Vogel had rested his entire starting line-up after recent slump.
Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel is expected to select a full-strength starting line-up against the Miami Heat on Friday night after resting his starters.
Vogel rested all five of his usual starting line-up against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, after the Pacers suffered from a dip which he attributed to his key men being worn down.
Speculation suggested that the likes of Roy Hibbert and David West had also asked to be rested with the playoffs in mind, and after their win on Wednesday night it appears as though the mood is positive again within the Indiana camp.
Nevertheless, the clash with the Heat will likely have significant implications in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the home-court advantage through the playoffs that comes with it, and as a result Vogel is unlikely to leave anything to chance and will bring back his usual starting line-up.
“There was a lot of energy at practice, they definitely had their legs,” Vogel said, as reported by ESPN.
“The decision [to rest the starters] was every bit as much about the bench guys as the starters. Hopefully that took care of the bench, and the fresher legs will help the starters.”
Paul George insists that the players have been “flying up and down the court” after their mini break, and so they will look to use their newly-found energy to build on their half-game lead over Miami.
The Pacers also control the tiebreak which puts them in a strong position after seemingly throwing it all away over the past month or so, but they will be fully aware of the importance of Friday’s game not only in the race for top seeding but also in terms of gaining a psychological advantage over their biggest rivals to advance to the NBA Finals.
Vogel conceded that while rest is only part of the solution, he will be looking on for his players to also improve with their rhythm and execution at the AA Arena.
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