Wednesday night, the Indiana Pacers have a chance to wrap up their five-game road trip at Chicago and go 4-1 in those contests. They will play against them all three teams again this month that have handed them a loss.
Currently, Head Coach Rick Carlisle has his squad at 41-32. The win in the rematch at Chicago would put the Pacers ten games over .500 for the first time all season.
As they look to catch up and leapfrog the likes of New York, Orlando, and Cleveland, it is imperative that the Pacers do not lose again to the likes of the Bulls, Lakers, and Cavaliers before the season's end.
The last time out against Chicago, the Pacers fell in overtime. DeMar DeRozan tied the game at the end of regulation for the Bulls. Indiana would suffer in defeat.
Indiana could not stop DeRozan, who went 15-17 from the free-throw line that game. Guards Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu combined for another 43 points for the visiting Bulls.
Days later, the Pacers would lose to Cleveland 108-103, who were without Donovan Mitchell. Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert each had 23 points against Indiana.
During this five-game swing on the road, the Pacers dropped a 150-145 bout against LeBron James and company. Four starters for the Lakers tallied 25 points or more in that contest.
With only nine games remaining on the schedule, these rematches are critical for the Pacers to win and redeem themselves in. Depending on how the wins and losses go, the Pacers could realistically finish anywhere between the third seed and the eighth seed.
Note: At the end of February, the Pacers dropped a game against the Raptors by eight points. They will have one more game in Toronto on April 9th.
Indiana will also play the Brooklyn Nets, one at home and one away, in a span of three days. These games could also pad the Pacers record as they close in on making the playoffs.