White out!!!What: Don't let the record fool ya'. The Pacers may be 12 games under-.500, but they can strike at any moment. They play an uptempo brand of basketball that puts no premium on defense whatsoever. Their 107 opponents points per game is third worst in the NBA, and dead last in the East. Another telling stat is their penchant for fouling. On average, the Pacers opponent shoots 30 free throws per contest, also dead last.
Led by All-Star Danny Granger, the Pacers hang due to their three-point shooting. They literally live or die by it, and so far this year, they have died often. Indiana chucks 21 three-balls per game, making eight. That puts them in the middle of the pack in the NBA. Basically, all roads go through Granger and everyone else prays their shot is falling. They don't have much size in the middle, but are primarily perimeter oriented.
One awesome thing about the Pacers is the possibility of a white-out when all players are healthy. A white-out is five white guys on the court at one time, which happens about as often as a lunar eclipse in the NBA.
Where: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
When: 7pm, CSN Philly
Why (The Sixers need this win): It's all about the corny cliches; starting off on the right foot, making the most of a clean slate, making a stand in the second half, all of that B.S. applies here. The Sixers could be four games over-.500 for the first time since the 03-04 season (I kid you not) or they could drop in the standings and allow Detroit to jump them.
A win shows they are not rusty coming out of the break, which is important for this club. The Sixers had been red-hot since the start of 2009, and they don't want that to end now. Iggy and the Stooges need to show they are capable of winning on the road, but that won't be easy considering Indiana is four games over-.500 at Conseco. Something's gotta give.
How (The Sixers will win): Shutting down Danny Granger is a start. He averages over 25 per game, but has been slowed by a knee injury which has affected his shooting. Granger is hitting less than 40 percent of his shots over his last five games.
Other than Granger, it's about stopping the three's from raining. Pretty much everyone on the roster can pull from deep and without much of an inside game, the focus needs to be squarley put on the shooters like T.J. Ford, Troy Murphy and others. Stop the three, stop Indiana!
Prediction: Sixers win on the back of the D, which should cause some turnovers against a sloppy Pacers team. (Sixers W 108-102)
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