Darren Collison's one-word description of the Pacers' practice on Tuesday wasn't pulled from the NBA's cliché' handbook, but still accomplished its mission.
Jivy.
As in, "Practice was a little more jivy today."
He was talking about the ripple effect of Sunday's 124-88 victory over Denver that snuffed out a four-game losing streak and lifted the mood for the Pacers' final eight games as they try to maintain a position that brings homecourt advantage for the first round of the playoffs. There had been a concerted effort at practice on Saturday to display a positive outlook in the wake of the winless road trip through the Western Conference, but the dominant win over one of the West's best teams meant they won't have to manufacture another one as they head out for two more crucial road games.