SB Nation - Troy Murphy

A First Half I'd Like To Forget

Jeff Clark — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:47:38 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Get the ball!!!

What was that?

Sure, the Celtics don't have KG but the Pacers don't have Granger. So no excuses. That was just a bad half of basketball. Down 15 at the half to this team is embarrassing.

Pierce is 0-6 with 2 points. That's not like him.
Ray is 0-3 from three point range.
Eddie House was the only one who could buy a bucket.
Rondo only has 2 turnovers but it feels like more.
Speaking of Rondo, his man Earl Watson has 18 at the half. That's not all luck.
Pacers are shooting 46.7% from 3 point land. We better hope they cool off.
Perkins inexplicably can't seem to hold onto the ball.
Troy Murphy has 10 rebounds already and the Pacers are ahead 24 to 21 in that dept.
The only thing going for us is the odds - Pierce won't stay cold forever, the Pacers won't stay hot forever... I hope.

Things better turn around fast or this is going to be another ugly loss at home.

Bucks 84, Pacers 81: Pacers Can't Figure Out How To Win

Tom Lewis — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:11:17 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

The rookies showed up well, in a game without many bright spots.

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What are we doing?

That was the question Mike Dunleavy was asking no teammate in particular after the Indiana Pacers failed to get an open 3-point look for their preferred shooters with the game on the line, instead leaving the 84-81 win sitting on the table for the Milwaukee Bucks to scoop up and take home.

After Michael Redd was gracious enough to miss two free throws, the Pacers had their last real chance to extend the game with the ball and 18 seconds to play. Dahntay Jones inbounded to Troy Murphyat the top of the key, but Luc Mbah a Moute arrived at the same time forcing Murph to give up the ball to Mike Dunleavy guarded 25 feet from the hoop.

Dunleavy quickly back to T.J. Ford who pump fake Brandon Jennings out of the way and drove in the lane. Instead of taking a pull up for two with 12 seconds left, Ford was forced to toss it back out the Dahntay Jones. Jones was covered and knew better than to force a three. Murph was pinned in the corner and covered up, so Jones tossed it back to Ford behind the arc. After pumping Jennings past him, Ford let go a clean 3-ball with five seconds left.

The missed bounced to Andrew Bogut, leaving Dunleavy wondering what had just happened. After watching the replay, I understand Dunleavy's disgust but he and Murph were checked.

After the game Jim O'Brien didn't critique the play, only saying that when they needed a three, they wanted to go for Murph first and Michael (Dunleavy) second. Of course, those first two options were quickly covered up by the Bucks and after both had to give up the ball, they never touched it again.

Once the play broke down, Ford was left to create something but passed on a two, before being stuck launching a three with five seconds left. Yes, it clanked and much credit goes to the Bucks for defending the Pacers into a 3-ball from a guy who has only made one all season.

Still, Murph and Dunleavy didn't touch it in the final15 seconds thanks to Milwaukee's defense, but it seems like there was enough time to keep moving the ball and trying to free one of them for a shot. The shooters were left stuck as an easy cover with nowhere to move. Once Ford dribbled into the middle, everything broke down, most notably the Pacers chances to steal a win.

T.J. Ford did have one last shot at redemption after Bogut missed both of his free throws. With no timeouts, Ford had to race the ball up the floor and did get off a clean game-tying attempt, but once again, the game ended with a shot bouncing off the rim.

More observations:

This game was a real grind with two of the worst shooting teams in the league living up to their reputations. The Bucks shot 42% on the night while the Pacers clanked their way to a 36% (if you're generous and round up) shooting night. Coaches will point to good defense and there was some of that without a doubt, but there were also a lot of good looks that went sideways.
The Bucks helped keep the Pacers afloat in the fourth quarter with their poor free throw shooting. On the night Milwaukee was only 9 for 20 from the line, but they also missed six straight freebies in the final 1:02 of regulation, giving the Pacers multiple chances to sneak up and win the game.
Aside from the final two shots, which in reality were thrust upon T.J. Ford, the point guard was looking for someone else to play the hero role down the stretch. Inside of two minutes, down four, Ford passed up good looks which seemed to surprise his teammates and jumbled up the possessions. One in particular had Ford in his wheelhouse - wide open just inside the free throw line for a jumper with 1:08 to play. After jumping though, he tried to pass it out to Mike Dunleavy who had continued moving past where Ford threw the ball. Turnover and worse a blown opportunity to close the gap.
Mike Dunleavy is officially in his first shooting slump of the season. He struggled to get anything going, making just 2 of 17 shots on the night. That makes him 6 for 27 in the last two games which includes 0 of 9 from 3-land.
Brandon Rush and Luther Head both played strong minutes off the bench. Luther continued his positive play making plays at both ends when given a chance. Sure would like to see him play more down the stretch. Rush was used about right tonight, logging 20 minutes off the bench. He was as assertive as I've seen him all year. One play in particular stuck out as he ran baseline to the left corner, he was actually calling for the ball. Then when he received it, turned and knocked down the shot. Nice to see.
The Pacer bigs had their moments offensively, especially Roy Hibbert using his low post repertoire to log 16 points. But defensively, everyone struggled trying to slow down Andrew Bogut. The Aussie center nuked the Pacers for a career-high 31 points, 18 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Rookie sensation, Brandon Jennings didn't do much of note through three quarters, but flashed a little brilliance in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Most notably, hitting a well-defended 3-pointer and another two late to score five of the Bucks' last seven points. While the Pacers seemed to be looking at each other for a hero to make a shot, Jennings didn't flinch at the opportunity to step up at winning time.
Tyler Hansbrough had another strong outing with 11 points, 5 rebounds and a couple blocks. It remains incredible to see how many opponents end up on the ground when in the vicinity of Hansbrough. He earned some late-game burn and actually scored the Pacers' final two field goals, one on a sweet spin move past Bogut that resulted in a nice little four-footer for two.
Luc Mbah a Moute was king of the little things, giving the Bucks a nice boost late in the game. Scott Skiles went with the defensive-minded Mbah a Moute when the game appeared set to be a grind all the way through. The Bucks' forward not only defended the heck out of Troy Murphy, he also tracked down some critical loose balls to keep possessions alive for Milwaukee at winning time.
Along with the poor shooting, the Pacers donated 18 turnovers on the night. Troy Murphy had seven donations on his own, not to mention how a really solid second quarter could've been fantastic if not for too many careless possessions.
The Pacers have to get up off the mat to take on the Celtics in Boston tomorrow night. I myself will be heading out west for a week, so posting may be lighter than normal, although Sean will fill in the gaps when he can. Let me encourage you to use the FanPosts to offer more thorough thoughts on the games or general issues of the day with the Pacers. I'd love to promote some of the varied opinions around here to the front page. Just keep it clean. I know, not always easy...

Q&A: Marcus Thompson - Contra Costa Times / InsideBayArea.com (Part 3 of 3)- Monta Ellis/ Stephen Curry backcourt, John Wall, All-2k Golden State Warriors Starting 5

Atma Brother ONE — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:30:14 -0000

Part 1: Warriors bright spots, the next to be traded, Robert Rowell and basketball decisions

Part 2: Don Nelson's media downfall, Chris Mullin as a front office hire, Chris Cohan's closeness to selling the Golden State Warriors

[Inside the Warriors]

Jump for MT's thoughts on the Monta Ellis/ Stephen Curry backcourt combo, what the Warriors would do if they landed John Wall in the 2010 NBA Draft, and his All-2k Golden State Warriors starting 5.

Golden State of Mind: Early on Monta Ellis didn't seem to be the biggest fan of the Stephen Curry draft pick or playing alongside him. Do you think that has changed? Do GM Larry Riley and head coach Don Nelson think the two can be the starting backcourt of a winning team? Who will be the first to go if they don't think they can work together?

Marcus Thompson: In my heart of hearts, I still don't think Ellis is a fan of them two as a backcourt tandem. I think he has gained some respect for Curry. At first, I'm sure he looked at him as some over-hyped rookie who was a ways away. But I've had some private conversations with players on the team and they seem to think that Curry has earned some respect from Ellis. Definitely, that Dallas game had a lot to do with that. But I still think Ellis knows those two, as a backcourt, present serious issues. I think Riley and Nellie think the two can work, but even they know it would require some serious make-up to cover up their deficiencies. The interesting part is that the reason people thought it couldn't work was that Ellis couldn't defend two guards. Up until this season, the theory was that he needed to play with a big point guard, like Baron Davis, who could defend shooting guards because Ellis was too small. But Ellis is showing he can at least be competitive on that end even when he is outsized. He certainly has his defensive flaws still - gambles a bit much sometimes, vulnerable to post-ups, still could get better at stopping penetration - but he's proving he's not the liability he once was. That has switched to Curry, who is having a really difficult time defending the point guard position. He's finding himself in foul trouble a lot and though he and the coaching staff thinks he's improving on defense, he's got a ways to go before that backcourt tandem can be competitive defensively. What Nellie and Riley see that give them confidence in the backcourt, besides Ellis becoming a beast, is that Curry is extremely coachable, he works hard and he's got some basketball IQ to lean on. If he develops like they think, the two would be a pretty formidable offensive backcourt, then they can get a SF (or use Azubuike) to be a defensive stopper as a SF, kind of like how they used Jackson. IF Curry gets better at defending point guards without fouling. IF he becomes reliably productive on offense. There was a time that Curry was untouchable and the Warriors were listening to offers from Ellis. I wouldn't be surprised if that's switched. I don't think it has. They still love Curry. But Ellis might be moving into untouchable status - not just because of his scoring, but because of the way he's bought in to leadership and defense, etc. Whether they keep both of them depends on who they can put with them. If they can get a beast PF, and get the centers healthy (they can cover up some of the defensive liabilities of a Curry/Ellis backcourt), they might be able to make it work. Don't forget about Raja Bell, though. He's the x-factor in this situation. I think if he comes back to the Warriors next season, he could end up starting next to Ellis or being the defensive stopper at SF - especially if they get a beast at PF.

Golden State of Mind: Let's fast forward and pretend the Golden State Warriors win the 2010 NBA Lottery and have a shot at Kentucky Wildcats point guard phenom John Wall and still have Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. What do you think the Warriors would do?

Marcus Thompson: For the record, I have no idea. Just playing along here. I think option No. 1 would be to trade the pick. Wall will be a commodity and they would certainly get some good offers. Imagine if you put Wall and Wright together, or Wall and Randolph even, and make a team take Maggette, too. What could you land? They might be able to get a difference maker at PF or SF. It would have to be a no-brainer though. If they don't do that, I think they let Curry and Wall duke it out for the right to play next to Ellis. The loser is on the trading block. Considering C.J. Watson would probably be gone, they would need a third PG. So I could see them drafting Wall and seeing who is best next to Ellis. Again, just me hypothesizing.

Golden State of Mind: We're nearing the end of the decade. What's your All-2k Golden State Warriors starting 5?

Marcus Thompson: That is an excellent question! I might have to bite this. I gotta first give some qualifiers that I assume are implied. So, first off, I'm basing my picks on what players have done WITH THE WARRIORS. So you won't see Gilbert Arenas. I am also picking based on what they HAVE DONE not based on what I project they will do, so you won't see Anthony Randolph. Also, I am including the 1999-00 season since part of it was in this decade.

*PG Baron Davis: This is easy. He was probably the most talented of any player to come through the franchise in the last decade, and he certainly accomplished the most in leading the Warriors to the 2007 playoff upset of Dallas. No question he was the best PG.

*SG Jason Richardson: I am so tempted to put Monta Ellis here. I give Jason Richardson the nod because of what he meant to the franchise on and off the court, because he performed better in the postseason. Game 3 in the first round alone gets him the nod.

*SF Stephen Jackson: Could've went a few different ways here. Maybe you could go with a third guard - such as Arenas or Ellis. But I am thinking about putting the best team together, and that three small guards stuff doesn't win. Jackson was an integral figure in the two best seasons during the decade. His defense on Dirk Nowitzki, and his shot-making, was vital in the upset of Dallas. So even though he was with the Warriors for less than two full seasons, and even though his departure was bitter, if you're trying to put a winning team together for the Warriors off the last 10 years, he's on it. I think having help around him tames him enough to where he's not doing too much on the court.

*PF Antawn Jamison: As far as numbers go, few Warriors had better. In four years during the decade, he averaged 21.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. What would the Warriors give for that kind of production at PF right now? Certainly, he got those numbers on bad teams, and he was always overshadowed by his contract. But he gives the Warriors a fourth 20-point scorer, which would make them super potent on offense. And he rebounded well from his position. Plus he was a model player off the court.

*C Andris Biedrins: I was torn between Biedrins, Troy Murphy and Adonal Foyle. But based on who I have at the other four positions, I just think Andris is the better fit. You need someone who can defend, rebound, run the floor and finish. I like Murphy as a center in an uptempo offense because of his ability to stretch the floor and he rebounds. Plus, though he's not that fast, he makes a good option for the 3 on that secondary break. And he's the best post-player of the three, I think. But he's at his best when he's making shots, and with the other four guys, the Warriors need someone on the floor who can make an impact without making shots, some who doesn't need the rock and can just do the dirty work. Biedrins does that, and he is a better shot blocker than Murphy. So that leaves Biedrins and Foyle. Foyle fits the mold and is a better man-to-man defender, especially against bigger centers. But Biedrins gets the nod because he rebounds better and runs the floor better. This team will unquestionably be an offense-based squad. Since neither is a defensive player of the year candidate, I'd prefer the guy who has D and some O instead of someone with just D.

**********

All of us at GSoM wanted to thank Marcus for fielding our questions and his continue support. Make sure to make his blog Inside the Warriors a regular destination in your web browser.

Trust me you haven't heard the last of the All 2k Warriors awards around these parts...

Cavs Looking For Trades

Jeff Clark — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:00:00 -0000

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

The Cavs are targeting several players believed to be on the trade market. Multiple sources said the team has been in touch about the following: Anthony Randolph, Troy Murphy, Antawn Jamison

The Cavs also just lost again tonight (to the Mavs), bringing their record to 20 - 7.

IC Cold Links: Watson, Jones Given Vote Of Confidence By Coach

spstevenson — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:44:18 -0000

More photos » by Delcia Lopez - AP

T.J. Ford goes for the layup in the Pacers loss to the Spurs on Saturday. Ford was replaced in the starting lineup by Earl Watson.

Browse more photos »

Earl Watson and Dahntay Jones were handed starting jobs against the Spurs on Saturday as a gesture for how well the two have played off the bench. It was also made to give the Pacers a chance at an upset in San Antonio. It almost worked.

After taking over the spots of T.J. Ford and Brandon Rush, the new starting backcourt were asked to do what they do best -- bring energy and defensive toughness to the starting unit. Although the two didn't produce glamorous offensive stats (and Ford finished the fourth quarter on the court), the duo helped the starting unit keep up with the Spurs' starters, only being outscored by two points. It was a far cry from the 100-54 lashing that the starters gave up to Memphis on Friday.

Coach Jim O'Brien explained his reasoning to the Indy Star before the game: "Earl deserves a look. We're trying to change some things up. He has the best plus-minus on the team. We're starting Dahntay because we want to start the game with as much defensive toughness as we can. [Watson] deserves a very, very solid look because the difference he makes off the bench is a dramatic one. Now he's playing against the other team's second unit. We understand that. We'll see how he does in the starting lineup."

Ford and Rush both benefited from playing against the Spurs' second string, while also playing with slashers and passers such as Mike Dunleavy and Tyler Hansbrough on the bench. In the Pacers' 100-99 loss, Watson had three points on 1-for-5 shooting and five assists, while Ford tossed in 14 points with five assists. Jones scored three points on free throws, while Rush went 4-for-8 for nine points in 28 minutes.

The ultimate stat, however, is that this lineup was able to come within one point of taking down the Spurs in San Antonio. After the shellacking that took place in Memphis, something needed to happen to spice up this team. We'll get a chance to see if JOB sticks with his new starting backcourt when the blue and gold return home to play the Bucks on Monday.

Check out the jump for more links.

Box Score
AP Story
NBA.com Recap
The Pacers Inside the Game post recaps the highlights and stats of the Pacers loss in San Antonio. T.J. Ford gave the following quote after the game about his potential game-winning basket: "You're going to make some and you're going to miss some. The coaches and my teammates have the belief that I can get that shot off. I got it up...I had the opportunity...but it just fell short."
Jeff Rabjohns reported from Texas about the Pacers missing a big opportunity to topple one of the league's best franchises.
In his Indy Star notebook, Rabjohns tackles Roy Hibbert's big game against Tim Duncan, local star George Hill's play with the Spurs, and Jeff Foster's return to Texas.
The San Antonio News-Express recaps the game from the Spurs' perspective. Also, check out the massive game thread over at SB Nation's Pounding the Rock.
Jared Wade offers up an interview about the Pacers for Project Spurs as a preview for Saturday's game. You can check out the first couple of questions at Eight Points, Nine Seconds.
Troy Murphy is being linked to some trade rumors featured here on Cleveland.com.
Fox Sports' Charley Rosen conducts an analysis of the Pacers' roster after their loss to the Grizzlies. Final analysis: good guys, bad team.
The New York Post follows Jonathan Bender's triumphant return to the NBA with the Knicks. Bender had nine points, two rebounds and one blocked shot in helping New York's second unit overcome a huge deficit.

Spurs 100, Pacers 99: Pacers Miss Out On Chance For Road Win

Tom Lewis — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:14:52 -0000

It's about time to issue a warning: Follow the Indiana Pacers at your own risk.

On any given night, their play may force your heart to stop intermittently or your brain to go numb. You may pull a hammy dancing with joy, or become life-less, depressed pile of bones as the buzzer sounds.

Against the San Antonio Spurs tonight, all of the above side effects were felt as the Pacers rallied from a 13-point second quarter deficit to take a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter.

From there, the heart fluttered, mind froze, dancing ceased and depression set in after T.J. Ford's potential game-winning jump shot was just wide right, allowing the Spurs to escape with a win, 100-99.

Just when the expectations for the Pacers sink, as they did after last night's double-digit loss to Memphis, the team puts together an effort to draw you back into and actually have you thinking win...on the road...at San Antonio. It was all there for the taking early in the fourth quarter.

But you could feel the Spurs mounting an attack, plus the Pacers' recent history made a late run by the Spurs standard operating procedure. Once the Spurs made their run to make it a one possession game with five minutes left to play, I began to wonder if this would be a repeat of Orlando where the Pacers would shut down offensively while the Spurs methodically pulled away.

Not tonight.

The Spurs biggest lead would be three points with three minutes to go. But a dunk by Brandon Rush and a near-miraculous tip by Roy Hibbert gave the Pacers points on consecutive possessions and a one-point lead with a minute to go.

Nope, no fade tonight, just a missed opportunity.

After weathering a couple of Tim Duncan offensive rebounds, the Pacers had the ball and the lead with 33 seconds to go. After using up some clock, T.J. Ford missed one of his patented little 12-foot fade away jumpers, leaving the Spurs 10 seconds to win the game.

Naturally, the Spurs went to Duncan. Roy Hibbert met Duncan at the rim and stuffed the Hall of Famer's first offering. But Duncan quickly took the rejecting and jammed it home. Spurs up one with four seconds left.

Once again, the Pacers went to Ford to be the hero, clearing out for the point guard to work from the top of the key. It appeared he had George Hill off-balance and rose up for a clean 16-footer which helplessly clanked of the right side of the rim. Depression.

Plenty of thoughts and observations from this one:

For starters, why go with T.J. Ford down the stretch? Pretty good question, but T.J. was a catalyst, making the Pacers go through much of the second half. Ford was playing off the bench, with Earl Watson starting, but he had a nice offensive flow going much of the night. Plus, he's made that type of shot in the past and Mike Dunleavy was off all night and didn't play much in the second half.
As mentioned above, Jim O'Brien shook up his starting lineup, moving Ford and Brandon Rush to the bench to start Watson and Dahntay Jones. The team jumped out to a solid start in the first quarter, but a late 9-2 run to end the first quarter, with mostly bench players on the floor, nullified the good start.
Things switch in the second half, when the second unit played the Pacers back into the game. T.J. Ford ended up playing more minutes than Watson.
Roy Hibbert had moments of brilliance at the offensive end. The Spurs didn't feel the need to double Hibbert much and the big fella took his time and made them pay, even squaring up and scoring over Tim Duncan with a solid move in the lane. Hibbert's presence was felt at the defensive end as well, especially late with a couple of big blocks. Hibbert finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks.
Brandon Rush played a lot of minutes off the bench, as well. His play was up and down as usual, but he was hardly floating. Although, floating would've been better than the end result of a few possessions Rush botched. His baseline back-cut for a dunk late in the game was sweet and gave the Pacers a boost to eventually reclaim the lead.
Troy Murphyhad his shot going early and finished with 21 points on 8 of 13 from the floor. Murph was saddled with fouls as he struggled to defend Duncan at times.
Tyler Hansbroughwas in the mix during the Pacers late second quarter run which helped set up a late third quarter run, also involving Hansbrough, to give the Pacers the lead. The rook finished with 9 points and 6 rebounds with a few blips along the way. Actually, one was more than a blip. After being hung out to dry guarding Richard Jeffersonon the wing, RJ crossed-up Hansbrough and left him leaning in cement sneakers as Jefferson threw down a pretty reverse dunk. Wasn't a poster dunk, because Hansbrough would've been out of the picture.
The Pacers caught a break with the Spurs missing 15 free throws. Tony Parker missed five of his 12 attempts.
Life doesn't get any easier for the Pacers as they head home for a day before hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, followed by a quick trip to Boston to play the Celtics on Tuesday.
Jeff Foster played a few minutes before retiring for the night with more back issues.
Luther Head took advantage of some rare playing time to provide a nice spark for the Pacers, as he has done in the past. Luther had 9 points on 6 shots and once again made a case for more playing time.

IC Cold Links: Hansbrough Gets Hometown Crowd In Memphis

spstevenson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:18:50 -0000

More photos » by Lance Murphey - AP

Mike Dunleavy, O.J. Mayo and Tyler Hansbrough chase down a loose ball during the Pacers' loss Friday. Hansbrough had a large following in the FedEx Forum as nearly 1,500 fans from Poplar Bluff attended the game.

Browse more photos »

It wasn't exactly no place like home, but Indiana Pacers rookie Tyler Hansbrough was as close as he is going to get last night.

In the Pacers 107-94 loss to the Grizzlies Friday, Hansbrough played to a crowd of his hometown faithful who made the trip from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to the confines of the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Jeff Rabjohns of the IndyStar estimated that nearly 1,500 people from the small town crowded the arena to get a look at their favorite son. It's a 2 1/2 hour drive from Poplar Bluff to Memphis.

Here's Hansbrough after the game: "It's exciting to see everybody from my hometown coming out supporting me. It means a lot. There are people out there I haven't seen in a while."

Hansbrough played 22 minutes, went 4-of-13 from the field for 14 points and four rebounds. Check out more links after the jump.

AP Story
NBA.com Recap/Box Score
Photo Gallery
The Pacers Inside The Game looks into how the Pacers blew a first-half lead by managing only five points in a 10-minute span that allowed Memphis to take control of the game.
Indianapolis Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns recaps the game by focusing on the exploits of local legends Zach Randolph and Mike Conley against their hometown team. It was linked before the jump, but Rabjohns' notebook has a lot of good stuff about news surrounding last night's game.
Rabjohns took over the Pacers Insider blog and reported on Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy struggling from beyond the arc in last night's game.
Andrew Perna of Real GM looks into the blue and gold's recent success without star Danny Granger in the lineup.
Eight Points, Nine Seconds previewed yesterday's matchup against the Grizz, while Always Miller Time sets us up nicely for today's tilt with the Spurs.

Game Preview #24: Indiana Pacers @ San Antonio Spurs

Tim C. — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:13:20 -0000

More photos » by Darren Abate - AP

It's OK, I'll carry the team for now. Just make sure you stay healthy. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Browse more photos »

I wish I could find something interesting and witty to write here, but I just can't. The Spurs have been underperforming, and now comes a home game against a team that would appear to be a cupcake. That's not neccessarily a good thing, and I've got a bad feeling about this.

Indiana Pacers @ San Antonio Spurs
Where: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
When: December 19, 2009, 7:30 PM Spurs time
Watch: My35 (San Antonio); FSN(Indiana)

How They Stack Up


10-4	Home	6-6
3-6	Road	3-9
101.9	Offense	98.0
97.2	Defense	102.0
48.0	FG%	43.5
38.9	3-pt%	32.1
74.7	FT%	76.8
42.5	Rebounds	43.2
14.9	TOs	16.2
6-4	Last 10	3-7
Won 1	Streak	Lost 1
3rd, Southwest	Position	5th, Central


Country/Time Zone	Game Time
Argentina	10:30 PM
West Coast	5:30 PM
Philippines	9:30 AM
Central Europe	2:30 AM
Palestine/Egypt	3:30 AM
East Coast	8:30 PM
CapHill's Liquor Cabinet	6:30 PM
Perth, AUS	9:30 AM
Tokyo, JP	10:30 AM
Sydney, AUS	11:30 AM

Spurs (13-10)	Matchups	Pacers (9-15)
Tony Parker Meh	Point Guard The Tony of last year seems to have disappeared, and the new Tony seems slow, clumsy, and unsure of himself. Ford has been pretty good(and healthy), but Tony is still putting up better numbers, despite not looking like himself. Despite my UT bias, I have to go with Tony here. Advantage: Spurs	TJ Ford Knocking on Wood Constantly

Keith Bogans DOOM	Shooting Guard Bogans had a good game against the Dubs, and has a pretty easy positional matchup tonight. However, I'd be shocked if he doesn't end up guarding Ford. With Tony guarding him, Rush should have an easier go of it, but he's still a terrible shooter. Keith might even provide some occasional offense tonight. Advantage: Spurs	Brandon Rush Terrible Shooter

Richard Jefferson Meh	Small Forward RJ's been playing better of late, scoring at least 17 in 4 of the last 5 games. Dunleavy is a good shooter who doesn't do much of anything else. RJ should win this, but it's still a little too early to tell if he's really "getting it" yet. Until then, it's a tie. Advantage: Neither	Mike Dunleavy Not The Coach

Tim Duncan 20/10	Power Forward In case you didn't know, Timmy always gets the white box. This season, he's as good as ever, and nobody's been able to stop him. Troy Murphy is a decent player, and probably underrated, but he's completely out of his league tonight. Advantage: Spurs	Troy Murphy 13/9

Antonio McDyess Meh	Center Dice has been MIA lately, and he says he always starts the season slow. As long as we get the guy that played in Detroit last year by season's end, I'm OK with that. In the meantime, Hibbert is definitely outperforming him. Advantage: Pacers	Roy Hibbert Token Big Man

DeJuan Blair BAM	Bench & Role Players Dahntay was a good free agent pickup for the Pacers, and in addition to his defensive reputation, he's even scoring this year. However, we have DeJuan, Manu, George, Matt, and the rest of the best bench in the league. This is another box that might be permanently in our favor. Advantage: Spurs	Dahntay Jones Good Pickup

Gregg Popovich Great Coach	Coach O'Brien is a good coach, and he's been around the league for quite a while, so he must be doing something right. But he isn't Pop. Pop, by the way, is going for his 700th win tonight. Advantage: Spurs	Jim O'Brien Good Coach
	images via yahoo.com

	Other Factors
Intangibles
With Granger out, it makes us really glad that Finley is the only injured Spurs at the moment. ::knocks on wood:: Advantage: Spurs
Mojo
The turnovers have to stop. Luckily, the Pacers seem to give it away even more than we do. That's not something to be proud of, Spurs. Advantage: Neither
Winner
Let's see... a sub-.500 team missing their best player. If you know your Spurs history, you know that this is a recipe for disaster. And this team is actually due for an epic letdown. Prediction: Pacers win.

Keys To The Game

Defense - The Spurs have a real chance to address some of their defensive issues against what should be an easy opponent. Why does that not comfort me? Prove me wrong by bringing it, Spurs.
Aggressiveness - This is simple. The other team is weakened by an injury to it's best frontcourt player, so playing this game in attack mode is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Turnovers - For FSM's sake, Spurs... cut that shit out.

Strength of Schedule

We've had two days off since the win over Golden State, and will have another day off before facing the Clippers. The schedule doesn't give us any excuses for losing for a while.

The Pacers are on a SEGABABA, after getting punked last night in Memphis.

Last Time They Met

The last time we met the Pacers was on April 3 in Indiana, where we won in a shootout, 126-121. Let's hope there's not so much scoring this time.

Some Other Reading

Pacers

Indy Cornrows - Our SBN sister blog for the Pacers. There's some well written stories over there, and there seems to be a pretty good level of participation as well.
Eight Points, Nine Seconds - Here's the Pacers' True Hoop Affiliate. It seems to be updated about as often as 48MoH these days, so... not very often.

Spurs

48 Minutes of Hell: Best damn TrueHoop affiliate out there. Always a must visit Spurs site. Tim V and Graydon seem to be less active there lately, but unlike us, I think they have lives.
Project Spurs: Features live chats, call-in shows and podcasts, with lots of content. Give 'em a try.

Twitter Musings

George_Hill3
What's up tweetas! Back home in SA bout to do some more Christmas shopping wish me LUCK!!

spurs
Check out @ManuGinobili, Antonio, Matt and the Coyote spreading some Holiday cheer at CHRISTUS Santa Rosahttp://bit.ly/8k6Hzo

Nothing else worth sharing (unless you count some more LOLs by Blair), but you can always find all the official Spurs Sports & Entertainment Twitter accounts here: http://twitter.com/spurs/official/members

Where to Tune In

TV

This game will be aired on KRRT 35 in San Antonio, and on FoxSportsnet in Indiana. If you have cable or satellite, you'll have to look up your individual channel. And of course, there's always League Pass for the haves. For the have nots, read on.

Online

As always, NBA League Pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Most Spurs games will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area. This game is no exception.

Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to dmenendez@gmail.com for more assistance.

NBA League Pass audio is still free this year, so check it out.

Radio

If you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM).

So there you have it: the Spurs will lose. Or, maybe I'm just trying to work the reverse jinx. Now you're confused, aren't you?

Also, I lost a bet to Lauri, so here is the lolcat I promised to put in the preview:

Pacers 101, Bobcats 98: Pacer Hang On For Win; Murphy, Ford Lead The Way

Tom Lewis — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:13:06 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

T.J. Ford rose up to help lead the Pacers to a win over Charlotte.

Browse more photos »

The Indiana Pacers led all the way but still almost lost.

But almost wasn't good enough for the Charlotte Bobcats and since almost losing equals winning you won't hear any complaints from the Pacers as they'll gladly take the 101-98 win.

The Pacers ambushed the Bobcats in the first five minutes of the game, jumping out to a 21-7 lead. They made eight straight field goals including three from behind the arc and another couple perimeter shots and three layups. The Pacers made it look easy with nice ball movement. In fact, six of the first eight buckets were assisted. Funny how those perimeter shots start falling with good passing finding shooters in rhythm as opposed to just standing and jacking up shots.

But the action in this game was just getting started.

Despite the fast start by the Pacers, Charlotte worked their way back into the game and cut that early lead to four late in the first quarter. The Pacers maintained control of the game though and took a ten-point lead to the half.

Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy were wearing out the nets in the first half, combining for 27 points including five 3-balls, but T.J. Ford was running the offensive show. He finished the half with 9 assists, several on nice kick-out passes after breaking down the Charlotte defense on the dribble.

When Ford opened the third quarter with his tenth assist and Murphy knocked down another three-pointer, it appeared like the Pacers might run away and hide. They did push the lead to 18 early in the third, but from there the home team held on for dear life as the lead gradually dwindled until a corner three to tie the game left Gerald Wallace's hand with four seconds left to play.

As the final score indicates, Wallace missed, but the game was not over. No way. Couldn't be that easy could it?

With 1.8 seconds left, Dahntay Jones missed two free throws when one would've iced the game. After a timeout, the Pacers once again had to defend their three point lead for 1.4 seconds and that's exactly what they did.

With the refs taking their sweet time counting to five, the Pacers made it extremely difficult for Charlotte to inbound the ball. Finally Flip Murray found Boris Diawas he popped to the top of the arc. Diaw was in rhythm to turn around a let the 3-ball go, but T.J. Ford rotated off of D.J. Augustin to greet Diaw in mid-turn. This force Diaw to pass off-balance to Augustin, whose shot hit all net but was released well after the buzzer sounded.

More thoughts and observations on the game:

T.J. Ford had his game flowing tonight. Maybe having his Texas Longhorn understudy, D.J. Augustin on the other side brought his game into focus. I hope not, though. Rather think he just put everything together tonight and there will be more of this type of play to come. His 15 points and 13 assists made the Pacers go, but that final defensive play sealed the win. All of that good play, helps mask the 6 turnovers and a few gawd awful possessions down the stretch when the Pacers had multiple opportunities to put Charlotte away, but just couldn't.
Speaking of gawd awful, the Pacers' effort to close out the game was painful. T.J. Ford had a sweet layup and 1 with 1:32 left in the game. After making the free throw the Pacers were up 8, one stop away from securing the W. But after Augustin made a three-pointer, the Ford and Earl Watson couldn't get a shot up and Brandon Rush's 3-ball was waved off after review showed it was after the shot clock lit up. Wallace is fouled and suddenly with 40 seconds left, the lead is down to three points. The Pacers use up most of the shot clock before going into a play, but after one pass, Earl Watson launches a three-pointer that misses and gives the Bobcats the first of those two final chances to tie the game. Somehow the Pacers survived without scoring in that final 1:32.
Troy Murphy was a monster for the Pacers, shooting the ball better than he has all year and maybe even last year. Murph had 26 points and 15 rebounds. He scored on 10-13 from the floor including 5-7 from 3-land. He also had three assists and zero turnovers.
Dahntay Jones struggled off the bench making just 2 of 8 shots and missing those critical free throws that would've sealed the win. Jim O'Brien did turn to Jones to finish the game with the Pacers hanging on to the lead with a death grip. Getting the stops was more important than the offense at that point.
Tyler Hansbroughhad trouble getting his shots to fall but he played some solid minutes down the stretch in the fourth quarter. He had a nice bucket inside off a floating feed from T.J. Ford and then with two minutes left and the lead down to five, Hansbrough was clobbered underneath the hoop and sent to the line. He calmly knocked down both free throws to push the lead back to seven. The Bobcats weren't through coming at the Pacers, but those makes were huge to keep Charlotte at bay. After struggling at the free throw line through much of the young season, Hansbrough is now 19-23 from the line in the past five games which is more in line with his college free throw success.
Jim O'Brien found some time for rookie A.J. Price in the first half, allowing the rookie point guard almost ten minutes of burn. Price came out firing...and missing, but per usual, Price helped push the Pacers in the right direction leaving the lead seven points better than when he entered the game.
The Pacers have won three of their last four games and now head out for back-to-back road games at Memphis and San Antonio beginning Friday.

Bobcats Lose to Pacers 101-98; TJ Ford Runs a Clinic

David Arnott — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:58:07 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

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One night after a stirring comeback win, the Bobcats fell to the Pacers, 101-98. Granted, it was the second half of a back to back, and on the road, too, but Indiana was without Danny Granger, making this game tougher to accept.

The Pacers simply had better ball movement, better passes, more open looks... it was a clinic for much of the game, led by Professor T.J. Ford. The Cats kept it close with a few key advantages and made a tight game of it in the fourth, staying in the game until the final possession, but, ultimately, it just wasn't enough to overcome the other holes they'd dug.

Highlights and lowlights after the jump.

BAD

-- Did Boris Diaw hit rock bottom last night? No, he did not. Tonight? Not quite. But the Knicks game may have been a precursor to tonight's stinker. While he was 3-3 from the field with 8 points, he had 0 rebounds and only 1 assist, all in 36 minutes. On the final inbounds play, with 1.4 seconds remaining in the game, he received the inbounds pass from Flip (why wasn't Gerald inbounding?) and then, instead of shooting the three for the tie, passed it on to Augustin, who had no chance to get his shot off before buzzer. Furthermore, Troy Murphy -- a guy I love, by the way -- absolutely torched Boris and whoever else was guarding him. Murphy ended up with 26 points and 15 rebounds, including 5-7 from three.

-- Stephen Graham: 15 minutes. Gerald Henderson? Derrick Brown? They combined for 0. Lovely.

-- It's interesting that Larry Brown is okay with letting Ronald Murray be himself. As quoted in the Observer, Brown's perfectly fine if Murray shoots his way out of slumps. Flip's probably earned that right with his play over the years, but what strikes me about it is the base notion that it's no use trying to force Flip to change dramatically, that LB is a better coach if he deploys his player based on his established strengths and weaknesses instead of expending energy trying to change him and putting him in positions where he'll be expected to be someone he isn't. I appreciate coaches who do that, because they're acknowledging that they are not all-powerful and can't work miracles.

So why the double standard with D.J. Augustin? He was a certain player in college. He was a certain player in his rookie year. He's not a pure creator and he's not a rugged defender, but he can handle the ball and facilitate the offense and shoot the lights out! Sure, it'd be nice to try to imbue him with some of those qualities, but Damon Stoudemire made a long career for himself as a point guard without being exceptional at any of that. Same for Eddie House, if you want the role player example. Why tear D.J. down from that kind of player to try to rebuild him into something else? He'd probably be better off in a triangle or D'Antoni or Donnieball offense, but just because our offense is best run by an all-around creator doesn't mean he can't be a productive player in said system.

-- The defense couldn't stop T.J. Ford, or anyone really, from creating good shots. The Pacers made 35 field goals, and 29 were assisted, 13 by Ford. They were 48% from the field overall and 12-24 from three. Ouch. I'm probably thin-slicing, but I think I'm developing a fear of smaller, relatively faster, point guards after seeing Will Bynum and now Ford vivisect our defense.

-- Will someone please inform basketball officials that when Tyler Hansbrough splays his arms and curls his legs as he goes up for a layup under the basket, it's probably not a foul, but just something he does to get foul calls. I don't mind if he does it for emphasis, like when Gerald thinks he's being shoved around and he snaps his head back on screens, but every time? Really? That's the secret to getting to the line so much?

GOOD

-- Gerald Wallace scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds. There just isn't much more to say about him... except that he's slowly moving from underground aesthetic hero to underground dark horse All Star candidate.

-- Tyson Chandler had the kind of game we hoped he'd bring at least twice a week. 13 points and 13 rebounds, while getting to the line for 9 free throws. For purposes of both this entry and the Boris entry, I'm conveniently ignoring that Indiana's big man defense is, reputation-wise, atrocious.

-- The Cats were 30-40 from the line, which gave them a huge advantage over the Pacers, who were only 19-26.