The Indiana Pacers have gone cold at the worst time of the season. Now, every game is crucial, no more so than Friday's against the Toronto Raptors.
It's getting close to do-or-die time for the Indiana Pacers. Now just one game ahead of the Chicago Bulls and in the midst of four losses in five games, the Pacers have little room for error. Friday night, they play the Toronto Raptors in Toronto.
The outcome of that game could go a long way in determining whether or not Indiana clinches a playoff spot.
How did the Pacers get here? Well, they've stopped playing defense, giving up well more than100 points in those four losses. The offense has been surprisingly consistent. Paul George is having arguably his best stretch of the season.
Over the last five—four of which are losses—he's averaging 28.8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds on 48.5 percent shooting from the field and 44.7 from deep.
Clearly, the offense and George aren't the main problems. This team just can't stop anybody right now, and the upcoming stretch of games could determine the whole season.
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The Pacers will play a home-and-home against Toronto, with an away game against the Cleveland Cavaliers sandwiched in between. Indiana simply can't afford to lose all three and, to make themselves a little comfier, they need to try and steal two of them.
There is light at the end of the tunnel after these three games, but the Pacers have to make it through first.
The big key will be stealing at least one of the games from Toronto. The Pacers took the Raptors to seven games in the first round last year, largely thanks to the herculean efforts of George.
With a few different plays here and there, it's not hard to think that Indiana might've gone through with a major playoff upset.
This season, the Pacers and Raptors have only played once so far. Toronto easily dispatched Indiana 116-91. Now, it looks like that game might've been the one that sent Indiana flying off the rails. George scored less than 20 points. Myles Turner only had three.
Worse, though, was the defense. Seven Raptors scored in double figures, including all five starters. The entire team shot 49.5 percent from the field and hit 12 threes on 44.4 percent shooting. They absolutely dominated the boards 51-33 and had the game sewn up at halftime.
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The Pacers can't have another performance like that as they face the Raptors twice in the coming days. The team should be able to use that playoff experience from last season to gain some confidence. They know they can beat this team and even take them to the brink.
The best thing Indiana can do is forget the blowout from a few weeks ago.
Toronto also hasn't looked fantastic in recent weeks. They're still adjusting to the injury of Kyle Lowry, as well as incorporating new pieces like Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker. Most likely, this team will finish fourth in the conference. That being said, the Pacers can't take this team lightly.
Arguably, there is no better team to take down the Cavs than a healthy, loaded Toronto team.
A lot rides on the next three games for Indiana. One or two wins against Toronto and Cleveland could be enough for them to make the playoffs. Moreover, just beating one of these two teams can immediately right the ship and instill confidence in all the players.
These Pacers just haven't had a reason to feel good about their play for a few weeks now.
But, if this stretch turns into seven losses in eight games, that might be too much for the Indiana Pacers to overcome.
