Indiana Pacers: Close, But No Cigar

 Watching Danny Granger’s buzzer-beating three-point shot last night left me amazed.

It was a great shot, and even led the top plays reel on this morning’s edition of  Sportscenter, but that happens every day and I'm not this excited.

I realized that it wasn’t just admiration or excitement that I felt—it was my long-awaited anticipation that seemed to have found its pinnacle in this one single shot.

So why am I so amazed about a Pacer win?  Well, I live in Indiana, and it seems like we can never do anything right.  The Colts lose again, Notre Dame blows another season, Purdue proves that they can’t hold onto a basketball ranking and the Pacers...

Well, here’s where I stop.  The Pacers.

This season, they continue to show glimpses of hope.  A win against the Celtics, the Lakers, the Rockets, and now the Suns, proves that they can play with the best. 

But what really validates my excitement is knowing that this is the first close game that they actually won.  Yep, I’ll say it again—they were tied in the fourth quarter, and the Pacers actually won a close game. 

This season has been a nail-bitter, as the Pacers prove that they can stay on par with teams, but come the fourth quarter, they possess the worst luck ever. 

Now this just has to be bad karma. We got rid of all the malicious-plagues on the roster—Steven Jackson, Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington.  We even romped the roster, changed the face of the franchise from an under-achieving Jermaine O’Neal to an extremely dedicated, emerging All-Star-type talent, Danny Granger. 

Coach Larry O’Brien preaches on consistency, persistence and defense, and even though all of these measures seem like the right ingredients to a winning season, Lady Luck still neglects to shine on the Pacers.

Well, all until last night. 

A tough schedule, Mike Dunleavy’s injury and bad luck are what most Pacer fans focus on.  All are valid points, yet these are all outlets for excitement I think. 

Granger is only getting better, and the role players around him will continue to produce.  The schedule will get easier and Dunleavy has returned.   14 points in his season debut, and he looked good.  Yes, reports state that we don’t have a proven All Star, but I beg to differ. 

Granger has grown into just that player, scoring 35, 36, and 37 in his last three games, the kid is a baller.  He might not have the athletic ability of a LeBron, or the raw talent of a Kobe, but this kid is gifted, and he’s putting up the stats every night. 

So a united locker room, Granger the stud, Dunleavy’s long-awaited return, and a motivating coach are all in place.  So where’s the room for improvement? 

Here it is: Finish, Finish, Finish! 

They have to have the edge, they have to have the “want” and that strong desire to win.  Slash that Hoosier-hospitality and get mean like the bad boys of Detroit. 

I hate to use this comparison, but if we could play like our arch-rivals Pistons, with a hard tenacity and an attitude that we are the bad boys that intimidate other teams, we will turn from a mediocre team to a great franchise. 

The Pistons (in their winning seasons) worked together and proved the old philosophy that team work counts, and even though Lebron James is single-handedly trying to refute that argument night-in and night-out, I still think it’s a five man game.  

Yes, it’s always great to be poised and to keep calm.  But It’s the swagger and that confidence that we’re lacking.  That intensity in the fourth quarter to finish off a team.  Well, That was till last night when Granger smoothly stroked his three-point shot to finish off the Suns. 

Indiana should be excited, and NBA fans should expect nothing less but a push to make the playoffs from the Pacers.   And if we can beat some proven, successful playoff teams, then I’m excited to see what we can do in a seven game series.  Perhaps another Atlanta?  I don’t know, only time will tell.