Game Thread 03/04: Pacers vs. Wizards

[basketballwacko2]

I swear these games are gonna either give me Tourette Syndrome or a bleeding ulcer!

[basketballwacko2]

Victor is a stat sheet stuffer!!

[Miller4ever]

This is too exciting in a bad way

[cruwinas]

Things are getting too spicy for my liking. But pacers will win. Even if three extra periods are needed. Nah, Pacers will win in regulation.

[Jake0890]

Dipo > Beal

can't believe we didn't ice this earlier. too many blown opportunities.

FREE THROWS!!!!!!!

[basketballwacko2]

Huge win!!!!

[boomershadow]

[Wizop]

now to ESPN for the 6-7 game.

Sent from my phone.

[Jake0890]

If the Cavs lose to the Pistons and we beat the Bucks tomorrow, we'll be the #3 seed.

Fat chance that happens with how gassed we looked at the end of the game tonight, but we'll see.

[Revived]

Big time win over a playoff team.

Collison is projected to be back by next game right since McMillan had said a week ago that he would be back after the road trip?

[Wizop]

any chance Thad was trying too hard to show Booker shouldn't cut his PT?

Sent from my phone.

[Nuntius]

Quality win tonight. Dipo, Myles, Bojan and CoJo were all very good tonight.

[basketballwacko2]

If the Cavs lose to the Pistons and we beat the Bucks tomorrow, we'll be the #3 seed.

Fat chance that happens with how gassed we looked at the end of the game tonight, but we'll see.

Yeah the back to back when the 2nd game is a home games kinda turns a home game into a road game. Hopefully they'll have DC back and Booker should be ready to play.

[boomershadow]

Vic played a lot tonight. Tomorrow might be rough.

I read somewhere that some people from the Lithuanian embassy in DC were at the game tonight to check out Domas.

[cruwinas]

Before this 4 game road trip I was thinking: 2-2 outcome is OK, but Pacers are better. 3-1 record is the most logical. 4-0 is also not far fetched, cause Pacers are that good. It started 0-2. I was thinking "Bleep, here goes the seeding". Guess what? 2 wins against your direct competitors in the standings on the road - there is no other way to put it, guys have balls. Earlier I posted that I could see Pacers overtaking Boston for a third place in the East. But Boston has an exceptional coach and one of the best guys in the league - Kyrie. Somehow Boston manages to hang on.
Another thing happened: Kevin Love broke his arm. Never liked the guy, but I don't like injuries more. KL will come back, but the boat is sinking already. Last year Cavs had Kyrie, now instead of Kyrie they have a bunch of no-names. Of course, LBJ and Silver's zebras are going to do everything not to look like complete trash (what Cavs are), but some situations are just hopeless. Cavs have 20 games left, their current record is 36-26. Cavs can finish season 7-13 (their schedule is not easy and they play like a G league team), that would be still enough for the 8th seed. Good luck for Raptors in the first round So, the question is, who will claim number 3 seed in the East? Pacers already could be sitting comfortably there, but some strange things happen. Like Bogies inbound pass in Celtics game.
Pacers schedule is tough. But last two games showed, that Pacers can respond. Final seedings in the East for the 3-8 places are going to be fun. Situation will change with every passing day.
No matter there Pacers will finish the regular season, I guarantee you, that they will win the first round against any opponent. Why I am so blatantly arrogant? Because Pacers constantly improving the quality of their game and execution during the marathon of 82 games. And improving team's performance on the go - that's a sign of good organization from the top to the bottom. Basketball is still a team sport and 5 good guys working as a one with 100% unselfishness for the better good of all - such people are destined not to fail. Right now only Raptors (they are just overloaded with talent and skills and potential), and Boston - reasons mentioned above, are on a higher level. But not unreachable.
19 games left. 11-8 is reasonable, 8-11 is reasonable too. But it's not written. Let's take one game at the time and lay it all out. And if going gets tough - play Domas more. Dude is young, healthy as a horse, more minutes he plays - better for everyone. If he is limited to a situational role - bench player, his performance declines. And IMHO, Domas is the second best Pacer. Come playoff time and what we will have? Thad still starting? Rotations are tighter in the postseason, tams are preparing for each other. If Domas will play 10-15 minutes off the bench - he will be completely ineffective. I always remember Domas last play for Gonzaga in a March Madness. Other team was always triple teaming him. And Gonzaga's shooters had a day of. End of story. I want Pacers PO run to be meaningful. Doesn't matter how many games will be played, but I want to see quality effort and tenacious fight.

[Pacersike]

The Thunder traded the wrong player for Paul George, that is how good I think Oladipo is playing right now. His defense has improved with CoJo by his side.

The actual trade is still a win-win because Westqueen doesn't allow other players to hit multiple gamewinners and Sabonis doesn't have the right game to play stretch 4 next to a big 5 with no range.

[Topofthekey]

I'd like to see Joe Young look to score a little more. He sometimes passes up some good shots trying to make the right basketball play, but we know he can put up points if he shoots the ball. It also looks too much like his teammates aren't looking for him. He can shoot. If he's open at the 3 point line, they need to get it to him.

That's my opinion. I still like what i'm seeing from this game so far.

I've been thinking this for quite some time.

On a typical possession, he passes the ball to someone else like Lance or Vic, and then goes hang around the 3pt line usually having nothing else to do the rest of the possession. His teammates don't look for him as you say, and he's trying his best to be unselfish and play within the team's system, probably because his minutes are hard earned and he doesn't want to lose risk losing them in case the coach doesn't approve of what he does.

Coach needs to fully utilize all the talent that's available to him. Joe Young can score, and at the same time he plays the kind of high energy and pesky defense that not many players do, so I feel he's a little under utilized by the coach

[Pacers_Freak]

If the Cavs lose to the Pistons and we beat the Bucks tomorrow, we'll be the #3 seed.

Fat chance that happens with how gassed we looked at the end of the game tonight, but we'll see.

Yeah the back to back when the 2nd game is a home games kinda turns a home game into a road game. Hopefully they'll have DC back and Booker should be ready to play.

I think that is usually true because the opposing team is already in your city. It changes a little bit the fact the Bucks played last night and had to travel as well. Our game started a couple hours before theirs as well. Brings it back to a home game IMO.