Pacers center Ian Mahinmi isn’t from the United States and didn’t play college ball, but he certainly knows what the NCAA’s Final Four is all about. And he’ll be watching.
As the regular season winds down, the Pacers (32-41) have just nine more guaranteed games, including this week’s slate against four other teams — Brooklyn, Boston, Charlotte and Miami — fighting for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. And thus, Mahinmi and the Pacers are taking part in their own Final Four.
“Even though there’s more games left [after this week], these four games are very important,” Mahinmi said.
“These games are going to count double. At the end of the week, I think we’ll have a pretty good idea of who’s going to be in those final spots. It’s a big week for us.”
As things sit right now, Miami (34-39) in slotted seventh, 1.5 games in front of Boston (33-41) in the eighth spot. Indiana’s schedule this week looks like this: Tuesday at Brooklyn, Wednesday in Boston, Friday vs. Charlotte, Sunday vs. Miami.
“It’s an appropriate time to have a situation like this during March Madness but that’s the kind feel that it has,” said coach Frank Vogel. “You got to win all of these games and a lot will be decided with these head-to-heads.”
This season has been a roller coaster-like season for the Pacers, full of high and low moments. There remains intrigue around the team that Paul George will play in a game this season, which seemed like an afterthought last fall.
Guys are banged up, most notably Rodney Stuckey (strained left calf and sore right wrist), the team’s second-leading scorer, and David West (allergic reaction). West should be good all week, though his eyes are still bloodshot. Stuckey is in significant amount of pain, but during a week like this he may have to power through.
The alternative to not having a successful week, not having a successful end to the regular season is not something they want to think about.
Indy’s own George Hill has been fortunate to compete in the playoffs in all seven seasons that he’s been in the league. He wants no part of having the season conclude on April 15h.
It’s “Go Time” for the Pacers…
“I feel like not making the playoffs is kind of like a waste of a season for us,” Hill said.
Some fans have and will continue to question that desire when, without a healthy Paul George and likely another piece, this team is not a championship-level team. That doesn’t mean you should call it quits back in September. Good luck trying to tell competitive players and coaches that. It was never a consideration for this season.
One of major things that appealed to free agents Stuckey and C.J. Miles was joining an organization that had reached the playoffs the past four years and where the culture was set.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to play in the playoffs,” Miles said. “I know these guys are used to it and they want to get back to it. They don’t want that long summer. And then we got some young guys who want a chance to be able to actually play minutes in that situation.
“There’s nothing like playoff basketball; every plays a big play. The crowd is into it, everybody’s games steps up a notch, the adrenaline is even higher. It’s the funnest basketball since probably AAU, when you just get to go out there and just run and jump around.”
Their test tonight, Brooklyn, is playing the best ball of those teams. They’ve won seven of their last 10 contests. Miami looks to be set at No. 7, although an excellent push combined with a rocky finish for the Heat could push them back one spot. Then it’s all up for great at No. 8.
“We have to win these games,” Miles continued. “… Every single one. It’s no secret where we stand in the standings. It’s no secret that it’s four other teams with the same records.”
The Pacers will be home for this weekend’s NCAA Final Four — between Kentucky, Wisconsin, Duke, and Michigan State — which will be held a few blocks south west of the Fieldhouse at Lucas Oil Stadium. Many of them have tickets already in hand and will be there. The atmosphere will be incredible, with loud fans oohing and awing with every play.
Over the next two weeks, the Pacers’ urgency and focus has to be their highest of the season and especially so tonight in Brooklyn, where they get their own Final Four underway.
Bring on the madness.