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Portland Trailblazers  (20-21)

The next three games could be great for building up the road resume for the Indiana Pacers.  Right now, they are 10-13 on the road, which is not that impressive, but at least three straight wins, and they pull even. While not the best, getting even on the road could prove that in the playoffs, you know how to win on the road.  Plus it would be three straight wins against playoff caliber teams, something the Pacers haven’t done much of either. Like they always say, you play who’s on the schedule and right now the Pacers have a good chance to get some good wins.

It starts tonight in Portland, where the Pacers play the Trailblazers, who they’ve already beat once at home.  Another meeting with the Blazers, and a good shot at knocking off the Blazers, who have lost 6 games in a row, and 4 straight at home.  Which of course means the Blazers win tonight right?  Not if the Pacers can continue their current seven game win streak against Western Conference teams.  All kinds of streaks here.

What do the Pacers have to do to beat the Blazers this evening?  Keep playing that terrific defense they’ve been playing.  Get Paul George going.  Rebound the ball like they have been doing.  Keep it solid on the offensive end.  It’s funny to talk about defense and rebounding first, but with this team, those things do come first, which is why they can get some wins.

Paul George has a good shot to wow some coaches into an All Star bid as those roles will be announced tomorrow night. I know we Pacer fans believe he’s an All Star, and even without that “tag”, we still know how important he’s been to this team.  David West is 1A to George as without West, I don’t think this team is sitting 10 games over .500 or even sitting at .500.  So it would be great to get David West one more great game.

On the Blazers side, LaMarcus Aldridge wants to prove himself as he’s looked to be a solid All Star pick. So if the Pacers can keep him grounded, they have a good shot at winning.  Also, keep an eye on Damian Lillard, who ran right past whoever was guarding him for the Pacers.  He put up 23 points last time out, so who knows what he could put up tonight.

This game will probably be like the last time out, where the Pacers kept a lead after 31 points in the third quarter. I think this one is close most of the way until Indiana pulls away like that.  They should get a solid effort as they want to win that first game out west, and make sure this trip gets off to the right start.

Portland Trailblazers  (8-11)  92

The Portland Trailblazers got off to a quick start against the Indiana Pacers in their final game of a seven-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents. However, Indiana used its blistering defense to prevail, 99-92, in their second game of a back-to-back after a win in Chicago on Tuesday night.

After jumping out to an early 9-2 lead, the Blazers were slowed down by the Pacers defense and led by just one, 21-20, at the end of the first quarter.

Portland began their offensive attack again in the second period, but the Pacers did enough to keep up and limit the high-scoring team from the west. The Blazers boast one of the fastest-paced offenses in the league; the Pacers counter that with one of the best defenses and it was the defense that decided this contest.

In the third quarter, defense was on display in favor of the Indiana Pacers. They outscored the Blazers 31-14 on their way to a 15-point advantage heading into the final 12 minutes.

For the second straight night, Paul George led the Pacers in scoring with 22 points on 7-15 shooting. He knocked down four three-point baskets while also grabbing eight boards and dishing out five assists. A couple of those assists helped get his teammates involved and in a groove as well.

One of those teammates, Ian Mahimni, contributed nicely to the Pacers’ win. Mahimni led the bench in scoring with 12 points (6-6 FGs) and four rebounds. Tyler Hansbrough followed suit with 10 points and five rebounds and Gerald Green added eight points.

It was one of the rare occasions when the Indiana bench showed up to play. 31 of the team total 99 points came from the Pacers’ bench, helping them put the Blazers away over 48 minutes.

Portland was not going to give up. They managed to pull within four at 85-81 with plenty of time left on the game clock. Indiana never lost the lead down the stretch, however, with a nice block from Hibbert and more offense from George.

A team effort certainly went a long way in a crucial game for the Indiana Pacers, pushing their record to 10-9. Most importantly, they are above .500 for the first time in over a month.

George Hill scored 18 points to rebound from a tough outing against Chicago. David West had yet another double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds as the two veterans continued their consistency.

Rookie Damian Lillard led Portland in scoring with 23 points and added six assists.

The Indiana Pacers are excited to stick around Bankers Life Fieldhouse for another home matchup with Denver on Friday. Portland heads home after a road trip that resulted in only two wins against five losses.