I am firmly of the belief that the Indiana Pacers are better team now than the team they were when they twice beat the Miami Heat earlier this season. The problem is, this current Heat team is playing out of their minds. Combine that with home court for the Heat and a thirst for revenge -- the Pacers simply had no chance.

Final score, 105-91, and the Pacers never got very close after the Heat finished off with a flurry to lead by 10 at the half.

The Pacers' strategy appeared to be to contain Lebron James and let everyone else beat them. They kept Lebron to a season low 13 points, but boy, the other guys REALLY stepped up. Mario Chalmers had 26, Christ Bosh 24 and Dwyane Wade 23. As for the Pacers, apart from David West, who had 24, no one else was effective.

This was a game that put the Pacers back in their rightful place -- very very far behind the Miami Heat. That said, the Pacers are probably still the second best team in the East, and that can't be a bad thing at this stage of the season. With some luck, they are still the team in the East with the best chance of causing an upset against the defending champs, even if that chance is, as of now, barely above zero.

Next up, the Timberwolves at home, followed by a date with another streaking team -- the LA Lakers.

No need to say too much except that the Pacers crushed the Magic 115-86 in Orlando, avenging an embarrassing loss earlier in the season. It was a good bounceback win for the Pacers after choking the previous game away against the Celtics, and sets them up nicely for a HUGE showdown with the Heat.

For those who aren't in the loop, the Pacers have beaten the Heat handedly twice already this season, though both of those games came in Indiana, where the Pacers are significantly better than they are on the road. Plus the Heat are on a record winning-streak after winning their 17th straight today, and Lebron James is playing out of his mind.

So yeah, another good measuring stick for the Pacers. You have to admit, with the way things are going that their chances aren't great against this Heat team, but that's what makes Sunday's game so interesting. No team has challenged the Heat quite like the Pacers this season, and if they win it'll give them a clean sweep and some much-needed confidence heading into the playoffs, where a potential conference finals matchup looms.

What do the Pacers have going for them? Well, for starters, they are no longer getting blown out by good teams. They are sticking with every team these days even in the losses, and when they play bad teams they no longer play down to their level but instead dominate like we saw tonight against the Magic. That is a sign of progress.

They were also dismal on the road earlier in the season but it appears they are turning that around as well. They shot over 51% today against the Magic and nearly 49% against the Raptors in their last two road games, both victories. Granted, these are bad teams, but at least the Pacers are hitting their open shots on the road now, unlike before.

Danny Granger, by the way, has been shelved for another week, and I think it is safe to assume that he won't be 100% this season, if ever. It'll be nice to have him back even at 75% for the playoffs, but for now I think it's best if they pretend he won't be back and prepare mentally for the road ahead.

As I said, hard to see the Pacers winning in Miami against a Heat team whose last loss came against the Pacers more than a month ago, but if anyone can snap the Heat's winning streak, it's this Pacers team.

This is too depressing so I'm going to keep it short.

The Pacers choked away a 9-point lead in the final minutes of their home game against Boston, giving up the final 11 points to lose 83-81.

A loss is a loss, but what I found interesting is that the Pacers are at least in every game they lose these days. They don't get blown out anymore, which is a great sign compared to how they were earlier in the season.

The last time they were blown out was on Jan. 23 in Portland. Since then, apart from the 8-point loss to the Clippers without Hibbert, their other 5 losses during this period were all either down to the wire or in OT.

I actually think this loss to the Celts was another "good loss" in the sense that it builds mental toughness. The Celtics, even without Rondo, are as tough as they come, and the Pacers can certainly learn from them before the playoffs.

A few notes obsverations from the Pacers' 97-92 win over the Bulls, which gives them a 4-game cushion for the Central division lead.

• This was a scary game where the Pacers got off to a big lead but never got into the rhythm they needed to pull away. I felt like the Bulls were going to get them in the end until David West iced it. The Pacers were lucky to get away wit this one considering the Bulls were missing some of their key players.'
• I am probably jinxing him right now, but Roy Hibbert appears to be finally turning the corner in terms of his offensive game. He was solid with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks on 7-14 shooting.
• David West is still the man. And the beast. 31 points and 7 rebounds on 11-18 shooting and 9-9 from the line.  Nobody on this team is nearly as reliable. He delivered time and time again in the clutch as well. Hibbert take note -- THIS is what a max player should look like.
• Danny Granger played just 10 minutes in the first half and sat out the second wirh above average knee soreness. The Pacers say they are not concerned. I am. He's sat out more than half the season and can still only play 10 minutes? I wonder if he'll ever be the same again.
• Gerald Green looks like he is out of the rotation for good. What a waste.
• Paul George had 10, 10 and 6, but struggled with his shot again. I think he is getting a little fatigued. He didn't get a break during All-Star Weekend like everyone else.
• Pacers next play the Celtics at home. Lucky no Rondo but the Celts are always dangerous. A good litmus test.
• Interesting stretch coming up after that with games against the Magic and the Heat on the road and the Wolves and Lakers at home, the Philly and th Cavs on the road after that. The Pacers are at a stage where a 0.500 record in this stretch might not be good enough anymore.

Huge win against the Raptors after two home losses against them earlier in the season. The 93-81 victory was also important because it prevented a two-game losing streak, it got the Pacers a rare road win, and it keeps them just percentage points out of the second seed in the East behind the Knicks.

David West had 15 and 11, Paul George 22 and 10, and Roy Hibbert returned from his one-game exile to post 18 points on 7-10 shooting but grabbed just 3 rebounds in 24 minutes. The big fella must have felt bad for being absent in the big game against the Clippers, which showed in his aggression, but let's just hope he can keep things up. It does look like he is turning the corner (at last) on the offensive end.

Lastly, Danny Granger looks like he might be getting into shape quicker than expected. After yesterday's 12-point performance he put up another 8 points in 10 minutes on 3-5 shooting. He admitted still feeling discomfort int he knee and it was the second night of a back-to-back, so I think things are roughly where they need to be for him right now.

Next up, a HUGE game against the Bulls at home on Sunday.