Victor Oladipo's nature is to grow increasingly upbeat and optimistic in the face of mounting adversity, as if his smiling face can ward off the demons of doubt.
That's why he was calm, talkative and eager to get back to work following the Pacers' 120-96 loss to Philadelphia at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers fell flat in the game that was accompanied by more hype than any of the season to date, playing poorly at both ends of the court, but they emerged from it 29-15 and claiming to know how to fix all that went wrong against the Sixers.