Category Archives: NBA
Pacers Continue to Surprise NBA
One of the biggest traditions in the state of Indiana is basketball. Because of this, the Indiana Pacers, who are in the NBA, are always a focal point of the state. Heading into the 2017-18 season, there was a lot of concern that the team could be taking a step back in the wrong direction. Much of this was due to the fact that star guard Paul George was traded away. While the Pacers did not look like a team that would compete, they have surprised a lot of people and appear to be heading towards greater things (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nba/pacers/2018/01/11/five-questions-pacers-fans-should-ask-halfway-through-season/1024943001/).
While the Pacers lost George, who was previously the leading scorer on the team, the team has appeared to be more cohesive this year. They currently average more than 107 point per game, which makes them one of the top offensive teams in the NBA. The team is led by guard Victor Oladipo, who was acquired in the trade for Paul George. Oladipo is having an All-Star caliber season by averaging nearly 25 points per game.
Overall, the Pacers seem like they could compete for a playoff spot by the end of the year. At this point, the Pacers have that is just over .500. This is good for 8th place in the conference, which would allow them to quality for the playoffs. As the league approaches the halfway point, there are many decisions that will need to be made to decide how they can continue to compete and win in the second half of the season.
Posted on: January 27, 2018 | Categories: Indiana Pacers, NBA |
2021 NBA All-Star Game Will Be in Indiana
NBA fans in the state of Indiana have not had a lot to get excited about in recent years. However, that is set to change. It was just announced that the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis will host its first NBA All-Star game in 2021. There had been rumors circulating for quite some time that Indiana might be awarded the All-Star game from the NBA. However, nothing was made official until recently. It has been a very long time since Indiana last hosted an NBA All-Star game. That was way back in 1985 when it was held in the old Hoosier Dome.
The Indiana Pacers have played very well this season. They have been one of the surprise stories in the NBA. So NBA fans in Indiana can feel good for two reasons. It is a very big deal for a city to be awarded the All-Star game in a major sport. It creates a big boost for the local economy in the weeks leading up to the event. Local restaurants and hotels can benefit greatly from all the additional people coming to town. Unfortunately, 2012 is still a very long time from now.
The governor of Indiana and the mayor of Indianapolis both said a few weeks ago that they were hopeful about the NBA All-Star game being awarded to the city. However, both were cautiously optimistic when they were asked if they thought it would really happen. Both said there are a lot of politics involved in that sort of decision.
Posted on: December 29, 2017 | Categories: 2021 NBA All-Star Game, Indiana Basketball, Indiana News, Indiana Pacers, NBA, Sports |
Indianapolis to Host 2021 NBA All-Star Game
Indianapolis has developed a reputation for being one of the best cities in the Midwest to host big sporting events. The city did an excellent job with the Super Bowl in 2012 and the Final Four in 2015. The attendance records set two years ago helped Indianapolis land another Final Four in 2021. City officials just learned today that they will be hosting another huge event that same year. The NBA has officially announced that the 2021 All-Star game will be held in Indianapolis.
This will be the first time that the Indiana Pacers get to host the NBA All-Star game since 1985. Many experts expected the prestigious game to get awarded to the city of Cleveland, but the NBA clearly wanted to reward the passionate Pacers fans. The beautiful new renovations to Bankers Life Fieldhouse and the city's reputation as an excellent event destination certainly did not hurt either.
The Pacers front office worked tirelessly over the last few years to get this honor. The team sent several members of staff to the All-Star games in Toronto and New Orleans the last two years to improve their pitch to the NBA. They also had Larry Bird officially announce the Pacers' desire to host the game by driving a race car to the NBA headquarters earlier this year.
The exact date of the game has not been announced, but the NBA traditionally holds the All-Star game in mid-February. In addition to the game, Indianapolis will also get to host the celebrity game, dunk contest and several other exciting events during the same weekend.
Former Pacers Star Paul George to Make Indiana Return
Paul George is one of the best players in NBA. The Indiana Pacers chose him in the first round in the 2010 NBA draft. His game has improved by leaps and bounds. However, seven seasons playing for the Indiana team was enough to make George ask for a trade. His request was granted and he was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder before the start of this season. He will now play in Indiana for the first time since he was traded. His return to the Bankers Life Fieldhouse is sure to be an emotional one for George and the fans that once cheered for him. He will now be wearing the colors of the enemy. It is for that reason that George believes he will be booed when he walks onto the court. It remains to be seen if that will be the case.
Paul George's return to Indiana has been talked about ever since his trade to Oklahoma City was announced. It is no surprise that the game has been sold out for months. Tickets are going for high prices on the secondary market. Some people believe that George will be cheered during the introductions at the start of the game. However, it is expected that he will be booed once the game gets underway. Pacer fans are usually fairly respectful to former players who come back to Indiana for the first time. They will most likely give George the respect he deserves for being a great player for so long.
Posted on: December 27, 2017 | Categories: Indiana News, Indiana Pacers, NBA, Paul George, Sports |
Pacers Lose Tight Game Against Thunder
Today was definitely an emotional day for the Indiana Pacers and their fans. Paul George returned to Indianapolis for the first time since getting traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the off-season. The surreal feeling of seeing George in an opposing jersey for the first time was only made worse when the Pacers lost an extremely tight game to the Thunder.
The emotional game started off great for Indiana. They rode the solid play of Victor Oladipo to a five-point lead at the end of the first quarter. George stepped up his defense on Oladipo in the second quarter, which helped the Thunder secure a five-point lead at halftime. A fairly even third quarter gave both teams a chance to win the game heading into the fourth quarter.
The Pacers were down 11 points with only five minutes remaining, but a late surge made it a one-point game with 40 seconds left. Indiana got the defensive stop the needed in the final seconds, but Oklahoma City got two offensive rebounds before getting a tip-in basket. Paul George sealed the victory with a key steal before the Pacers could get up the potential game-tying shot. The Oklahoma City Thunder ultimately got a 100-95 victory after George made two late free throws.
The Pacers did a good job of shutting down their former superstar on the offensive side of the ball, but they simply had no answers for his excellent defense. Indiana will have a 16-10 record when they host the Detroit Pistons on December 15.
Posted on: December 26, 2017 | Categories: Indiana News, Indiana Pacers, NBA, Sports |
George to Play First Game in Indiana Since Trade
Oklahoma City Forward and former Pacers star, Paul George, will be making his first return to Indianapolis since he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the offseason. Despite the fact that he was traded, George is not expecting a warm welcome from his former hometown fans due to his acrimonious split with the team.
Halfway through last season, George informed the team that he didn't plan to remain with them for the rest of his career. Disappointed, the team began to shop him around to other teams in a possible trade scenario. George publicly asking to be traded diminished his value on the trade market because opposing franchises knew that the Pacers had to get rid of him, leading to a deal with Oklahoma City that many experts thought was well below market value for the Pacers.
George spent seven seasons in Indiana, leading the team to two Eastern Conference Finals. He averaged 18.2 points a game along with just over six rebounds and three assists per game during his time as a Pacer. He is certainly the most successful player to wear that uniform since Reggie Miller. George was one of the most popular players in the history of the franchise.
Despite his popularity and success with the team, George and his Thunder teammates do not expect a warm welcome when they take the court in Indianapolis on Wednesday. The Pacers fanbase is loyal to their team and the fans will be sure to let number 13 know that he is no longer welcome. It will interesting to see how both teams perform in this homecoming for the four-time All-Star.
Posted on: December 23, 2017 | Categories: Indiana Basketball, Indiana News, NBA, Paul George, Sports |
Key To Playoff Run For Indiana: Myles Turner
The Indiana Pacers were very busy this past offseason as they dealt tenured superstar veteran Paul George for a package that centered around swingman Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, a young power forward. Now, with the NBA season underway, Indiana has their eyes on a deep playoff run in the Eastern Conference. The key to success for these playoff ambitions? If you guessed Oladipo and Sabonis, you guessed incorrectly. Instead, Indiana is coalescing around their young big man Myles Turner and his need to become the face of the franchise.
Last season was a tantalizing exposure to the power that Turner could display on the block but so far in 2017 he just hasn't been doing enough.
Indiana knows that they need Turner to be excellent in order to be competitive, but that just hasn't been the case thus far this season. turner's minutes are down, his shooting percentage is down across the board, and his head just doesn't seem to be in the game quite as much. At just 21 years old, there is a lot of growing up for Turner to do both above the shoulders and below it. The question begs to be asked, how patient will Indiana be with the supposed future of their franchise?
When it is all said and done, if Indiana is going to be an elite team in the East for the next four or five years, they are going to need everyone on the floor to step up. turner needs to lead the way.
Indiana Pacers Easily Defeat Sacramento Kings
The Indiana Pacers celebrated Halloween by hosting the Sacramento Kings in their seventh game of the 2017-18 NBA season. While the Pacers have not been playing well early in the season, they were still able to take advantage of the young Sacramento roster on the way to an easy 101-83 victory.
While these two teams play in separate conferences, it was still an intriguing matchup because the Bogdanovic brothers were playing each other for the first time in the young NBA careers. Bojan Bogdanovic and the Pacers got off to a great start at Bankers Life Fieldhouse by using a balanced scoring attack and excellent defense to dominate the Kings. The Pacers went into the locker room with a 25-point lead at halftime.
The big early lead allowed the Pacers to rest most of their starters in the second half. The biggest difference in the game was the scoring discrepancy from behind the three-point line. Indiana hit 12 shots from behind the arc while the Kings only managed to make two three-pointers in the entire game. The Pacers also won the battle of the Bogdanovic brothers. Bojan led Indiana in scoring with 17 points while his brother only managed seven points for Sacramento.
The Indiana Pacers have now won four of their first seven games. They will head out on the road to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, November 1. Back-to-back games are usually tough on NBA teams, but the Indiana starting lineup should be well rested after seeing limited playing time on Tuesday.
Indiana Pacers Pull Off Upset Over Cleveland Cavaliers
The Indiana Pacers traveled to Cleveland yesterday to face the defending Eastern Conference champions one day after easily defeating the Sacramento Kings at home. Playing an extremely talented team on short rest put the Pacers at a severe disadvantage, but they did not let that stop them from pulling off their most impressive victory of the 2017-18 NBA season.
Indiana and Cleveland were both in sync at the beginning of the game. The Pacers used a balanced offensive attack that saw all five starters hitting key shots. Cleveland was forced to primarily rely on LeBron James and Derrick Rose, but they were still able to keep the game close. The Indiana Pacers entered halftime leading 62-61.
Most teams playing their second straight game tend to struggle late in the game, but the Pacers showed absolutely no signs of fatigue. The two teams traded baskets at the start of the second half, but the Pacers took the lead for good after hitting a series of three-pointers halfway through the third quarter. The Cavaliers simply had no answer for the unselfish offense of the Pacers. All five starters for the Indiana Pacers scored at least 15 points, which helped them secure a 124-107 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The win yesterday puts the Pacers at the top of the Central Division after playing eight games. They are also only one game behind the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Indiana Pacers will return to action on November 3 when they go on the road to face the Philadelphia 76ers.
Posted on: December 4, 2017 | Categories: Indiana News, Indiana Pacers, NBA, Sports |
Pacers Pull Off Victory Over Orlando Magic
After getting off to a terrible start to the season, the Indiana Pacers have been playing great basketball over the last few weeks. The Pacers have been carried by their excellent offense during the recent hot stretch, and that was no different last night when they defeated the Orlando Magic 121-109.
Indiana's desire to put on an excellent show for their fans helped them get off to a hot start last night. They quickly amassed a eight-point lead after scoring 33 points in the first quarter. The offense cooled off a little bit in the second quarter, but the Magic were unable to capitalize thanks to the excellent defense of the Pacers.
Jonathon Simmons of the Orlando Magic was nearly unstoppable early in the second half. His excellent shooting display cut Indiana's lead to only one point at the end of the third quarter. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Victor Oladipo and the rest of the Indiana offense rose to the occasion. They put up 36 points in the final 12 minutes to put the game out of reach. Oladipo ultimately led the team in scoring with 26 points. Three other members of the team also tallied at least 18 points.
The Pacers now hold a 12-9 record this season. They will travel to Houston to face the James Harden and the Rockets on Wednesday, November 29. Pulling off a win over the top team in the Western Conference would be the perfect way for the Pacers to prove they are serious contenders this season.