By CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent The favored Pacers won their playoff opener at home fairly easily, and Atlanta now faces a crucial Game 2 on Wednesday. Whether the Hawks dramatically improve their odds of winning the series will hinge on their ability to make successful adjustments. None is more important than improved shot selection. Based […]
Continue ReadingBy DOUG GRIFFITHS ISL Assistant Editor NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish don’t lack confidence, nor should they. Coming off last year’s 12-1 season that included a trip to the BCS National Championship Game, Kelly entered spring drills wanting his team to develop an identity. It did just that, says the fourth-year Irish […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent So here we go again. For the fifth time, and first since 1996, the Pacers will play the Hawks in the playoffs. Indiana has won twice: 4-2 in 1994 and 3-0 in 1995. How do they match up in this year’s first round? Let’s take a look. SMALL FORWARD: Kyle […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Keys to the Series Both teams have polished mid-level post stars – David West for Indiana, Al Horford for Atlanta – supported by flashier, wild card forwards (Paul George, Josh Smith). On both sides, look for the ability of the supporting cast to dial it up in the postseason. That […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Paul George needed only a nanosecond to answer the question. Given last season’s trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals, he was asked, ought not these Pacers be expected to advance past the second round? “We should,” he said, making eye contact. And therein lies a new way of life for […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent A season that began with Danny Granger fighting a sore knee ended with the Pacers making their third consecutive trip to the postseason. In between, there was amazing play on defense, the arrival of Lance Stephenson and an All-Star season for Paul George. October/November (8-8) George Hill set the tone […]
Continue ReadingBy DOUG GRIFFITHS ISL Assistant Editor Matt Painter did what needed to be done. After suffering a 16-18 season, Painter needed to shake things up in his program and get his house in order. He did just that. Shown the door were Jacob Lawson and Anthony Johnson, who didn’t buy into some of the things […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent What’s interesting for the Pacers is that their two potential Round 1 opponents are the two clubs they probably want to see the most in the postseason: Atlanta and Chicago. Those teams are less apt to pull an upset than, say, Boston. Presuming they survive, which won’t be easy given […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Let’s take a quick look at how the Indiana Pacers lost an ugly 90-80 game to the New York Knicks on Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. WHY IT HAPPENED: Playing a team without any healthy big men, the Pacers looked clueless and flat throughout the day and fell behind […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Roughly 8,000 fans came to Memorial Stadium Saturday to see Indiana wrap up spring practice with its annual intrasquad spring game. Cream defeated Crimson 21-7 behind two touchdown catches from Shane Wynn and a scoring run by Tevin Coleman. To come out of spring and out of today […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent INDIANAPOLIS – Written on the whiteboard in the Indiana Pacers’ dressing area prior to Friday night’s game was the warning, If you leave dirty plates in the locker room, rats will come. Perhaps a wiser message would have been, If you fall behind by huge deficits, losses will come. For […]
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