Why the Indiana Pacers will continue their dominance in the week ahead

The Indiana Pacers are coming off of a killer stretch of games, and largely came out victorious. In the last week they played: the Clippers, Cavs, Hawks, and Pelicans. And what is more astonishing is that they only lost one of those games.

Tyrese Haliburton isn’t just looking like an all-star, he looks more like a first-team all nba player and a fringe MVP candidate. This is not only because of the stats he is putting up, but his performance in clutch time this past week against the Cavs and Clippers is starting to show that he absolutely is on the path to superstardom.

In any case, can the Pacer continue their dominance in the week ahead? We look to next weeks matchups to see if the success is likely to continue in the days ahead.

Raptors at Pacers

The Raptors are having a down season at 16-20. A group that should be doing much better has struggled so far this season. However, they are not to be taken likely. They have stars in Siakam and VanVleet and can put up points in a hurry if needed. They are the 13th offensive rating, 19th defensive rating, and 16th net rating. And while that doesn’t seem too bad, the Indiana Pacers will have home-court advantage riding a three-game winning streak.

Our prediction? Pacers win big against visiting Raptors. 

Pacers at 76ers

The Pacers then head on a short road trip to visit a strong conference opponent. The 76ers are 21-14 and 5th in the eastern conference. This should be a good litmus test for how good the Pacers actually are, and give Haliburton a chance for a statement performance on the road. The 76ers  are 15th in offensive rating, 3rd in defensive rating, and boast a 5th net rating in the league. The Pacers will be on a four game win streak, but have a tough road opponent.

Our prediction? Pacers win on a buzzer beater. 

Trailblazers at Pacers

The Pacers head home to take on the visiting Trailblazers next and Dame Lillard. The Trailblazers are a great offensive team that can put up points in a hurry. They aren’t having the season they had hoped for at 18-17, but overall have done okay. They have a 10th offensive, 23rd defensive, and 15th net rating. The Pacers would be on a five game win streak at this point.

Our predcition? Pacers overlook the visiting Blazers and Lillard makes them pay the price. 

Hornets at Pacers

The final game of the weak is the limping Charlotte Hornets (10-27), who are having a truly disappointing season and are likely starting to think about tanking for a better draft pick. The Pacers would be on a one game losing streak at home.

Our prediction? The Pacers handle the Hornets easily to end the week 3-1.