GOTN Preview: Spurs vs. Pacers

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Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs

GOTN Preview: Spurs vs. Pacers

Life is all about second chances the saying goes, so Coach Popovich will want to make this one count. He is going for 1000 career victories for the second time after falling to the Raptors last night. Eventually the win will come and Coach Pop will be among the few coaches with 1,000+ wins. Don Nelson is the winningest coach with 1,335 wins and could be out of reach because of Pop’s age and aging team. It looks like the Pacers are expected to fall victim to the Spurs (32-19, 12-12 away) tonight at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Pacers (20-32, 11-13 home) have been plodding along this year without their superstar Paul George whose been out since have a severe lower right leg injury in the Summer playing for USA Basketball. Without him their offense has been tough to come by (28th in the NBA). The Pacers probably wish they were doing worse this year because they have contention hopes next year would like to do a Spurs-style bottoming out to get Duncan in 1997. They would add an impact talent to a talented defensive team. Instead other teams have beat them to the punch at losing like the Sixers and Knicks so the Pacers only sit 2 games outside of the 8th playoff seed at 12 games below .500 in the dismal East. The Pacers have won three straight and have a shot to make Popovich wait until another night.

Besides winning the 1,000th game for Pop the Spurs could use a win for the team. Sitting Parker, Genobli, and Duncan out and limiting minutes has cost the Spurs their dominance of the West. They sit 7th this year and will make the playoffs and face an extremely talented team no matter where they rise or fall from here.

West Standings Per ESPN:

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1-7 in the West could all conceivably win the West and all would be favored against any East opponent (besides the Hawks) in a NBA Final. The West Playoffs will be magical again this year to make up for how bad the East playoffs will be. I can’t wait.

PREDICTION

Pacers 90   Spurs 87

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