This is why the Indiana Pacers may be considering tanking after this week

Our predictions last week didn’t quite pan out going 1 for 4 (see them here). The Indiana Pacers seem to be in a bit of a tailspin and unable to pull out of it. After a surprising start, the team seems to be returning to what preseason expectations were.

This past week, they lost to a so-so Heat team, beat the defending champs a second time, then began to fall apart against Cleveland and the New York Knicks. So what do we think is going to happen in the upcoming week?

There were certainly winnable games that the Pacers even were competing well in, but struggled to finish it out in the fourth. The first quarter starts have gotten better, but the fourth quarter finishes have not.

We predict that the Pacers will be more strongly considering aiming for draft positioning. Or at least one can hope. Let’s get on to the games. The Pacers play a short road trip on the east coast.

Wednesday, December 21st, Indiana Pacers at Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are on a tear this year and are looking every bit the powerhouse of the team that made it to the NBA finals last year. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown look to be the best duo in the NBA and the frontrunners to make it out of the east. Many opinions around the league would have them as the best team in the NBA altogether.

The Pacers on the other hand are coming off two straight losses and look to be struggling. The team looks good but young, and because of that, they are struggling to finish some of the games with leads they have. We expect the Pacers to continue to have some bumps in the road up ahead, especially when they are playing a team that is the class of the NBA.

Our prediction: The Pacers are overwhelmed and outmatched against the Boston Celtics. 

Friday, December 23rd, Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat

The Pacers will then make their way down to Miami, to take on a Heat team they lost to only a few nights ago. The Heat have won four in a row and are starting to turn their season around. Their stars are starting to play like stars, and they will look to be winning a game they likely should at home against Indiana.

We guess that Indiana will have lost three straight at this point and will be motivated to try and turn the recent streak around. However, being on the road against a superior team that is needing to make up ground in the east is a bad recipe.

Our prediction: The Pacers lose a tight one on the road to the Heat.