Why the Indiana Pacers Will Claim the East's Final Playoff Spot

The Indiana Pacers (38-43) and Brooklyn Nets (37-44) enter the final night of the NBA season in stiff competition for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While the Pacers appear to have the tougher game, expect Indiana to edge out Brooklyn for the right to face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.

The Pacers have won six games in a row, including Tuesday night’s 99-95 double-overtime win over the visiting Washington Wizards. Paul George has been on the court for the last five of those victories, albeit in limited duty, after missing Indiana’s first 76 games.

George was recovering from a leg injury suffered during a Team USA scrimmage last summer.

Last night’s victory assured the Pacers of being in control of their own playoff destiny. A road win over the Memphis Grizzlies (54-27) will put Indiana back in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

Despite winning two of the three head-to-head matchups against the Pacers this season, the Nets need help to reach the postseason. Brooklyn needs to defeat the visiting Orlando Magic (25-56) and hope Indiana loses at Memphis.

The Nets should be able to hold up their end of the bargain, having beaten the Magic in each of their previous matchups this season. In fact, Brooklyn is looking to sweep the season series from Orlando for the second time in the last three seasons.

The Nets haven’t exactly protected their house this year, producing an 18-22 record at the Barclays Center thus far. But in addition to having nothing left to play for this season, the Magic also own a less-than-impressive 12-28 road record.

So why such confidence that the Pacers, coming off a double-overtime game, can defeat a Grizzlies team that is 30-10 at home in the second game of a back-to-back? Because Memphis is literally hobbling into the postseason right now.

Mike Conley will miss his fourth straight game with an ankle injury, and Tony Allen may also miss Wednesday’s season finale. Marc Gasol is scheduled to start against the Pacers, but he looked severely limited during Monday night’s loss to the Golden State Warriors.

With a Western Conference postseason berth already in hand, the Grizzlies may prioritize health over a long shot at improving their playoff seeding.

Memphis is a veteran team with plenty of postseason experience and legitimate championship aspirations. It would not be surprising to see their coach, David Joerger, take a page out of the Greg Popovich book of coaching and rest his key, instead putting the focus on an extended postseason run.

I say the Pacers dig deep, overcome their fatigue and find enough motivation to sneak past a compromised Grizzlies squad. Indiana’s postseason streak will continue, providing an intriguing first-round rematch with the No. 1-seeded Hawks.