It's been a while since I've posted that picture!  Can't say I missed looking at it!  But, the Pacers lost last night at home against the New Orleans Hornets by a final of 114-106.

The game was pretty entertaining and I got my first look at Chris Paul for an entire game this season.  Man is he exciting!  He really knows exactly where he is going with the ball and how to get there.  Once he gets there, his decisions are already made up.  Paul makes the game look very easy.  CP3 finished the game with 31 points, 14 assists and a new fan.  Another one of my favorites plays for the Hornets as well, David West.  West is easily one of the best power forwards in the NBA, but he gets overlooked because he is in the Western Conference.  West finished this game with 35 points, 16 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.  Last night also marked the first game that I was able to see "The Birdman" Chris Andersen back in action.  With him, Bonzi Wells, and Jannero Pargo coming off the bench, this team could go deep into the playoffs.

Enough about the Hornets now.  I want to concentrate on the Pacers.  They looked like a team that wants to win every game instead of their usual Gloomy Gus attitudes.

The Pacers were led in scoring by Danny Granger's 26 points and Mike Dunleavy and Shawne Williams both chipped in with 17 a piece. 

Speaking of Shawne Williams, he has played very well recently.  After sitting out for 10 of the past 13 games, Williams has managed to stay focused for when he does play.  In the three games that he has played, he has averaged 14 points and 3 rebounds in 17 minutes of action.  I still don't get why Jim O'Brien is not playing him on a more regular basis.  He has proven his worth on this team, get him on the floor please!  He honestly could be the Sixth Man of the Year next season, let him play. 

Along with Williams, the rest of the bench played surprisingly well.  Not including Williams, only three other players played off the bench and two of them scored double figures.  The bench combined for 41 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks.  David Harrison (12 points) also managed to foul out in 23 minutes of play.  It's games like this, when he shows his full potential that I get nervous.  If he does this a few more times before the end of the season, he might get re-signed, which wouldn't be a smart move, in my opinion.

Well, the Pacers are now 29-42 on the season and are still 1 1/2 games back of Atlanta for the 8th playoff spot in the East.  However, they still hold the 10th worst record in the NBA.  I don't know what is worse, the fact that they are so close to the playoffs and might not make it, or the fact that they are so close to the lottery and might not make it.  I'm still torn!

The Pacers take on New Jersey in New Jersey this evening and then follow that up with another game against the Nets on Friday in Indianapolis.  If they win these two against the Nets, they will swap places in the standings and depending on what the Hawks do, they could end up in the 8th spot.  I'll be watching this closely.