is a breakdown of how they will fare in these games, and how I foresee they will look heading into the new calendar year.
Heading into December for the Indiana Pacers will be tough
At this point of the season, I feel like there will be a couple of guys that will be making a name for themselves on this team. Tyrese Haliburton will be in full swing, Myles Turner will be in the midst of proving his worth, and Chris Duarte could emerge as an elite shooter.
A Cold Start to December, and a cold finish
The first four games of the month are @ Utah, @ Portland, @ Golden State, and @ Minnesota. I think the Pacers go to Salt Lake and beat the Utah Jazz with ease. The Jazz are in a FULL rebuild phase. I imagine that they will have traded Donavon Mitchell by this time. Next time out, the Pacers hit the road to Portland to take on Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers. I think the Pacers drop this one on the road.
Then, they travel over to California to take on the Golden State Warriors. Indiana will drop this one against the reigning champs. If you remember, the Pacers beat the eventual champion Warriors last season in Golden State. That will not happen this year, unfortunately. Finally, they end the road trip with a date with Karl Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves. I think the Pacers give the Wolves all they can handle but drop this one.
The second part of the December schedule for the Pacers is a four-game homestand in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. They will take on the Wizards, Nets, Heat, and the Warriors. I believe that the Pacers win the first game against the Wizards against the home crowd. Then, I think they lose to the Nets. Recent news tells us that Durant and Irving may be back after all.
Then I predict the Pacers to lose to the Heat as well. The firepower will prove to be too much for the young Pacers. Finally, I think the Pacers upset the Warriors. That is right, I said it. The Warriors are bound to have a bad night every time. I think this may be one. Through the first eight games of the month, I see the Pacers at 3-5.
Can the Pacers turn it around to close out December?
The next four games of December are: @ Cleveland, vs Knicks, @ Boston, and @ Miami. I think the Pacers start this four-game stretch here with two wins. I think they want to let Cleveland win all of the games against them this season, so I’ll say they lose here. Then I believe that they lose to Boston as the Celtics roll in this one. Finally, I think we see an upset in south beach. I think the Pacers go down and beat the Heat in Miami.
The Final four games to end the month of December are a little easier than the past games, @ New Orleans, vs Hawks, vs Cavaliers, and vs Clippers. While these games may be easier, that does not mean the Pacers will be victorious. The Indiana Pacers will be competitive in ALL of the last four games. I see them winning two of them. I believe that they can beat the Pelicans in New Orleans and against the Hawks. Trae Young has notoriously given Indiana trouble, so it won’t be an easy game. To me, the Pacers will be red hot and can maybe carry over later into the season.
Where Indiana stands at the end of December
I think that the Pacers finish the rough month of December at a solid 7-9. That would put them at 16-21. I believe this is doable for the Indiana Pacers. Leaving Dec. with seven wins would still leave the door open heading into 2023 at a spot in the play-in tournament. I don’t think that is in the team’s best interest this season. What do you think? Can the Pacers stay afloat at the end of the cold December schedule?