MVN - Most Valuable Network

Stayin Alive, Stayin Alive?

Tuesday is the day.

If the Pacers want to keep their slim playoff hopes alive and keep fighting for that final post-season spot in the Eastern Conference, it starts tomorrow.

The Pacers host the Atlanta Hawks at 7:00.

The Hawks are holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Pacers are in 9th, trailing Atlanta by 3 games with five to play.

Here are the cold hard facts:

-The Pacers must win Tuesday. If not, they are eliminated from the post-season and will be in the lottery. Some Pacer fans have been rooting for the Pacers to miss the playoffs in hopes of a high draft pick.

-If the Pacers beat the Hawks they will cut Atlanta’s lead to two games. That would give the Pacers the tiebreaker if both teams finish the season with the same record. The Pacers would be in.

-If the Pacers win on Tuesday, of course they will need help from the Hawks. After playing the Pacers on Tuesday, the Hawks face the Knicks, Celtics, Magic and Heat. The Pacers finish up with the 76ers, Bobcats, Wizards and Knicks.

It’s as simple as that. If the Pacers win on Tuesday, they keep their slim playoff chances alive. (Maybe the Pacers wouldn’t be in this situation if they didn’t blow large leads numerous, double-digit times, earlier in the season). Then they need help from New York, Boston, Orlando and Miami to knock off the Hawks.

But to get that far the Pacers need to win Tuesday.

Thanks Donnie, WHWN, O’Neal Return, Week Ahead & Where They Stand

It’s an end of an era. A 24-year era.

Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh recently announced that he is stepping down at the end of the season. Reports have Walsh joining the New York Knicks.

Walsh’s 24 years in the organization turned this franchise around and turned them into a contender. Before last season, the Pacers had 10 consecutive playoff appearances. Walsh was here in 2000 when the Pacers reached the NBA Finals.

“He put this franchise on the map,” Pacers great Reggie Miller said. “He was the architect, the Godfather, the don, the patriarch.”

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Who’s Hot:

-Ronald Murray: Murray was signed from the Pacers earlier this  month. He was played extremely well- taking over as the starting point guard the last 8 games. Over that time, Murray has averaged 12.1 PPG, 3.3 APG and 1.5 SPG.
-Mike Dunleavy: Dunleavy has hit 10 three-pointers over the last two games. He hit five threes along with 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 33 points. Last night he hit five more as the Pacers beat the Nets 123-115.
-Troy Murphy: Murphy had a monster game against the Nets. He scored 21 points along with a season-high 17 rebounds in a victory over Jersey.

Who’s Not:

-Travis Diener: Diener had a strong month of February. This month has been a different story. His minutes have decreased and he lost his starting job to Murray.
-Jamaal Tinsley: The team actually had plans for Tinsley to return soon after the All-Star Break. Well, he hasn’t made it back yet. Tinsley isn’t doing any on-the-court work and Head Coach Jim O’Brien said Tinsley’s “not close” to returning.
-Ike Diogu’s playing time: Diogu had a very strong game against the Nets after missing the previous three. He put up 16-7 but then did not touch the floor last night.

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Jermaine O’Neal’s return looks to be imminent.

The Pacers big man said he could return this coming week after missing 33 straight games.

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Three out of four doesn’t look too bad.

The Pacers finish the month of March with a game Monday versus the Heat. After facing the first place Celtics Wednesday, the Pacers have two against the Bucks.

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Eastern Conference Standings as of Saturday March 29:

8. Atlanta —
9. New Jersey 1.5 GB
10. Pacers 2.5 GB

Pacers go streaking

The Pacers longest winning streak this year was three games. That was their first three of the season.

Until now.

The Pacers put together a furious 4th quarter effort for a 108-101 comeback victory over the Chicago Bulls Saturday night for their fourth consecutive win. Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy scored 25 and 24, respectively, as the Pacers outscored the Bulls 35-17 in the final frame to improve to 29-41.

With that the Pacers have kept their playoff hopes alive in the weak Eastern Conference. They trail the Atlanta Hawks by 1 1/2 games for the final playoff spot in the East.

The Pacers are finally doing what they have failed to all season: take advantage of soft spot in the schedule.

During their four-game winning streak the Pacers have beaten the Knicks, Bobcats, Timberwolves and Bulls. All of whom, like the Pacers, are far under the .500 mark.

Defense has been a problem for the Pacers most of the season. But during the streak they held Knicks and Bobcats to under 100 points, while the Bulls hit 101. The Pacers can score- so setting a plateau of giving up less than 100 points could be enough for a win.

The schedule for the Pacers continues to promote opportunity.

The final four games in the month of March- three of them are winnable. Besides the Hornets, the Pacers play the Heat and two with the Nets.

The only hiccup in April is on the 2nd when they travel to Boston. But the rest of the way features the Bucks twice, Hawks, 76ers, Bobcats, Wizards and Knicks. Six of the Pacers opponents in that stretch are fighting for a playoff spot in the East.

The games are all very winnable but they are against teams who are in the same boat as the Pacers. Still, if the Pacers continue to play good basketball, who knows what can happen.

Another air ball by Larry Bird

One game?

Pacers Center David Harrison is making news again for actions not involving dunking a basketball, blocking a shot or pulling down a rebound.

The latest: Harrison was hit in the face last night by Spurs forward Matt Bonner. Bonner was called for an offensive foul on the play, but I guess Harrison took it a little more personal. Or his composure got the best of him. Again.

Harrison exploded on the court and was hit with a technical. The San Antonio Express News reported that Harrison picked up the technical foul for telling an official that he was going “to (expletive) kill” Bonner.

Pacers Coach Jim O’Brien immediately pulled Harrison but it didn’t stop there. Harrison was near the bench, continuing his tantrum and still cursing towards and about Bonner. Troy Murphy stood in front of Harrison and Jamaal Tinsley tried to calm him down to avoid further problems.

Harrison was sent to the locker room (O’Brien said by someone, but not himself). The Indianapolis Star reported that Harrison “lost his composure inside the locker room” and “wound up getting a couple of stitches in his head.”

Now there are reports that the Pacers have suspended Harrison for one game. The suspension will take place for Saturday’s game at Cleveland.

Simply put, this is an embarrassing move by the Pacers organization. Especially team president Larry Bird.

Wasn’t Bird the one who frequently chastises the team for their actions and threatens lengthy suspensions, fines or a release from the team?

Wasn’t it Bird who said this after Shawne Williams was, again, in the news about a murder suspect being arrested outside the forward’s house: “These guys are supposed to be men. We don’t want our players hanging around with murderers.”

And the icing on the cake from the Hall of Famer: “This is not a kid’s league. Obviously, we’ve got to take a hard look at the way we’ve been handling things here.”

The latter is an insult to Pacers fan. Obviously Bird has not taken a hard enough look because the punishment for Harrison does not fit the crime.

Maybe because crime continues to find Harrison. This is Harrison’s second suspension this season. He was suspended in January for five games for failing his third drug test. Third. For marijuana.

The Pacers need to rid themselves of David Harrison. Another reason is his poor play on the court. A 1st round pick by the Pacers in 2004, Harrison has been a bust. He had a solid rookie season- 6.1 PPG, 58% in over 17 minutes a game. His numbers have declined over the next three years- 5.8, 3.0 and 4.0 PPG this year. Harrison has fell out of O’Brien’s rotation most notably because of his foul troubles. Harrison is averaging 3 fouls a game and has recorded 4 or more fouls in a game 18 times this season.

Pacer fans want action. They want to come back to this team that was a mainstay in the Eastern Conference; one that was in the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons after missing it last year. They want to pack one of the best arenas in professional sports, Conseco Fieldhouse. But the troubles off the court and the actions taken have caused fans to shy away as the arena struggles to draw 10,000 a game.

The organization wants action. The front office wants action. Larry Bird wants action.

Unfortunately, they haven’t taken any.