The 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend saw the Indiana Pacers have their fair share of the spotlight with a four different players donning the blue and gold and repping the franchise in the midseason festivities. Now, the team pivots back to regular programming after a nine-day break with the regular season still far from its conclusion.
At 26-34, the Pacers are sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, though they are just 2.5 games away from a play-in berth. The merits of winning vs tanking aside, the team has a trek awaiting them if they want to make the remaining games count en route to a postseason appearance.
What’s awaiting the Indiana Pacers after the All-Star break?
Indiana is still on deck for 22 more games, and exactly half of those will come against teams that currently boast a winning record. Six of those contests will be hosted by the Pacers, which is a good thing considering that the club is 18-14 in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
However, four of their 11 games against sub-.500 teams will come against opponents currently ahead of them in the standings. If anything, it’s perhaps safe to assume that the upcoming slate will be far from a cakewalk for the Blue and Gold.
Nevertheless, Indiana will have an opportunity to size up and gain some much-need winning momentum, as they will face bottom-feeders Houston, San Antonio, Detroit (thrice), and Charlotte. The Pacers also have another matchup with Orlando which is beneath them record-wise.
Call me the biggest — or blindest — optimist, but the team should remain in the postseason hunt until the last day. After all, the team has too much juice to simply die down and not put up a fight in an ever-so-close race out East.
For now, with the All-Star break finally done, fans can look forward to the resumption of the season for Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers who have electrified the fanbase this season and are clearly ahead of schedule regardless of what their win-loss card may indicate.