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Now that the Indiana Pacers have put their early-season struggles behind them, All-Star forward Paul George can reflect on the losing, lack of cohesion and frustration that defined the first part of their 2016-17 season. In an interview with USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt, George said he had a tough time developing chemistry with new point guard Jeff Teague, and he was mentally and physically drained before saying a prayer and going to London for a game against the Denver Nuggets last month:

"I was in a dark moment, a low moment," he said. "I had a bunch of ankle injuries going on. The team wasn't meshing well. The chemistry between myself and Jeff (Teague) wasn't where it should've been. ... I'm the guy who has to bring it on both ends, and I wasn't feeling like I was capable of doing it physically. So it was wearing on me."

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"Coming from USA Basketball and mentally and physically just being drained from basketball - starting a new season out, not fully being 100, having some bruises and some injuries - it took me time to work through that," he said.

Shortly before the Pacers left for London and a game against Denver on Jan. 12, George had an epiphany. "I had a night of prayer and a morning of refreshment," he said. "I'm doing and doing what I love to do, blessed to play this game. That's honestly what changed it - just being happy in the moment I'm in and enjoying it."

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"We kind of forgot this is a new team," George said. "As much as we wanted to and as much as we felt it was a great team put together, you have to be realistic that guys have been in different programs and been accustomed to playing differently."

The Pacers had started turning things around before the London trip -- they had won five games in a row starting on Dec. 30. Now sixth in the East at 28-22, they are not quite the juggernaut George hoped they'd be in the preseason, but they have won six straight and 13 of their last 17 games. In that span, they have had the league's fourth-best net rating, and they've been top-10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Some of that can be explained by their relatively soft schedule, but Indiana deserves credit for forcing turnovers like crazy and shooting as well as just about any team in the league lately.

This year was always going to be an adjustment for George and his team. With coach Frank Vogel, guard George Hill and center Ian Mahinmi leaving in the summer, the Pacers had to build a new identity. They have been a defense-first team since Vogel took over for Jim O'Brien in 2010-11, George's rookie year, and their defense looked awful at the beginning of the season. New coach Nate McMillan turned Monta Ellis into a sixth man, C.J. Miles into a starter and let young center Myles Turner grow into his role as a rim protector. Teague took some time to adjust to his new surroundings, and he has been on fire since the start of the calendar year. With the East as open as it is, Indiana has a shot at getting home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Of course everything is feeling brighter now.