The Indiana Pacers are No. 1 with 7 wins
During the last year’s playoffs, the Golden State Warriors and the Indiana Pacers were the new teams on the court which showed a lot of postseason promise and great players with bright futures in the NBA.
Just one year later and the future seems to be already here as the Pacers are undefeated across their first seven games and are now in the top spot. Paul George has been playing like never before and the All-Star player has helped his team have the best season start in franchise history.
Indiana Pacers: 7-0
Last week, the Pacers were second and a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday means that Indiana is now just one win away from matching the best winning streak at the start of the season since 2010, when the LA Lakers and the New Orleans Hornets were 8-0. Their next opponent will be Memphis on Monday and online bookmakers have the Pacers as clear favorites, with the point spread at 6½. Be sure to get your bets in as soon as possible and also check out the awesome real money Superbowl betting options for next year.
The goal to be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference seems to become a reality for Indiana and this will mean having the home-court advantage once the playoffs start in the East. Paul George got 24 points against the Nets to end the game at 96-91 as David West added another 18 points to the board.
Their biggest threat right now is San Antonio as the Spurs are off to a great start and have winnable games coming up next against Philly, Washington, Boston and Utah. Improving on the 6-1 starting record can just give the Spurs the edge in the playoffs and see them go to another NBA final. Last season, the Spurs lost to Miami Heat in an epic 7-game match-up.
The Pacers will go to Chicago for a rematch against the Bulls on Saturday, a team which they defeated on November 6th, 97-80.
Golden State Warriors drop two games
The Golden State Warriors are now in 8th spot in the NBA rankings, moving up one from last week after defeating the Timberwolves and losing to the Spurs 74-76 and to the Grizzlies 90-108. Coach Mark Jackson and his focus on the defense is certainly working out well for the Warriors and the great moves from Bob Myers can just make them a real contender in the West.
Their next game will be on Tuesday, as they take on the Pistons, a team which dropped to 15th spot in the rankings. A win here is needed for Golden State to climb up and get in a better position for the playoffs. On Thursday, the Warriors will host the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After the Golden State Warriors lost in the Western Conference semis last season, most of the hype for the team disappeared for a moment. In the offseason however, Golden State acquired All-Star Andre Iguodala, raising the expectations for the new season. With a 4-1 start, the team was looking good to make top three in the west and after dropping two games, there is still hope for the Warriors to fight their way to the top.
Curry and Molded Klay are now more experienced and the two are some of the best shooters in the league. Apart from not falling to deliver on the great shots, both of them seem to have matured significantly this season and they are turning into great overall players. While towards the end of last season, teams were dealing with Curry by boxing him in, this season he is showing a better poise and strong resiliency in front of his opponents.
