The Indiana Pacers handed the Miami Heat a third-straight loss on Saturday night, reversing their reputation as slump busters in the wake of Victor Oladipo’s season-ending injury.
Just to recap the last seven days (which, to be frank, felt more like 70 days):
- Memphis snapped an 8-game losing streak on 0 days rest
- Washington rolled to a 107-89 win on the second night of back-to-back after trailing by as many as 25 points the night before in Cleveland
Against desperate opponents (yes, the season-worst loss to Golden State is being intentionally ignored here), the short-handed Pacers hadn’t just been missing Oladipo’s presence as a leading scorer, closer, top-flight defender, and positive source of energy; they were missing the sense of urgency that sustained them during his prior absence.