Pacers' Season Down to Prideful Stand

Strategies can be questioned, and they were in the Pacers' locker room, and the dispersal of playing time can be debated, as it always is. But the central theme of the Pacers' loss to Boston on Friday, and the bottom line of the playoff series that now stands on the brink of extinction, is simple.

Raw talent and athleticism. Oh, and poise as well.

The Pacers' 104-96 loss at Bankers Life Fieldhouse was similar to the first two games of the series in that they were competitive with the Celtics long enough to give them hope, but were done in by a one-quarter collapse. Now they are faced with the gargantuan task of doing something no team in NBA history has ever done: overcome a 3-0 deficit to…