Having dropped six of their last seven games, the Pacers picked a really poor time for a losing skid. At 37-40, they are currently tied with Miami for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, but the Heat own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams trail Chicago for seventh by one game with five games remaining. Here is what they have left:
CHICAGO (38-39): at Knicks, at Sixers, at Nets, Magic, Nets
MIAMI (37-40): at Hornets, at Raptors, at Wizards, Cavaliers, Wizards
INDIANA (37-40): Raptors, Bucks, at Magic, at Sixers, Hawks
*the Pacers don't have the tiebreaker with Chicago (better division record) or Miami (head-to-head), meaning that they'll have to finish with a better record than at least one of those teams in order to make the playoffs.
**at 36-41, Charlotte is just one game back of both the Pacers and Heat, but the Hornets have a tough finish against five teams currently in the playoffs: at Washington, Miami, Boston, at Milwaukee, at Atlanta.