by Kent Sterling It’s 60 minutes prior to the tip of a game that will likely determine the outcome of the Eastern Conference Finals, and all that’s left to do now is play the damn game. The Pacers and Heat know each other well enough to be good and pissed off about the behavior of […]
by Kent Sterling Well that was entertaining, wasn’t it. NBA games take a long damn time with replays being checked every 12 seconds, but there are nights like tonight when they are worth it. There was a critical moment with the Pacers holding an 81-72 lead with 8:26 left when the Pacers made what looked […]
by Kent Sterling Coaches who tell the truth are a lot more interesting in postgame press conferences than those who alibi or give oddly technical explanations for a loss. New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson is nothing if not honest, and when he said that the Pacers won because “they played harder,” but he wasn’t […]
by Kent Sterling With 10:34 left in the second quarter, Hawks shooter Kyle Korver hit a jumper to bring the Hawks to within one at 23-22. With 9:38 left in the third quarter, Devin Harris drove for a layup to cut the Pacers lead to 11. In between, the Hawks missed 14 shots, the bough […]
by Kent Sterling Watching the Pacers NBA Playoffs win yesterday against the Atlanta Hawks, it was impossible not to see the immense impact Larry Bird had in building the roster. Makes sense, doesn’t it? I mean Bird ran the draft for nearly a decade, so the roster is damn near all him. But the hell […]
by Kent Sterling There was a time not too long ago that fans in what is now Bankers Life Fieldhouse bought all the available tickets, got to the game early, and were engaged throughout even meaningless games. Indianapolis was a Pacers town, and Reggie Miller was the hero of every grade school kid who ever […]
by Kent Sterling The game was never in doubt after the first three defensive possessions by the Indiana Pacers that led to uncontested Atlanta Hawks baskets. The Pacers Paul George made certain of that. George is not Kobe or LeBron, but he is good enough to lead the Pacers to a 107-90 beat down of […]
by Kent Sterling There is some magic in the honeymoon period for a new coach. Fan and players alike believe that anything can happen, and that level of hope can allow teams to achieve beyond their talent. Sports teams and businesses alike need an occasional reboot. An 82-game NBA season can be drudgery. The players […]