When the NBA dropped the full schedule on Thursday, it was hardly in the Indiana Pacers’ favor. On top of the limited number of nationally televised games, the team’s January stretch of games is relentless. While there may be stretches with arguably more difficult opponents, the toughest adversary in January is going to be the calendar.
In the month of January, the Pacers play 15 games. This number is relatively standard, as is the same number as both November and March. The difference between January and those two months, though, is the consistent pace at which the team must play.