With only nine games remaining, the Indiana Pacers find themselves still in a playoff spot, but with a half-game lead over the Detroit Pistons for the eighth and final berth in the Eastern Conference. Furthermore, the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards are hot on their tail as well, both within three games or less of Indiana.
Fortunately for the Pacers, three of their four games in the upcoming week come against teams with losing records. As a result, they’re in a prime position of being in the driver’s seat, and if they can just beat the inferior competition they’ll be able to hold on and clinch a postseason berth after missing the cut last season.