Indiana Pacers’ point guard George Hill went for 27 points in a recent win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Currently sitting at 49-29, the Pacers’ remaining slate includes the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers. The first and the last game are at home, while the two in the middle are on the road. Three of the four teams are playoff-bound, while the Knicks lead the Pacers by two games, and the Nets trail the Pacers by three in the hunt for higher seeds.

Pacers’ fans would certainly hope to see its team peaking as the playoffs near, but they have actually lost two of their last three games. It would have been three of three were it not for a 20-point fourth-quarter turnaround win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in a game in which Head Coach Frank Vogel got ejected. Five Pacers scored in double figures in a winning effort, including George Hill’s 27.

The remaining schedule will be a good test for this group to see how well-focused they are heading into the postseason. The easiest game left is the last one, which will probably be the hardest one one to care about, unless seedings are still to be determined.

But you can bet the Nets and Knicks in particular will be up for the challenge. Brook Lopez (19.4 ppg) and the Nets come to Indianapolis as winners of four of their last five games. The Knicks, who host the Pacers, have won 13 out of 14 games and are led by Carmelo Anthony’s 28.7 points per game.

The Celtics’ season has been a disappointing one by their own standards, but you still can’t count on an anything close to an automatic-win on the road against a team with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

I’m here to take a look at how it will effect the Pacers and the rest of the league as a whole. An injury like this sends shockwaves throughout the league, with many teams feeling the ripples. The Celtics were not in contention to challenge the top dogs in the East. They’re stars were not on the trading block, per se, but given their ages and where the team is headed, that might not last long. Guys like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are not in places in their careers where they can sit around and wait for the Celtics to recharge. They’re both closer to retirement than they’d admit and can’t afford to stay on a team that will be the 6 seed in the East until 2016.

Obviously, every team in the NBA could find a place fora  future Hall of Famer, but some teams have bigger needs than others. Scrolling through the list of potential playoff teams, the Milwaukee Bucks in the East and the Golden State Warriors in the West. Both teams are in playoff position and get low production from the small forward position. That’s where Paul Pierce would be valuable. I don’t know if either team will make a move, or would be willing to pay the price to acquire Pierce, but those are the places he’d fit.

As for Garnett, it looks like the best place, on paper, for him would be Brooklyn. They’ve had a rotating door at the power forward spot,so KG would fill that need. Since the move to Brooklyn, the Nets have not been shy about promoting the crosstown rivalry with the Knicks, and adding known Knick hater Kevin Garnett would make tons of sense.

I’m not saying this is going to happen. Hell, I’d actually bet against it because that’s just the way pro sports work. But if those two stars go anywhere those scenarios make the most sense. the Pacers aren’t likely to be involved in any of these moves, but they could see their direct competitors improve. All in all, the Rondo injury cripples one Eastern conference foe, but could bolster a number of squads that stand in Indiana’s way.