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Indiana is barely over .500, but the way the Pacers have played this week has coach Jim O'Brien excited about what potentially lies ahead for his improving club.

After a pair of impressive victories, the Pacers face another stiff challenge while trying for a season-high third straight win Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Indiana (7-6) opened the week with a stunning 93-77 road win over the star-studded Miami Heat on Monday. The Pacers then avoided a letdown with a 100-89 home victory over Cleveland the next night.

Those results proved, at least for the time being, that the Pacers are capable of focusing their attention on the present instead of living in the past.

"I definitely have the sense something might be developing," O'Brien told the Pacers' official website. "This is a team that if they continue to progress the way they are progressing and stay as tied together as they are, I think this is a playoff basketball team."

The Pacers haven't been to the playoffs since 2005-06. However, if they continue to play defense like they have of late, that drought could end.

Indiana, which held the Heat and Cavaliers to a combined 40.7 percent shooting, have not allowed more than 90 points in the last four games.

"We're very together defensively," O'Brien said. "That's a nice position when your players are talking about the defensive side of the game. They don't want to not be there for each other. That's a very positive sign early in the season."

Back over .500 once again, O'Brien's players hope to stay there.

"Being above .500 means a lot," star forward Danny Granger said. "But we must follow up with a win or it will not have the importance that we'd like for it to."

Though Oklahoma City (10-5) is 5-1 on the road and looking for a fifth consecutive victory away from home, the Thunder franchise has lost three straight at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Pacers have averaged 103.0 points overall the last three seasons, but 114.0 during their three-game home winning streak over the Thunder.

Granger (21.4 ppg) has averaged 25.0 points during that streak. He had 32 in a 121-101 win in the teams' most recent meeting at Conseco on March 21.

Teammate Brandon Rush had 15 points in that contest, and has totaled 36 on 16-of-25 shooting in his last two games.

Kevin Durant has averaged 30.0 points in six games against the Pacers, but was held to 16 on 4-of-16 shooting at Conseco in March.

The Thunder star had 32 points and 11 rebounds as Oklahoma City had its season-high five-game winning streak snapped with a 111-103 loss to Dallas on Wednesday. Oklahoma City was outscored 36-22 during the fourth quarter, where Durant was held in check before two dunks with the game out of reach in the final minute. "We've got to continue to get better," coach Scott Brooks told the Thunder's official website. "I like our guys and what they're about and what they do and I believe in them."

Brooks' club did not allow more than 84 points in its last two road games at Boston and Milwaukee

dennis_mora91 wrote:Yeah but Tyler Hansbrought have not minutes for this reason

Reginald Wayne wrote:did Danny Granger just get 4 turnovers in 1 minutes?! He single-handedly lost the lead we had.

writerman wrote:I didn't get to see the game, but followed it in the box score on NBA.com.

Tell me if I'm wrong--it seems to me that exactly the times when Roy should be in the game, and getting the ball to work in the paint, Obie has his arse sitting on the bench and is playing Posey, Solo, etc., etc. instead.

Again, correct me if I'm wrong--as I said I didn't get to see the game--but when the Thunder were cutting into our lead, it seems to me that's when you go to your big guy if you have a really good one like we have in Roy. OKC has no-one to match him even when everyone is healthy--certainly not Krstic, and with him injured, why wasn't Roy getting the ball in crunch time?

If I'm right, this is just another reason Obie has to go. He has a very good five and doesn't use him properly, especially when it's obvious he should be using him, but prefers to play small ball and launch jumpers. That's a good way to blow a game like this one.

In a game like this one, close with the other team making a second-half run, when I was coaching and had the luxury of a serious mismatch at the five, my perimeter players better be getting him the ball or have a damned good reason it ain't happening. Anything else is just stupid coaching.

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