Why the Pacers will move up the rankings this week

The Pacers have been playing solid basketball as of late. They are currently on a 6 game home winning streak and have won 7 of their last 9. They are playing much better than anyone would have given them credit for at the beginning of the season, and Tyrese Haliburton looks better than we could have imagined.

One example of this is their win total already. Their preseason win total was either 22 or 23 games total depending on where you looked. As of this writing, they have already won 23 games and we are well in advance of the all-star break.

So what does the next week look like for the Pacers and what should fans expect? We have the details and predictions below.

Pacers at Knicks, Wednesday January 11

The Knicks will welcome the Pacers after two days off in Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Winning in New York is never easy, and the Knicks are a pretty good team this year. But on paper, this should be a game that the Pacers could win if they stick to the type of basketball they have been playing recently. The Knicks are 22-18, 9th in offensive rating, 9th in defensive rating, and 8th in net rating.

This should be a relatively evenly matched game, but the Knicks will have a homecourt advantage. However, the Pacers are the hotter team at the moment.

Our prediction: The Pacers edge out the Knicks in an extremely tight game.

Hawks at Pacers, Friday January 13

The Pacers then return home to play the Hawks who continue to be struggling (18-21) losing 5 of their last 6 contests. Trae Young continues to struggle shooting from deep, and there have been reports of chemistry issues in the locker room. The Pacers just recently beat the Hawks on December 27th and are the better team on paper (15th net rating vs 25th net rating).

Our prediction: The Pacers get back on track and win big against the Hawks in Gainbridge.

Grizzlies at Pacers, Friday January 14

The Pacers end the week by welcoming in a western conference foe. The Grizzlies are a talented team with a talented point guard in Ja Morant (sound familiar?). The Grizzlies are 25-13 this season and boast the 2nd highest net rating in the NBA this season. The Grizzlies are the better team statistically in this matchup. What Memphis hangs their hat on is excellent defense, rated number one in the entire NBA. We expect this to be challenging evening for the Pacers.

Our prediction: The Pacers keep it close but ultimately come up short to Memphis at home, ending their home game winning streak.