"The Indiana Pacers will get an idea what type of road team they'll be early in the 2011-12 season.
The Pacers open their 66-game season at home against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 26 before playing 15 of their next 21 on the road.
What the Pacers have in their favor, though, is that their first five games are against teams -- Detroit (twice), Toronto, Cleveland and New Jersey -- that missed the playoffs last season.
The Pacers play 17 back-to-back sets and two sets of back-to-back-to-back games."