Author Archives: Kent Sterling

Indiana Basketball – So just who is 2016 recruit T.J. Leaf?

Brad and TJ Leaf – coach and son. Born and bred Hoosier, and maybe a kid on his way to IU.

I always feel a bit silly trying to figure out what’s going on in the heads of 16 year-old basketball players during summer tournaments like the Adidas Gauntlet – Indianapolis that wrapped up yesterday in Fishers, Indiana.

There are players who look good one game and terrible the next, and deciding which represents the real player is almost impossible.

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Talking to the kids after a tournament game is completely out of the question primarily because of the odd riffraff that crowd around the kids in whom there is enough interest to compel page views on youtube.com.

“Which way are you leaning?” “What’s your timetable?” and “Do you have a favorite?” are insipid queries that erode my faith in the intellect of humanity, so I steer clear of interviews.

T.J. Leaf played in the tourney, and I watched him play twice. He looks to be a legitimate 6’9″ at least, can shoot from range, and handles really well with both hands. He’s not bad defensively, but it was hard to tell because like most teams, his Compton Magic 17s played a lot of 2-3 zone.

Playing up a year is usually a really good thing for a developing player, and Leaf is in the midst of learning that he needs to add some strength. But Leaf was the smoothest scorer of the dribble I saw in the tournament. He doesn’t hurry, and can finish with both hands.

Gauging his motor was tough because with five games in three days, no one goes 100%.

So why would a highly touted kid from California have interest in playing in Bloomington?

Some southern Indiana basketball fans will remember T.J.’s dad Brad from his time playing for University of Evansville. He was a teammate of Richie Johnson, a high school friend of mine, and I always thought he was a fun guy to watch. A really good shooter and leader, Leaf led the Purple Aces to their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1982. Leaf was also a seventh round draft pick of the Indiana Pacers.

Today, the elder Leaf coaches his son’s high school team, and T.J. plays a lot like the son of a coach.

Rivals has Leaf ranked #17 and ESPN #25 in the 2016 class, and to the extent those can be trusted being ranked in the top 25 can’t be a bad thing.

Because of the family ties to the area – Brad is originally from Indianapolis, and his mom is from Evansville – Indiana appears to solidly be in the game for this potentially special stretch four.

Indianapolis Super Bowl Delegation ready and armed with impressive resume

by Kent Sterling

So the future of the Indianapolis bid to host Super Bowl LII rests in the performance of Indiana Sports Corp President Allison Melangton and former Colts All-Pro center Jeff Saturday.

They have an uphill battle against New Orleans and a new stadium in Minneapolis, but perhaps the positive memory of what many in the media have called the best Super Bowl venue in the history of the event can trump New Orleans perfect 9-for-9 record in winning the right to host a Super Bowl every time it has been nominated.

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The presentations will take place tomorrow afternoon with the vote immediately following. As I understand it, the first vote will eliminate one of the three cities, and then another vote will be held among the two finalists.

Educated money is on New Orleans, but the phrase that is often used to describe Melangton is “secret weapon.”

There is no doubt that Indianapolis is not only specifically qualified to host a giant event like the Super Bowl, over the last half-century it has been rebuilt for just that purpose. Just over 27 months ago, Indy delivered an all-time great. The NFL should trust it with its signature event again.

And here are the points of emphasis released by the Indiana Sports Corp this morning:

Indy’s Money is in the Bank: Indianapolis is the only Bid Committee that has pre-funded 100% of its Host Committee operations with secured, confirmed commitments from private companies and individuals prior to its bid presentation to host the event. This is the third time Indy has used this as a strategy in the bid process (2011, 2012 and 2018). Approximately $30 million has been raised for the 2018 effort. This removes any financial risk for the NFL regarding Host Committee expenses, and would allow Indianapolis to focus on planning the event – and not fundraising – on day one of securing the right to host the 2018 game. This level of commitment from the Indiana corporate community is unprecedented in any other community in the country, and showcases the generosity and vision that has made Indianapolis the leading sports city in the country.

An Exceptional Stage to Crown a Champion: Lucas Oil Stadium performed exceptionally well as the host of Super Bowl XLVI. The stadium has been ranked as the nation’s top stadium for fan experience the past three years by Stadium Journey, which travels the country reviewing facilities. Lucas Oil Stadium remains state-of-the-art, and continues to receive national acclaim and high marks from the NFL and its partners, visiting teams, broadcasters, media members, and fans. While Indy promises to make hosting the Super Bowl “More Than a Game”, the most important part of hosting the Super Bowl is providing the perfect stage to play the world’s marquee sporting event, and Lucas Oil stadium has proven to be that perfect stage.

Indy Created the First Urban Super Bowl Celebration and 2018 will be Even Better: As part of Indy’s bid to host the 2012 Super Bowl, Indianapolis presented a concept that became known as Super Bowl Village. Over 10 days leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, more than 1.1 million fans joined the football celebration in the Super Bowl Village. Located in close proximity to Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center (which housed the NFL Experience and drew an NFL- record 265,000 fans), the Village included concerts, interactives, family programming, games, food and drink, and a zipline that became the talk of the sporting world. The 2018 bid now includes a requirement for a Host Committee to provide a Super Bowl Boulevard, and Indianapolis’ bid includes an expansion of the celebration to include Monument Circle, and a multimedia show utilizing advanced digital technology, laser building projections, fireworks, and concerts. This provides a progressive and dynamic interactive experience, elevating the standard for fan entertainment once again. The NFL brand will be the only brand in the spotlight, and it will dominate the landscape.

“More Than a Game”: Indiana has built a sports history on leveraging hosting sports events to do great things for youth, residents, and organizations for the betterment of the community. Indianapolis has prioritized legacy projects with all major sporting events hosted in the city since the inception of Indiana Sports Corp in 1979. Our vision has always been to make it “More Than a Game”. It has been reported countless times that Indianapolis executed the most impactful legacy initiatives in Super Bowl history in conjunction with Super Bowl XLVI. It truly revitalized the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. As in 2012, the Legacy Initiative for Super Bowl LII will be multi-faceted.

No community is home to more national sports resources and organizations than Indianapolis. Partnering with Indianapolis-based USA Football, as well as the NCAA, National Federation of High School Athletic Associations, and the American College of Sports Medicine (all based in Indianapolis) among others, the Indiana legacy initiative is a commitment to a better and safer game of football by maximizing the sports resources and expertise only located in Indiana. Delivering important standards to youth and high school football would benefit our young athletes and address concerns that contribute to a participation decline. The Legacy Initiative answers these challenges through a partnership with USA Football and its Heads Up Football® program through collaboration, innovation, funding, teaching, intellectual resources, research, and facilities. Our Legacy will not be a single concept, as the initiative also focuses on the important needs of the community and will support neighborhood development and residents, as well as programs that will serve our youth and others for generations to come.

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My guess is that despite being a more than worthy choice, Indianapolis finishes second to New Orleans, which will celebrate its 300th anniversary in that year. It’s tough to beat New Orleans during a normal year. Factor in the continued empathy for the Hurricane Katrina ravaged area and the anniversary, and it might be too tall a hill to climb – even for people as talented and compelling as Melangton and Saturday.

Robert Mathis suspension a ridiculous hyperextension of zero tolerance stupidity

by Kent Sterling

Robert Mathis has been suspended by the MFL for trying to turn his sperm into rampaging beasts who seek an eggs just as he hunts quarterbacks.

Indianapolis Colts all-time sacks lead Robert Mathis used Clomid under a doctor’s supervision to try to get his boys to swim stronger and truer, his wife became pregnant, and in a ridiculous overreach by the NFL he has been suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season.

And a lot of people think it’s fair because players understand – or should understand – the rules and potential consequences concerning PEDs. The intent and advantage gained in their use is meaningless to the NFL and to those evaluating the use of their terrible swift sword.

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What happened to the disdain for authority that used to be a hallmark of Americans? When did we decide to embrace the notion that pedantic buffoons enforcing rules are reasonable men? Doesn’t anyone remember Nixon?

Mathis and his wife wanted to have a another baby prior to the ultimate toll being exacted on his mother, who is bravely fighting stage four esophageal cancer. For that, he earns a four-game rip, and people applaud because the rule and consequence are clear.

A lack of gray area makes for lousy justice, and that’s where the NFL is in enforcing its rules on PED use, but that’s not the sentiment being expressed by the media or fans.

“He should have known better!” is the overwhelming opinion, and it reflects a miserable acquiescence to guys wearing fancy suits and using law school words to espouse wrongheadedness.

Without examining intent and advantage gained, there can be no justice. Grabbing our ankles and allowing authority figures to operate without a serious level of skepticism is a terrible crime, especially for the young who are unencumbered by giant bills and responsibilities for others that tend to turn men into yammering pussies.

It is their societal requirement to stand up, make a fist, and demand reason, but what we are getting from these pests is noting more than blind acquiescence. Even in the mostly anonymous world of social media, I am being shouted down by those youthful line-toers who refuse to question the supremacy of those who have been trusted to wield power.

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While the bottom line is that Mathis should be allowed to play, the more troubling issue is that twenty-somethings are allowing idiots in their 50s, 60s, and 70s do whatever the hell they like without the possible consequence that can only be brought to bear by the young and angry.

When the young have only respect for authority, a society is doomed.

Indiana Pacers need to bring absolute focus and aggression to win Game Two

by Kent Sterling

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James understand what they did wrong yesterday, and are not like to repeat those mistakes.

The potential for the Pacers to suffer a down is high tomorrow night. The Heat didn’t win back-to-back championships by not knowing how to respond to adversity.

Paul George and the Pacers should expect a much more frenetic defensive effort from the Heat tomorrow night. Yesterday, the Heat embarrassed themselves by going through the motions on the defensive end, and that is not going to happen two games in a row.

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Because going down 2-0 is not an option for a team intent on winning a third straight title, LeBron James is going to dig deep are lift the level of the Heat’s effort through his example. If the Pacers can manage a win, the Heat will need to win four-of-five games to advance to the NBA Finals – two of which will be at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

In order to be competitive in Game Two, the Pacers are going to have to raise the level of their game. Yesterday’s execution and truculence was good enough to beat a lethargic Heat squad, but that isn’t going to cut it when the Heat’s backs are against a wall.

Free throws will be the key. The team that gets to the line more often are almost always the team that attacks more, and that was certainly the case in the first game as the Pacers attempted 22 more foul shots and making 19.

The Pacers have been on a wild emotional ride this season – playing exceptionally well in compiling a 46-13 record before limping to the finish line with a 10-13 record in their last 22 games. The playoffs were no different as the Pacers faced elimination twice against the subpar Atlanta Hawks, and then vanquishing the Washington Wizards in six.

Sadly, the Heat are not plagued by the same problems that cost the Hawks and Wizards a chance to send the Pacers on that long dirt nap of an early offseason. The Pacers came through because of the leadership of David West and a recent history of success. Neither the Hawks not Wizards had West nor a track record. The Heat trump the Pacers success, and their leader may not have West’s ability to communicate with a scowl, but he does have the game – and then some.

In their 14 playoff games so far in 2014, the Pacers have been to the line the same or more times than its opponents nine times. In those games, they have posted an 8-1 record. In the remaining five games when the Pacers had fewer free throw attempts, they are 1-4.

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It’s not the points gained at the line that cause the difference between winning and losing, but the advantage in aggression that getting to the line more often requires.

Yesterday’s +22 free throw differential for the Pacers was a high water mark for this postseason.

Interestingly, free throw differential was not meaningful in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals between these same two teams. When the Heat won that specific statistical battle, they were 2-2. When the Pacers won, they were 1-2.

For only the third time in the regular season or playoffs, the Heat failed to lead at any point in a game. You can bet that will not be repeated tomorrow night.

The Pacers are going to have to fight like hell, attack the rim, and take better care of the ball for 48 minutes to maintain home court advantage heading to Miami for games three and four.

Indiana Pacers get off to great start with 107-96 win, but that’s all it is – a great start

by Kent Sterling

George Hill’s hot start was key to the Pacers asserting their will in Game One.

The Game One performance of the Miami Heat is not going to be repeated. Lethargic, slow, indifferent, imprecise – the Heat were all of that and less. Champions don’t back up a miserable effort with another one very often.

As much as fans would like to believe that this relatively easy win had more to do with the Pacers effort than the Heat slogging through this game like it wasn’t worth their time, it would assume facts not in evidence.

That would be a wackily optimistic view that the Pacers certainly are wise enough not to share. The Heat will be back – and they will be angry.

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Paul George and company shot 37 free throws to the Heat’s 15 and out rebounded the Heat by 10. Virtually everything that could go the Pacers way did just that. The reason? The Pacers were more aggressive through the game on both ends of the floor.

Aggression wins basketball games.

Indiana never trailed, led by 10 at the half, and never led by fewer than eight from that point forward. That kind of consistency has not been the calling card for this team over the past four months, but it sure returned at a very good time.

The 107-point scoring explosion is the most points scored by the Pacers in regulation since a 118-98 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on February 25.

When they check the game film, the Heat will see instance after instance of their malaise and adjustments will be made. Allowing opponents to out-hustle and out-execute them is not how the Heat have won back-to-back championships.

Six Pacers scored in double figures, led by George’s 24. Roy Hibbert was an all-star center again today with 19 and nine boards. Lance Stephenson was good Lance for the majority of the game with 17 and eight assists. Minus a screwy three-point attempt late in the game as the Pacers led by double-digits with 15-seconds left on the shot clock, Stephenson was very effective.

For the Heat, the story was who didn’t play well. ESPN’s Mark Jackson claimed during the broadcast that Chris Bosh is a hall of famer, but he played a very ordinary game with nine points and two rebounds. Bosh came into the game shooting 48% from beyond the arc, but had trouble finding the range as he missed all five of his three-point attempts.

The starters not named LeBron or Dwyane combined to scored 18 points, six rebounds, and nine assists in 85 minutes.

Game Two Tuesday night will not be for the squeamish. The Heat will unsheathe their swords and battle for their lives, and it’s been a long time since the Heat failed in their effort to take what they wanted in the postseason.

Going down 2-0 is not an option for the Heat, and just as Pacers have proven during the first two series they’ve played so far, losing the first game of a seven-game series is nowhere near fatal. Sure, 77% of the NBA teams to win Game One have gone on to win the series, but this team has two of the best players and champions in the history of the game and they are not going to go quietly.

This is going to be a fascinating series with ups and downs for both teams. Today was an up for the Pacers, but downs are coming. That is the way playoff basketball works, and expecting something else is lunacy.

The Pacers have not been the most disciplined team in the league, and since January the ups and downs have been severe. No one suddenly changed who they are today – they just showed their best side simultaneously.

Game Two will be a separate chapter, and the score will start even. I expect to see a frenetic start from a Heat team intent upon joining a very select few teams to earn a three-peat. The Pacers will need to match their hysteria and stay in the game early.

Remember, all games start at 8:30 p.m. Let’s hope the Pacers are ready to play from the tip Tuesday night because the Heat are going to make the Pacers earn a home sweep to start the series.

Adidas Gauntlet brings top high school players and their crazy parents to Indy

by Kent Sterling

Chase Jeter of Las Vegas drives to the basket. He’s a very skilled player who is going to play college basketball at the highest level.

There are some very tall and talented athletes playing basketball at the Fishers Fieldhouse today. Some of the guys that you be watching for the next decade – cheered by millions – are playing in front of friends and family just down the street.

Not that fans of great basketball should head over there to watch. The schedule is daunting, so the defense is wanting. Five games in three days doesn’t allow for the kind of hustle and tenacity that fans see in high school gyms or college arenas.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the $5 at the door to watch. The bizarre behavior of the parents is well worth that.

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Anyone with a son who played summer basketball at a high level has been there. The ill-temper after a silly turnover, and the glee when a three-pointer cuts through the nets make watching youth basketball a petri dish that grows the worst parental behavior imaginable.

If you have never seen it, consider yourself fortunate. Even the best parents squirm in their seats and mutter to themselves. The bad ones have no trouble screaming like one dad this morning, “Foul! What do you want him to do . He’s just standing there. Bobby, you just keep doing what you do. This ref don’t know what he’s watching. He ain’t never seen nothing like you! And get a rebound Bobby, would you? Jesus, you’re too tall and strong to not get every damn rebound!” He didn’t stop there, but I will. The harangue went on throughout the game. Every step the kid took was critique, and the kid glared at him throughout.

After the game, the dad tried to continue the ill-tempered instruction, but the kid walked by without making eye contact and walked into the men’s room where he stayed for more than 10 minutes.

Parents ragging the referees, busting on the coaches, and silently cursing the basketball gods for daring to not allow every shot to fall is all too common, but it’s never going to stop. It would be great though if they would let the kids play without endless criticism.

If everyone had the perspective to simply watch, enjoy, and support their sons and the friends he makes as a result of playing, the summer basketball experience would be so positive, but for some inexplicable reason that just can’t happen. Maybe there are parents who can muster the discipline to do it, but I’ve never met them.

Some of the histrionics of parents living vicariously through their sons are hilarious, but inevitably some go too far – pushing a kid to where he either lashes out or hides. What should be fun is made miserable, and that’s the greatest shame of youth sports.

It would be wonderful is parents could be banned from events, but that’s impossible because they are the entire reason the events exist in the first place. The money parents throw at travel, attendance, and the entire financial structure of youth sports greases the skids.

Somehow the kids come through the chaos mostly unscathed and better for the experience. Maybe they’ll become a saner group of dads, but I wouldn’t bet on it. The gravity toward psychosis is far too strong to ignore.

There are potentially great players toiling at the Fieldhouse, and discovering their ability is almost as much fun as listening to parents bitch and moan is miserable. To watch the very polished post play of Bishop Gorman HS (Las Vegas) forward Chase Jeter versus the incredible height and length of top ranked 2016 Thon Maker of the Carlisle School in Virginia was great fun this morning.

But so was watching the Jordan Hulls-esque play of Maker’s teammate Caleb Tanner. He’s not listed in any rankings, but he’s very solid with almost limitless range. That’s the fun of these events – finding an under the radar kid with something immeasurable that might make him successful on some level in basketball, but will definitely hold him in good stead as an adult.

Maybe they will remember the preposterous act put on by parents way too immersed in the immediate gratification of watching their sons succeed momentarily, and try to see the forest of the positive effect basketball can have on a kid’s life for the trees of each missed shot or blown call.

As we wait to watch some men play this afternoon for a chance to get to the NBA Finals today. we see kids three or four years away from living that dream play because they enjoy it in spite of their nutty as hell parents.

Chicago Cubs – Front office idiots paint Comiskey Park mural on bricks outside Wrigley Field

by Kent Sterling

Not only are the arches a giveaway that this picture is of Comisky Park, so is the facade, and the fact that the upper deck at Wrigley in the area photographed had not been completed in 1927.

What the hell kind of operation is being run at 1060 West Addison by Cubs owner Tom Ricketts? The onfield product is a total mess, and likely to get worse with the annual July garage sale of valuable parts, but a visit to Wrigley Field for the 100th anniversary celebration of the venerable ballpark just trumped the inability to score runs as a source of humiliation.

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There is a picture on the outside of the left field wall that Cubs officials believed captured Charles Lindbergh visiting Wrigley Field in 1927 not long after his solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean to France. Unfortunately, the picture is quite obviously of Comiskey Park.

While the original Comiskey was razed over 20 years ago, the arches are still very memorable landmarks of the original Baseball Palace, and they are quite visible on the mural.

Waiting in line to buy tickets not long ago, Floyd Sullivan studied the mural. Sullivan had just edited a collection of essays and photographs – Old Comiskey Park: Essays and Memories of the Historic Home of the Chicago White Sox, 1910-1991. Sullivan himself had contributed an essay about the Lucky Lindy’s visit.

Sullivan then wrote a piece for chicagonow.com detailing his discovery, which I can only imagine is correctly causing great embarrassment in the Cubs front office.

Every organization is rightly judged by how they handle the details, and the Cubs fail on every level. Week after week, the team struggles, and the franchise fails to execute even the simplest tasks.

Chunks of concrete fall, the iconic and often marketed as a logo red marquee is painted green, and the outfield is used as a walk-in movie theater. Worst of all, an agreement created by Crane Kenney, who inexplicably remains as the president of business operations, has created a dispute with the rooftop owners that continues to hamstring efforts to monetize the property.

The Cubs inane stewardship by Ricketts would be funny if not for the millions of fans who continue to hope that the gang who can’t shoot straight gets contact lenses. Hell, this gang doesn’t just have trouble shooting straight, it can’t keep from pointing their guns at themselves.

The comparative genius of the White Sox makes me wonder whether Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf didn’t know exactly what he was doing when he torpedoed Mark Cuban’s bid in favor of Ricketts.

Indiana Pacers – Frank Vogel closes in on franchise records for coaching

by Kent Sterling

What I like best about Frank Vogel as Pacers coach is that he seems to enjoy everything about it.

It feels like yesterday that Frank Vogel was tabbed as the interim replacement for Jim O’Brien in January of 2011.

When I moved back to Indianapolis last summer after a brief sabbatical in St. Louis, the first person I interviewed was Vogel. I was still fascinated by his route to becoming an NBA head coach and asked him some insipid question about waking up in the morning and pinching himself.

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Vogel squinted briefly and gave me a patient and polite answer. I started to think about how long he’s been the head coach of the Pacers, and I looked up the record for games coached. Surprisingly, Vogel was not too far behind the very best the franchise has ever had.

During the NBA era of the team beginning in 1976-1977, their have been 13 head coaches of the Pacers, and oddly Larry Brown, Rick Carlisle, Bob ‘Slick’ Leonard, and Jack McKinney are all tied with exactly 328 games coached. For non math majors, 328 games equates to four full seasons.

Vogel nests at 267 games because of the of the 38 games he coached in 2011 after taking over for O’Brien, and the 66 during the following season shortened by a lockout.

That leaves him 61 behind the leaders, and unless he is hit by a beer truck between now and mid-March, 2015, Vogel will become the all-time franchise leader (obviously, when ABA games are factored in, Slick is the leader, and will likely remain the leader forever with 985).

The all-time franchise leader in NBA wins is Larry Brown with 190. Vogel is in third – only 23 behind with a record of 167-100. Even if the Pacers get off to a slow start, Vogel will own that record by next year’s all-star break.

Vogel is only four behind Larry Bird for NBA playoff games coached, so a win in one of the first four against the Heat will wrap that one up. Bird leads Vogel by six in all-time NBA playoff wins with 32. If the Pacers can get past the Heat, he has a great chance of owning that record too one month from now.

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While Vogel is obviously a good coach and effective leader, that he will become the leader in every meaningful coaching categories at the age of 41 is beyond belief.

If Vogel has stopped pinching himself because he is an NBA head coach, his longevity should be reason to start again.

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat; route was unpredictable, but result wasn’t

by Kent Sterling

Like the Griswolds, the Pacers have taken a most interesting route to their dream destination.

The Indiana Pacers route to the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals was a lot like the Griswold Family’s trek to Walley World in “National Lampoon’s Vacation.”

Twists and turns were everywhere. Nothing went as planned despite a lot of work on the itinerary. But the joy in reaching the long anticipated destination is no less profound because of the bumps and bruises earned along the way.

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Coming off a horrific Game Five performance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, no one predicted a calm and self-assured 13-point win last night. Now, because when you google the definition of the word ‘erratic,’ a Pacers team picture pops up, every reasonable person in the media is picking the Miami Heat to win the series and advance to the NBA Finals.

I admit, it’s not easy to look at the Pacers body of work over the last four months and emerge inspired. Picking the Pacers to beat the Heat requires faith that the Pacers have been waiting for the start of the much anticipated series to unveil their best work.

Inconsistency from the Pacers is cited as the chief reason for the Heat will win, according to the experts, but inconsistency comes in two forms – the awful pits of despair the Pacers have wallowed in periodically, and the splendid moments of grace that propelled them to the NBA’s final four.

While the Pacers have played some terrible basketball in the postseason, they have yet to lose consecutive playoff games since games three and four in the 2013 first round against the Atlanta Hawks – a span of 28 games.

Winning a playoff series doesn’t require great play every single game – just four out of seven times. The Pacers and Wizards had scored exactly the same number of points against one another through five games, but the Pacers were up 3-2. That’s how you win a best-of-seven series.

It’s a matter of when a team plays well, not whether they do.

Sure, the Heat have the best player on the planet in LeBron James, and when he’s right Dwyane Wade is pretty damn good too, but the Pacers are built to make life difficult for the Heat, and the 7-7 record between the two teams over their last 14 games against one another speaks to exactly how closely matched these two teams are.

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Those who expect a walkover are likely to be disappointed, and if it comes down to a Game Seven, this year it will be at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Clark Griswold and Family had their car stripped, got lost in the desert, needed to deal with Aunt Edna passing away in the backseat, and when they got to Walley World – it was closed. But they refused to take no for an answer, kidnapped John Candy, and finally talked Roy Walley into opening the park just for them.

Finding a way to get what you covet is much more important than the route taken to get it. The Pacers crave a series win over the two-time defending champions. If they covet it enough, they will pay the price needed to attain it. If they don’t, another disappointment awaits.

For 50 weeks, the memory of the Game Seven nightmare in Miami has festered. Tireless work has been done on the court and in the front office, and with Frank Vogel driving the bus instead of the addlepated Griswold this team has arrived at the gates of their Walley World. Can the Pacers kick the gates open to enjoy the fruits of their labor and sacrifice?

Sunday at 3:30p, we all begin the two-week process of finding out together.

Indiana Pacers win series over Wizards 4-2; matchup with Miami Heat starts Sunday afternoon

by Kent Sterling

David West knocks down a 17-footer over Nene in the second half. Multiply that by nine, and that’s how the Pacers managed to hold on for the win.

Let’s just get this out of the way right at the top – David West is a man. Not some whiny guy who is afraid to attack a challenge, but a man willing and able to put a team on his broad shoulders and carry him across the finish line – the kind of man you want on your side in a two-on-four street fight.

West might not win every time he fights, but he will always fight.

The Pacers won Game Six in Washington 93-80 (good thing home court counts for so damn much), and all starters scored in double figures, but it was West who kept digging deeper and deeper to find offense when the Pacers needed it most to the beautiful tune of 29 points.

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It was inevitable the Wizards would find a way to claw back into the game after the Pacers took a 56-40 lead on a West (who else?) 15-footer (what else?) with 10:52 left in the third, and they did. The Pacer kept the gap in double-digits for most of the third, until they exhaled at 69-55 with 3:51 left.

For the next 7:21, the Wizards outscored the Pacers 19-4 to take a 74-73 lead. The Verizon Center crowd went bananas, and if the Pacers were going to tap out, right then would have been a logical time to do it. But West was having none of it.

On the next possession, West drained an 18-footer. After a John Wall missed layup, West hit a 19-footer.

After a Bradley Beal missed three, and another miss off an offensive rebound by the suddenly human Marcin Gortat (19 points, six boards), Lance Stephenson converted a layup to extend the lead to five.

Then it was more of the same. Minus a Gortat layup with 6:07 left in the game, the Wizards were held scoreless from the Bradley Beal triple that gave them the lead with 8:30 left until only 1:05 was left, and the game was over.

So now it’s the matchup everyone knew was coming when this crazy (I mean crazy in the clinical sense) season started – the Pacers and the Miami Heat.

These two teams have split their last 14 meetings, and there is no reason to believe the next six will be any different.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James deny it, but the Heat have no love for the Pacers. Conversely, the Pacers have no problem being respectfully repulsed by the Heat. Somehow they manage to bring out both the best and worst in each other.

Last year’s seven-game Eastern Conference Final, won by the Heat in Miami, was the coming out party for Paul George and the rest of the cute, under-the-radar, lovefest the Pacers hosted last year. They are no longer under the radar, cute, or in love with their teammates, but the Pacers do enjoy winning, and have been waiting for this matchup for the last 50 weeks.

Both teams are almost completely intact from last year’s mayhem. Miami said goodbye to Mike Miller and Joel Anthony, and the Pacers bid a hasty adieu to D. J. Augustine and Gerald Green. Replacing them are Greg Oden and Michael Beasley for the Heat, and Luis Scola, C.J. Watson, and Chris Copeland for the Pacers.

The Pacers have been a schizophrenic bunch since sprinting to that 33-7 start everyone is so fond of reminding the Pacers about. Some nights, like tonight, they find a way to fight through adversity. Other nights, like Game Four on Tuesday, they fail to show up.

For months, the Pacers have been waiting for this main event, and you get the feeling the Heat hoped to avoid it.

Whether that means that the Pacers will click back into a reasonable facsimile of a consistently functional team, who knows. The name of the game is to win four before the other guys, and whether three games are lost by 40 or one, it makes no difference as to who gets to go to the finals.

It’s going to be a two-week long war, and one thing there is no doubt about – David West will be ready for battle.