The last time these two teams met, the Houston Rockets led the Indiana Pacers 25-10 after the first quarter.
Remember what happened next? Houston basically decided they were done trying, the offense fell off the cliff, and the Pacers came back to grab a 99-91 victory.
It was early in the season, but even at that point it appeared clear that the Pacers had no intention of tanking this season. Now, with fewer than 20 games remaining, Indiana sits three back in the loss column from an appealing play-in spot. Not bad for a team that spent much of last season trying to “catch” Houston for worst overall record.