This is what happened today.

When I switched on the TV, the Pacers were up by a point in the second half against the New York Knicks, a team they recently lost to twice in back to back games. Granted, this time the Knicks were without Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire, but Carmelo Anthony had been playing well and the Knicks' confidence was high.

Of course, the Pacers soon started playing like crap, and before long they were down by 8 points heading into half-time. I expected them to come out firing in the second half, but instead it was the Knicks that came out with more energy, quickly running the lead up to 15 points.

I turned the TV off in frustration, certain that the Pacers were heading for yet another loss.

Eventually, I couldn't help it and snuck a peek, and what do you know? The Pacers came back and won the game.

I don't care how they did it, but once again it shows when the Pacers play like crap, they really are crap. But when they're good, they're actually pretty good. You just never know which one is going to show up, and when. 

Amazingly, the win, coupled with Orlando's loss, moves the Pacers up to the third seed in the East. I don't expect them to keep it up but if it can avoid a date with Boston in the first round then that's welcome news.

Next up, the Pacers face the Wizards, a team they've really struggled to beat the last couple of times. This one will be at the Verizon Center in DC, where the Pacers had to come back from another massive deficit to steal victory. Not sure the Wizards would allow to happen again, so the Pacers better make sure they don't fall behind early. 

Yes it's true. Danny Granger just rescued the Pacers from a 0-2 road trip in Texas. They barely scraped home with a 104-102 overtime victory against Houston, having fought their way back from a 10-point deficit entering the fourth quarter.

They probably should have gotten the job done without the extra session, but Darren Collison, supposedly the team's best free throw shooter, went 2-4 in two trips to the line, allowing the Rockets to tie the game. Collison again gave the Rockets a chance when he went 1-2 in the dying seconds of OT, but thankfully Granger blocked a three-pointer from rookie Chandler Parsons at the buzzer.

Granger finished  with 32 points on 11-20 shooting, including a great 6-8 from downtown. He also added 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks in what was probably his best performance of the season. He needed it, too, after talking of a strong finish to the season.

Hibbert had 15 and 9 with 5 blocks, West had 12, 6 and 4 assists, while Collison finished with 11, 5 and 7 assists but almost lost this one for the team.

With the victory, the 31-21 Pacers remain in 5th in the Eastern Conference playoff race (and currently with homecourt advantage over the 4th place Celtcs). Seriously, with the way the Celts are playing now, I'm not sure homecourt would be enough. Even though I'm not sure they could overcome them either, I'd rather the Pacers play the 76ers or the Hawks in the first round.

Now the Pacers head home to face the Knicks, a team that killed them the last two times they played. The Knicks are playing well right now even without Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire, but I think the Pacers will step up for this one. I hope. 

There's no easy way to say this, but the San Antonio Spurs are just better. The execution is unbelievable. The Pacers should take a page or two out of their book because it's the type of team they should be aiming to be. Shame Geoge Hill didn't explode in his return. I still wonder what might have happened had the Pacers drafted Tony Parker instead of Jamal Tinsley (who was taken one spot ahead of the Spurs PG and former Finals MVP)...



 

Sorry, I've been sick.

Not just physically, but mentally -- of the Pacers' performances over the last couple of games.  First, they get rolled by Deron Williams and the New Jersey Nets (Collison just got trampled). Then, they had a bit of luck in eking out out against the Washington Wizards at home. These are two teams the potential fourth seed in the East should not be struggling so much against, especially when they just showed they can beat the Miami Heat.

Next, a huge test. The San Antonio Spurs.  Let's hope George Hill will go off against his old team and grab a much needed victory against one of the consistent and fundamentally sound teams in the league. 


 

Oh, it looks like I forgot to post about the Pacers beatdown of Milwaukee the other night in the third game of their back-to-back-to-back.  It wasn't against a top class opponent but a win is a win and given how shaky the Pacers have looked recently in some disappointing losses it was certainly a much needed confidence booster. Here are the highlights.


But tonight, they did beat a top class opponent, albeit one that probably wasn't at the top of its game. The Pacers maybe should have won the last time these two teams played, but they left no possibility of a last second D-Wade shot this time, easily overcoming the Heat 105-90 in Indiana, with newly retired Jeff Foster seen in the commentary booth in a suit.

Dare I say this was the Pacers best win of the year? Sure, they beat some good teams on the road early in the season, but this team had been struggling to find an identity and had been playing through a lot of ups and downs without any semblance of consistency. This win was a massive exclamation point, at least until the next game.

It wasn't just the win, but it was the way the Pacers won that stood out to me.  Total team effort.  All five starters in double figures, led by Grangers 25 and 9. Collison had one of his best games in what feels like centuries, racking up 20 points on 7-12 shooting and 4 timely steals. He disrupted the Heat defense with his speed and even had a two-handed breakaway throwdown, something which I had never seen before from him during a game. 

West had a solid one too, with 10 points and 12 big boards, including 6 on the offensive end.  Paul George had 16 and 10, including a buzzer beating half court shot that put the Pacers up by 3 at the half.

Roy Hibbert had a solid one, with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks. The big man's confidence is back after a post-All Star slump, throwing down a David West-fed alley-oop, facializing Lebron with a vicious one hander and swatting Lebron's layup at the other end.

The bench was not too shabby, even though George Hill, who was coming off a season high against the Bucks, didn't even score. Hansbrough had 8 points including 6 free throws (always a good sign of aggression), but it was Leandro Barbosa, the new recruit, who really spurred the Pacers to victory tonight. Barbosa had 14 points, including two 3-pointers and a three-point play for a 9 point burst in less than 100 seconds. Not quite Reggie-esque but it was brilliant, and the exact reason the Pacers made a good decision to rent him for the remainder of the season (and hopefully beyond).

Enjoy the highlights below. Pacers play the Nets in New Jersey on Wednesday. A dangerous opponent despite their record, so let's hope the Pacers keep up the momentum.