Pacers 118 Lakers 117.
Last night was certainly one of the most exciting nights to be a Pacers fan in the last few years, when the Pacers came from down 16 in the 4th quarter to stun the 14-1 Lakers at the buzzer. Considering the way 4th quarters have treated the Pacers all season this was especially rewarding.
Unfortunately, because of their inability to finish winnable games in the 4th quarter most of the season, that win put the Pacers at 7-10. And now 6 of their next 7 games are on the road, and their next three are against the defending champion Celtics, then LeBron and the Cavs, then Boston again. The two teams combined have 5 losses on the season.
I am definitely a glass-half-full type of guy and was jumping for joy after the victory against the Lakers, but seeing this brutal upcoming schedule is a little discouraging.
But Hey, we had to start somewhere, and a game like last night's can do wonders for a team's confidence. There's a decent chance they could lose the next three games, but hopefully they can at least be competitive and build on the great win last night.
It is a big step in the right direction for the team to not give up, even against a team as good as the Lakers. And as they start to pull games like that out, the team is going to grow more familiar with winning, and that confidence will help in their ability to close out games.
So, maybe the Pacers won't be able to build on this win with a winning streak. And maybe as a result of the brutal upcoming schedule, they may find themselves in a bit of a hole in the standings. Don't get down if that happens. It is a long season, and this team is starting to look like winners.
Keywords: Indiana Pacers
