Well that sucked. The Pacers can't be considered a serious threat for the title until they show that they can win on the road with some kind of consistency.

Following that impressive victory against the Grizzlies, the Pacers fell into a shooting slump again and were blown away 100-80 by Portland, the first time they gave up 100 points or more to an opponent since a loss to Atlanta on Dec. 29 last year.

It seemed like a good opportunity for the Pacers to extend Portland's recent six-game losing streak, but instead they failed to compete on both sides of the floor, allowing the Blazers to shoot 56.4% while connecting on just 37.5% of their own. I hate to say it, but there's no reason why this Pacers team, with the kind of offensive players that they have, should continue to be so horrible offensively. Yes, Danny Granger is out, but it shouldn't be THIS bad.

David West had 21 but was repeatedly burned by LaMarcus Aldridge, who had a game high 27. Paul George had 22 and George Hill 11, but no other Pacer managed to reach double figures.

The 26-17 Pacers next visit the 23-19 Utah on Saturday. The Pacers have not lost consecutive games since Dec. 9, so this will be a great bounce back opportunity.

Tough game. And a big win. One I didn't really see happening.

But in the end, George Hill hit the go-ahead free throw and a seemingly buzzer-beating shot by Rudy Gay was ruled to have come after the buzzer (even before the video replay confirmed it). Pacers win 82-81, snap a 4-game road losing streak and sweep the season series with Memphis.

Paul George was an assist shy of a triple double, putting up 12 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. The starters again did what they had to do -- David West had 14, Roy Hibbert had 10, George Hill had 13 and Lance Stephenson had 8.

The bench was not awful and for once gave the team a boost, led by Tyler Hansbrough's 9 points. Interesting to see rookie Orlando Johnson getting more minutes over Gerald Green, who only played 6 minutes. Johnson had two threes and finished with 6 points and 3 turnovers. Not sure if it is because Green is still recovering for illness or if he is being punished for his lackluster play.

As expected, it was an ugly game between two excellent defensive but poor offensive teams. Considering how uninspiring the Pacers have been on the road thus far this season (10-13, including today's win), I honestly didn't expect them to pull this one out. It's a great morale booster and a solid start to their tough 4-game road trip out West.

The Pacers are now 26-16 and will next play Portland on Wednesday. They are just half a game behind the New York Knicks for the second seed in the East.

There's a few ways to look at the Houston Rockets, who had lost five straight heading into their game with the Pacers. The first is that they are struggling and would be a perfect bounceback opponent for the Pacers after their dreadful loss against the Magic. The second is that the Rockets are desperate for a win and would be extremely dangerous.

I think the first theory turned out to be true. The Pacers didn't really have a lot of trouble with the Rockets in the end and cruised to a 105-95 victory, their 11th straight at home. The Pacers actually played at the Rockets speed, but which was a risky move considering how awful their offence has been all season.

But luckily for the Pacers, Paul George had it going, pouring in 31 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals in another strong statement game that may eventually land him in his first all-star game. David West made a statement of his own with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. For the season, George is averaging 17.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.75 blocks, while West is averaging 16.6 points, 8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

George has had some huge games and he's been one of the best wing defenders in the league. Tonight he held James Harden, one of the top scorers in the league, to 17 points on 5-19 shooting. West, on the other hand, has been a rock, the most consistent offensive player, by far, on the team, and the clutchest. Considering how the Pacers are going right now (25-16, first in Central) you'd had to say both have a moderate chance to nab one of the last spots on the roster.

Gerald Green had food poisoning and missed the game, and Ian Mahinmi was lost in the second half with a stomach ailment. But that was probably a good thing overall because it meant more minutes for the starters.

Now the road gets very tough. Four road games out West against the Grizzlies, Blazers, Jazz and Nuggets. No back-to-backs, which is crucial, but considering how much the Pacers have struggled lately on the road, it's going to be a struggle just going 2-2 on this trip. Anything better would be a huge boost of confidence.

The official scoreboard read 97-86, but this game was not close from midway through the second quarter. When the game began, it looked like it was going to be an easy night for the Pacers as the starters eased their way to a 15-8 lead. Enter the Pacers reserves and in a matter of minutes the Pacers were staring at a 17-point deficit. They never recovered.

This was a nightmarish game that once again exposed the Pacers' pathetic bench. The Magic are not a very good team, but they at least have guys off the bench who can generate some offense, like JJ Reddick, E'Twaun Moore and yes, former Pacer Josh McRoberts. The Pacers had no one tonight -- and don't be fooled by the 10 points apiece by Tyler Hansbrough and Gerald Green because 16 of the 20 points they scored together came after coach Frank Vogel pulled the plug with around six minutes left in the game.

Vogel has been a good coach, but this was one of those nights where he needed to tell the bench players they were simply not getting it done and play his starters heavy minutes. The Pacers actually had a chance to come back after closing the third quarter with a run to pull within 13 points. But then Vogel subsituted some bench guys in and instead of getting closer the lead jumped back out to 19.

Strangely, Vogel gave up on the game with 6:24 left on the clock and the Pacers down by 19. It's a big gap, for sure, but not an impossible one by NBA standards, especially if he put all 5 starters back in.

Anyway, the Pacers have now lost 2 of 3 and will face the Houston Rockets at home before their 4-game road trip out west. Danny Granger can't return soon enough.

Midway through the third quarter of January 10th's nationally televised handcuffing of the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers forward Paul George jumped a passing lane near the top of the key, intercepted a pass, and with an effortless indifference, slammed the basketball through the rim. 

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson responded with a quick time-out and shake of his head. Moments before TNT went to a commercial break, color commentator (and the greatest Pacer in franchise history) Reggie Miller declared George as the new face of Indiana’s franchise.

As there are only 30 teams and only one face can be “the face” at a given time, passing-of-the-torch declarations like Miller’s are special. The Indiana Pacers have unofficially been Danny Granger’s team since 2008, when he first led them in scoring and seemed to be the type of player that could help change the franchise’s cracked image.

Now, six years later, at an age that was supposed to be his prime (29 years old) Granger’s spot as the franchise’s best/most important player has been usurped by George.

George is their leading scorer, shot-taker, three-point shooter, and a top-two defender. He’s second on the team in assists, third in rebounds, and first in steals, filling in for Granger at the small forward position while he recovers from knee surgery.

When Granger returns, the Pacers—the NBA’s best defensive team and a possible championship contender—have two options regarding how they can deal with him: 1) Gradually work to insert him back in the starting lineup as the team’s small forward, shifting George down to the backcourt and pushing Lance Stephenson (one of the league’s most pleasant surprises) to the bench, or 2) Have Granger embrace a new role by coming off the bench and embodying the burst of offensive energy Indiana desperately needs.

George is playing like an All-Star, and All-Stars shouldn’t have their position or role changed in the middle of a season. In the 14 games where his usage percentage has been at least 25.8%, the Pacers are 11-3..

Only three 22 year olds in NBA history grabbed at least 7.6 rebounds per game while scoring at least 16.9 points per game while shooting over 37.3% from behind the three-point line: Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Love, and Chris Webber. Paul George would be the fourth if he can keep his numbers where they are.

When you throw 1.7 steals per game into the mix, out of every player in league history, only five have hit all those averages for a complete season (Larry Bird four times, Shawn Marion twice, Greg Ballard, Fat Lever, and Webber). Not bad company for George to join if he’s capable of maintaining his numbers.

It’s a situation incredibly similar to what went on in New York with Amar’e Stoudemire. While he was hurt, the Knicks thrived by shifting Carmelo Anthony (the face of their franchise) to power forward and surrounding him with shooters. Since returning, Stoudemire has come off the bench in all seven games he’s played, and there’s no reason to believe this isn’t a permanent transition.

Why is bringing Granger off the bench a good idea? Well, offensively the Pacers die just about every time their reserves enter the game. The likes of Gerald Green, Tyler Hansbrough, D.J. Augustin, and Ian Mahinmi haven’t played well this year, and none are anywhere near talented enough to carry a team’s scoring load for an extended period of time.

Stephenson and Green combine to average 48.7 minutes per game, which in an ideal world is too much. Having Granger come in off the bench to bite a chunk off both their playing time would be a perfect solution. And having him out there for the 12 minutes George is on the bench should severely limit the team’s overall offensive woes.

The Pacers badly need help on offense. And how they use Granger upon his arrival could be the difference between another second round exit and a serious shot at the NBA championship.

Michael Pina is a writer for ESPN’s TrueHoop Network and ScoreBig.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MichaelVPina