NBA: Battle for the postseason: Celtics & Pacers

"Dogfight for the 8th Spot"

We’re coming down the home stretch of the NBA regular season, and two teams are battling it out back and forth for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. While these two teams may not be two above .500 teams slugging it out with five-game win streaks and back to back home victories, the Celtics and the Pacers are giving fans an exciting race for the last spot into the post season.

Both teams are currently (March 26) locked up in the eighth spot together, both sporting 31-38 records. Both teams have thirteen games left in the NBA’s regular season, with the Celtics by far having the tougher schedule. While Indiana plays only four of their last thirteen games against teams with an above .500 record, Boston plays seven of their last thirteen against above .500 teams. Two games are the biggies, pivotal games against one another: March 30 at Boston, and April 13 in Indiana.

The Celtics are currently playing solid basketball, playing behind third year forward Paul Pierce, who recently was honored as the NBA Player of the Week. In a stretch of five games, Pierce enjoyed a stretch of 42-42-14-37-44 points in that week, more than anyone else. Pierce, nicknamed “The Truth” by Shaquille O’Neal, is the perfect complement to the Celtics’ other star, Antoine Walker. Walker and Pierce have scored most of the Celtics’ points all year long, with the Celtics relying on them night in and night out. The Celtics’ success has been even more of a surprise, because they went through a coaching change in January of this year, when Rick Pitino resigned. Jim O’Brien, Pitino’s longtime assistant coach, is currently the interim coach, although O’Brien has one over countless fans with his hard work and team success.

The Pacers, meanwhile, are in a time of disappointment. One year removed from hosting the NBA Finals, the Pacers are battling it out for the eighth spot? It is hard to believe. However, they are with a new coach, Isaiah Thomas, and are one of those “between” teams, meaning they aren’t a youth movement, but they aren’t your grandparents either. Veterans Reggie Miller, Sam Perkins, and Derrick McKey join youngsters Jermaine O’Neal, Jalen Rose, and Travis Best, to mix into an unlikely group. Nobody really knows why the Pacers aren’t winning, but all we know is that this time last year the Pacers were the kings of the East, and were headed to the Finals. This year, they might not make the NBA’s postseason.

Adding to the difficulty for the Celtics’ remaining games, eight of them are away from Boston’s FleetCenter, which they have found some luck in. Meanwhile, the Pacers only hit the road six times, away from the Conseco Fieldhouse. However, two of the Pacers’ final three games are away, including the season final in Cleveland. The Celtics, on the other hand, have two of their final three at home, including the final two games- one against New Jersey, the final with Charlotte.

So while two above .500 teams in the West will not make the playoffs, one below-.500 team in the East will make the post season. It may not be fair for Houston Rockets and the Seattle Sonics of the league, but the Pacers and the Celtics are not complaining. This is the NBA, and the playoffs are the playoffs. It’s a dogfight… may the best team win.