Chicago's game at Brooklyn Monday night could have a major bearing on the Pacers' season. It could even be the tipping point that reopens the door to the playoffs for them.
It seems most of the Pacers, however, won't be watching. That's what they claim, anyway.
George Hill says he'll look for a show on classic cars or fishing. Paul George will keep up with the scores as the game progresses, but doesn't plan to tune in. Coach Frank Vogel's preferred viewing for the evening will be game video of Tuesday's opponent, Washington.
"I'd just get myself upset every time Chicago misses a shot or Brooklyn makes a shot," Vogel said following Monday's practice at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
You can decide whether to believe these claims or not. It's difficult to believe the Pacers won't have more than a passing interest in the Bulls-Nets outcome, given the fact it could determine whether or not they make the playoffs. If Brooklyn loses, the Pacers are assured of a spot if they defeat the Wizards on Tuesday and win at Memphis on Wednesday.
"It's out of our control right now," George said. "We just have to do a better job of taking care of games we should have taken care of and not be in this position."
The time will come when the Pacers can look back with anguish on particular defeats, if they don't make the playoffs. For now, they have more relevant and immediate issues to consider. They've won five consecutive games and have matched their win total from 2010-11, when Vogel took over during the season and inspired a late charge that led to a postseason berth, and a first-round loss to Chicago.
The Pacers have done this with a roster riddled with injuries, most obviously the one that kept Paul George out of the first 76 games. The time will come when they can look back on that with pride and consider a brighter future with a healthier lineup. But that, too, can wait.
"I'm excited about where our franchise is at," Vogel said. "But right now it's tough to focus on anything other than beating the Wizards."
The Pacers have received a buffet line of contributions from their roster during their win streak, but George remains the X-factor who offers the most hope for a happy ending. He's averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 14 1/2 minutes per game in his four games, beyond what most people thought he could produce after coming back from a broken leg. He'll stay within a 15-minute playing limit the last two games, but could receive extended time if the Pacers make the playoffs. Vogel, in fact, said George would play longer now if the Pacers weren't in the midst of a stretch of three games in four nights.
"I wouldn't say game-to-game you see a difference, but week-to-week he seems to take another step in regaining that range of motion and explosiveness and confidence level," Vogel said. "He's improving."
George admits to being surprised that he's feeling as good as he does, but he has no dream of becoming the 100 percent version of himself this season, no matter when it ends.
"I highly doubt however far we go in the playoffs I'll be 100 percent," he said. "There's just so much stuff I'm not even close to doing yet. We'll see.
"I'm feeling better. There's always a soreness after games. I feel like the more I'm out there, the more the leg gets used to the workload. That's what I'm trying to reach for. It's holding up fine."
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