Three things Pacers fans should root for, two things to root against to close the season

The Indiana Pacers are in a position that they haven't been in for a while. They have a chance to make the playoffs this season. They have already clinched a winning season and will at least be in the play-in game. This is a much better situation than they were in the last two seasons.

As all Pacers fans know, the Eastern Conference standings have been a jumbled mess for a while. They have changed every night for a while. Indiana has lost a few close games that are starting to haunt them now. Those extra losses are making a big difference now.

There are a few things that Pacers fans should root for down the stretch. Obviously, rooting for wins is understood. The team also needs some certain play from the guys on the roster right now. The first thing they should root for is their starting point guard to keep his shooting going.

1. Pacers fans should root for Tyrese Haliburton to keep increasing his shooting splits

For a while after the All-Star break, Tyrese Haliburton was not playing well at all. He just stopped making threes all of a sudden. His shooting had cratered. At one point in a ten-game stretch, he was just 19% from deep. Things have turned around in recent games.

Haliburton seemed to fix his shot on that road trip. In the last six games, he has shot 42% from three. Whatever was dogging him seems to have gone away. Pacers fans have to hope that continues through the end of the season because they need him to have his entire offensive arsenal at his disposal.

Haliburton's three-point shot opens up the rest of his game. When he's a threat from outside, it forces defenders to step up on him and give him less space around the arc. That gives him better opportunities to blow by and either kick to an open shooter or finish at the rim.

If Haliburton's shot continues to get better, the Indiana Pacers are going to be in a great spot. The second thing that fans should root for comes to us from the bench.