http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/131385-9531-106.html
This being the point in the NBA season when teams want to look their best, the Indiana Pacers have a new and sudden challenge.
Namely, avoiding the disheveled appearance of a team pointed in the wrong direction.
The Pacers enter tonight's game against Chicago at Conseco Fieldhouse having lost three of their past four and are in danger of losing three in a row for the first time this season.
That's a good news/bad news scenario, as it points out their unsurpassed consistency over the course of the season but also the recent exception to it.
Only two other NBA teams have avoided a losing streak longer than two games this season -- Sacramento and Minnesota. The Pacers have never gone through an entire season, ABA or NBA, without enduring at least one losing streak of at least three games.
So, while everything looks grand from a big-picture perspective, the here-and-now picture isn't so bright.
Coach Rick Carlisle knows why.
"I have some serious concerns, because the last couple of games we've been a little frantic in our offensive play, which led to some sloppiness at the defensive end," Carlisle said Sunday. "We're going to have to redefine our identity as a team."
Carlisle is seeking a return to the basics that propelled his team to the top of the NBA. The Pacers owned the league's best record by 1 1/2 games over Sacramento heading into Friday's game against the Kings, and were looking dominant with a 17-point second-quarter lead. A second-half collapse brought a two-point loss.
The Pacers jumped to an early lead over Memphis on Saturday with another strong start but faded again in the second half.
That made for three losses in the week -- at Cleveland, to Sacramento and at Memphis. All came against teams playing at a high level and were closely contested, but they combined to forge a trend that's disturbing to Carlisle and his players.
"We've always come up with stops, and the last two games we haven't come up with stops," guard Reggie Miller said after Saturday's loss.
The Pacers lately have become the hare in the fabled race with the tortoise.
They took an eight-point first-quarter lead against the Cavs, a 13-point first-quarter lead against the Kings and a 13-point first-quarter lead against the Grizzlies.
Early success brought complacency, however, something they hope doesn't become a microcosm of their season. Carlisle appreciates his team's ability to open a game aggressively, but lately the momentum has lured them into out-of-character up-tempo games.
"My fear right now is early scoring binges are weakening our defensive posture as the game wears on," Carlisle said. "We walk a fine line. I realize the importance of getting early baskets, but I realize what the success of this team is built on, and that's consistency at the defensive end. The challenge for us is to strike the right balance."
The Pacers have been one of the NBA's better defensive teams through the combination of their patient offense and effective concept of team defense. But they slipped in their three losses last week. They allowed Cleveland 107 points on 54.5 percent shooting, Sacramento 94 points on 45.5 percent shooting (53 percent in the second half) and Memphis 99 points on 53 percent shooting.
"That's just not going to get it," Carlisle said.
Carlisle's objective is to have it all -- play strong defense, run when the opportunity is there, but execute in the half-court offense when necessary, which is most of the time.
"Our ability to tie in those three elements are going to determine the success of our season," he said.
It will take a major collapse for the Pacers to lose the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they face a clear, if not present, danger in Detroit. The Pistons have won eight consecutive games and 12 of 13. The addition of Rasheed Wallace has made them the NBA's best team over the past month.
The Pacers' focus, however, can't be diverted to the big picture.
"Now's the time of year when we find out what kind of team we have," Carlisle said.
This being the point in the NBA season when teams want to look their best, the Indiana Pacers have a new and sudden challenge.
Namely, avoiding the disheveled appearance of a team pointed in the wrong direction.
The Pacers enter tonight's game against Chicago at Conseco Fieldhouse having lost three of their past four and are in danger of losing three in a row for the first time this season.
That's a good news/bad news scenario, as it points out their unsurpassed consistency over the course of the season but also the recent exception to it.
Only two other NBA teams have avoided a losing streak longer than two games this season -- Sacramento and Minnesota. The Pacers have never gone through an entire season, ABA or NBA, without enduring at least one losing streak of at least three games.
So, while everything looks grand from a big-picture perspective, the here-and-now picture isn't so bright.
Coach Rick Carlisle knows why.
"I have some serious concerns, because the last couple of games we've been a little frantic in our offensive play, which led to some sloppiness at the defensive end," Carlisle said Sunday. "We're going to have to redefine our identity as a team."
Carlisle is seeking a return to the basics that propelled his team to the top of the NBA. The Pacers owned the league's best record by 1 1/2 games over Sacramento heading into Friday's game against the Kings, and were looking dominant with a 17-point second-quarter lead. A second-half collapse brought a two-point loss.
The Pacers jumped to an early lead over Memphis on Saturday with another strong start but faded again in the second half.
That made for three losses in the week -- at Cleveland, to Sacramento and at Memphis. All came against teams playing at a high level and were closely contested, but they combined to forge a trend that's disturbing to Carlisle and his players.
"We've always come up with stops, and the last two games we haven't come up with stops," guard Reggie Miller said after Saturday's loss.
The Pacers lately have become the hare in the fabled race with the tortoise.
They took an eight-point first-quarter lead against the Cavs, a 13-point first-quarter lead against the Kings and a 13-point first-quarter lead against the Grizzlies.
Early success brought complacency, however, something they hope doesn't become a microcosm of their season. Carlisle appreciates his team's ability to open a game aggressively, but lately the momentum has lured them into out-of-character up-tempo games.
"My fear right now is early scoring binges are weakening our defensive posture as the game wears on," Carlisle said. "We walk a fine line. I realize the importance of getting early baskets, but I realize what the success of this team is built on, and that's consistency at the defensive end. The challenge for us is to strike the right balance."
The Pacers have been one of the NBA's better defensive teams through the combination of their patient offense and effective concept of team defense. But they slipped in their three losses last week. They allowed Cleveland 107 points on 54.5 percent shooting, Sacramento 94 points on 45.5 percent shooting (53 percent in the second half) and Memphis 99 points on 53 percent shooting.
"That's just not going to get it," Carlisle said.
Carlisle's objective is to have it all -- play strong defense, run when the opportunity is there, but execute in the half-court offense when necessary, which is most of the time.
"Our ability to tie in those three elements are going to determine the success of our season," he said.
It will take a major collapse for the Pacers to lose the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they face a clear, if not present, danger in Detroit. The Pistons have won eight consecutive games and 12 of 13. The addition of Rasheed Wallace has made them the NBA's best team over the past month.
The Pacers' focus, however, can't be diverted to the big picture.
"Now's the time of year when we find out what kind of team we have," Carlisle said.
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