SB Nation - Brandon Rush

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.

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...

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.

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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: More Minutes For Dunleavy Create Another Wrinkle With Playing Rotation

Tom Lewis — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:57:35 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Mike Dunleavy is not only back, but making an impact for the Pacers. Now what?

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Since his return to the court, Mike Dunleavy has quickly established himself as a key player regardless of when he plays, and with Danny Granger out maximizing the available minutes for Dunleavy is critical.

So, suddenly (miraculously?) the Pacers have the enjoyable task of trying to figure out how to best use Mike Dunleavy. Personally, I'd love to see Dunleavy continue coming off the bench, especially when Granger returns, to help balance out the rotations, playing a role similar to Jason Terry in Dallas. He could still play the same amount of minutes and finish games.

I realize Jim O'Brien wants to start the best players available and with Granger out, it makes more sense to start Dunleavy, although bringing him off the bench would also make it easier to manage his minutes since last night that was obviously a problem.

So how should the Pacers use Dunleavy?

After the jump, several links of interest from last night's game.

AP: Howard powers Magic to 106-98 win over Pacers
PACERS: Inside the Game: Pacers at Magic
Bruno's Inside the Game report has all of the numbers of note from the game and there were plenty.
Pacers can't contain inevitable
Mike Wells reports on the late Orlando run wiping out the Pacers' early success.
Orlando Magic rally to beat Indiana Pacers at home
Brian Schmitz reports on the Magic rallying to take down the Pacers.
Orlando Magic 106, Indiana Pacers 98 - Third Quarter Collapse
Ben Q Rock recaps the Magic escaping with a win last night.
Pacers Notebook: Dunleavy makes 1st start of season
In the notebook, Wells touches on Dunleavy exceeding his extended minutes limit. The free throw differential and Jeff Foster's reaction to Jonathan Bender's return to the NBA.
Jones or Rush?
Wells blogs about the starting lineup, wondering if Dahntay Jones will be starting for Brandon Rush soon, assuming Mike Dunleavy remains in the starting lineup.
Vince Carter leads team in scoring after missing practice, shootaround with stomach ailment
Tania Ganguli reports on the Vince Carter and the Orlando Magic putting things together just in time to beat the Pacers.
NBA 'Watchability' Scale: Ranking Every Team Based On Entertainment, Not Talent
Well, the Pacers were definitely watchable for most of the game last night. They also fared better than I expected in Mike Prada's rankings of teams simply by their watchability.

Orlando Magic 106, Indiana Pacers 98

Ben Q Rock — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:35:22 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

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The Orlando Magic rode Vince Carter's offense, Dwight Howard's defense, and the superb all-around play of reserve guards Anthony Johnson and J.J. Redick to an impressive, 106-98 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. Indiana raced out to a 30-point first quarter and at one time doubled up the Magic at 34-17, but Johnson and Redick keyed the Magic's 21-6 run to bring them back into the game. The Pacers, without All-Star forward and leading scorer Danny Granger, played a great offensive game for the first 42 minutes, sinking open jumpers with ease against an uncharacteristically soft Magic defense. They closed the game out with 4 points on their final 11 possessions, including 3 turnovers. Jon will have more on the Magic's defense in this game later this week, but suffice it to say that Orlando's effort in the game's waning moments more than made up for the porousness that characterized their early defensive stands.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Pacers	92	107.0	51.7%	8.0	15.9	10.9
Magic	94	113.4	47.1%	29.1	22.4	7.5
Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average.

Orlando came out of the gate looking like it was on the second night of a back-to-back, even though it had 2 days of rest after its 4-game, 8-day road trip. Indeed, Howard and Carter were the only Magic players to score until the 10:20 mark of the second period, when Matt Barnes got into the scoring column with a driving layup. Carter nearly missed the game due to a stomach ailment which kept him out of practice today and yesterday, but you wouldn't know it based on his performance tonight. He looked to get to the rim and create contact, and save for a vintage Carter no-no-no-no-yes! shot--a pull-up three on the fast break, with 5 Pacers defenders back, which he made--he didn't appear to settle too often. No, he forced the issue, to the Magic's benefit. 28 points for Carter on 10-of-21 shooting, to go with an impressive 7 defensive boards and no turnovers in 33 minutes.

Redick's strong play limited Carter's playing time a bit, as coach Stan Van Gundy couldn't afford to take Redick off the floor. Redick made plays and baskets, without making mistakes. 13 points on 7 shots, with 4 assists and no turnovers. Redick's growth into a sound all-around player has been a pleasure to watch, and he's playing his way into a decent portion of the mid-level exception when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. We'll save the discussion about whether or not the Magic should keep him until much later this year, however.

Overall, the energy Johnson and Redick brought may have proven to be the difference in the game. Johnson has far outplayed starting point guard Jason Williams of late; Williams missed all 4 of his shots tonight and tallied 1 assist, while Johnson scored 13 and added 7 assists. He simply looks fresher than Williams, and the burden of starting 13 consecutive games during Jameer Nelson's absence appears to have taken its toll. Johnson's the sharper, fresher point guard, and while I wouldn't put him in the starting lineup ahead of Williams, I would make sure he's on the floor with victory on the line, as he has been in each of the Magic's last two games. A.J. has never really dazzled me with his passing ability, his on-point crosscourt pass to Rashard Lewis for an open three-pointer with 2:11 to play was impressive. The Pacers overloaded the right side of the floor to account for Johnson's penetration; he read the defense and threw the ball right to Lewis' shooting pocket. The shot had a certain ring of inevitability to it--play-by-play man David Steele said "He's due!" with the shot en route--and when it dropped, it gave Orlando a 5-point lead, not to mention the momentum.

Even with Indiana's strong start and the Magic's poor shooting, I never got the sense that the Pacers were in firm control, mostly because their offense didn't look sustainable. Howard locked down the middle with 4 blocks, and it never ceases to amuse me when an offensive player drives, recognizes Howard's presence, and dribbles back out to re-set, as Tyler Hansbrough did at least once tonight. But the Pacers were effectively counting on T.J. Ford, Earl Watson, Jeff Foster, and Brandon Rush to knock down jumpers if Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy were covered. That well was bound to dry-up eventually. No Pacer seemed eager to drive the ball, even if only to create contact. The result was a meager 10 free-throw attempts 2 of which came quite late with the outcome already decided. Howard shot 22 on his own, while the Carter/Redick shooting guard tandem combined for another 10.

On the one hand, the Magic needed a big rally just to beat a lottery team, on the road, missing its best player, which could be cause for concern; on the other, they looked dominant for almost every minute after the disastrous first quarter, and they won with a team effort rather than a monstrous individual one, which bears noting. Great teams rarely fall into such large holes against lesser ones, but when they do, they (usually) respond. That's what Orlando did tonight.

You know what Howard did tonight? He only rebounded the Pacers' starting frontline of Dunleavy, Murphy, and Roy Hibbert by himself, 23-15. You know, in addition to shooting more than twice as many free throws as the entire Pacers team. Howard needs to deliver more of these dominant performances, especially on nights when the offense needs a kick-start. Orlando exceeded its usual offensive efficiency despite shooting poorly, aided both by Howard's offensive rebounding giving it second-chance points as well as by everyone's taking care of the ball. Of Orlando's 7 turnovers tonight, 2 were obvious offensive fouls, and another was a shot-clock violation with 4 seconds left and nothing at stake except for stats to pad (Johnson missed a layup, Howard gathered the rebound and bungled a tip-in attempt). In other words, only 4 came due to silly passes or ballhandling errors. Sharp decision-making compensates for a lack of sharp shooting.

Overall, Orlando responded fairly well after a lackluster road trip, and can continue looking forward to playing 6 of the final 7 games of the calendar year at Amway Arena. Great to see the second unit deliver when called upon, although it'd be much nicer if Lewis, Williams, and Mickael Pietrus simply played better to begin with.

Magic 106, Pacers 98: Magic Zoom By Pacers At The Finish

Tom Lewis — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:11:55 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

A win for the Pacers was just out of reach against Dwight Howard and the Magic.

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The Orlando Magic made a 17-point deficit disappear in the first half and then the Indiana Pacers' offense vanished into thin air during the final five minutes of the game, leaving the Pacers losers on the road, 106-98.

Stick with me as I shift to a little Indy Car analogy. For the uninitiated, Indy Cars have different fuel settings allowing the cars to run at different levels of performance depending on whether they're trying to save fuel or run up front. The best cars can stay within sight of the lead on a lower fuel setting and then eventually switch to full rich, meaning they're running wide open allowing them to track down and overtake a car with lesser equipment.

Throughout the third quarter, the Magic felt like a Penske or Ganassi car tucked in behind a Vision Racing car (Pacers), staying close without running on full rich. While still a one-possession game early in the fourth quarter, you could sense the Magic had raised their level of play to "full rich" and expected to overwhelm the Pacers.

The Pacers hung tough, though and appeared to frustrate the Magic as the hosts tried to impose their will on the game. With 4:58 in the game, T.J. Ford rose up to knock down a baseline jumper to give the Pacers a 96-94 lead. At that point, it appeared Ford may cap off a solid night by pushing the Pacers to an upset win.

Instead, Ford's shot was the last field goal the Pacers would make. Meanwhile, the Magic used back-to-back three-pointers from Rashard Lewis and J.J. Redick to pull away from the Pacers at winning time. In essence, the Pacers ran out of push-to-pass button boosts allowing the Magic to zoom past them to victory lane.

After the jump, back to straight hoops talk with more thoughts and observations from the loss.

Let's start with Mike Dunleavy. Actually, Jim O'Brien started Mike Dunleavy, making the move because his minutes limit had been bumped up to 28 and Dahntay Jones was available but still feeling the effects of his hard fall in Washington. Dunleavy had another great outing and JOB used that minutes limit as a mere suggestion, using up 18 minutes in the first half and eventually playing 17 more than 33 minutes. While his shot betrayed him at time, Dunleavy still finished with 26 points.
With Dunleavy starting the game, the first unit jumped out to a quick start at 12-2 on a 12-0 run. Within th first five minutes all five starters scored thanks to solid ball and player movement. For the Pacers first bucket of the game, things stagnated a bit and Dunleavy and Brandon Rush nearly bumped into each other on the perimeter. Dunleavy directed a little traffic and as Rush swung the ball to Ford on the perimeter, Dunleavy cut through the lane. When Ford's drive to the hoop was stopped, Dunleavy was there for a pass. His little hook missed but drew a defender which left Roy Hibbert open to dunk the follow. Can't help but think that possession would've ended with a jacked-up shot without Dunleavy involved.
The free throw differential was an eyesore reminiscent of several games last season. The Magic shot 35 free throws compared to the Pacers' 10. Of course, Dwight Howard accounted for 22 of Orlando's freebies. Howard missed nine of those attempts, but was nothing short of a beast with 21 points and 22 rebounds. Still, you'd like to have more points than free throw attempts at the end of the night. I guess he'll take the win, though.
Clark Kellogg made a great call at the start of the fourth quarter with the Pacers clinging to a two-point lead. He noticed that the Magic had only made five 3-balls and they averaged 10 per game. Sure enough, at winning time it was raining threes as the Magic made four, including the two daggers to decided it late.
T.J. Ford nearly put together his best full game of the season, and in fact, maybe this was his best full game thus far, but it certainly wasn't complete. Ford did his part to push the Pacers out to a 17-point lead in the first half. The lead would dwindle to one at the break, but Ford had 11 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and zero turnovers. HUGE numbers compared to his recent production. He was unable to pick up where he left off in the second half, finishing with 13 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Worse, he dribbled away a few critical possessions in the final five minutes making some poor decisions with the ball and game in his hands.
Tyler Hansbrough had a rough shooting night making just 4 of 12 shots, finishing with 8 points and 6 rebounds. He seemed to really miss running with Dunleavy on the second unit. They did play some together but in the first half that second unit was lost.
Roy Hibbert picked up 3 early fouls which nullified a pretty good start for the big fella. From there Hibby had minimal impact on the game.
Former Pacer, Anthony Johnson and J.J. Redick were huge off the bench for the Magic. The relief backcourt tandem combined for 26 points and 12 assists. Redick also drained 3 of 4 three-pointers.

Pacers 107, Nets 91: Pacers Enjoy Winning Feeling Again

Tom Lewis — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:39:38 -0000

More photos » by Tom Strattman - AP

Roy Hibbert and the Pacers made things tough on the Nets in the second half.

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Winning is fun, remember?

The Indiana Pacers enjoyed contributions from several sources, made plenty of shots and applied enough pressure to put away a struggling New Jersey Nets team, 107-91.

Forget the opponent though, the Pacers ended their own struggles by winning for the first time in six games and just the second time in their past 12. Plus, the way the Pacers played and the players that stepped up to put away the win was a welcome sight for Jim O'Brien.

Once again, the Pacers second unit provided the spark the Pacers needed to take control of the game early. In particular, Earl Watson, Mike Dunleavy and Tyler Hansbrough worked well together while pushing the Pacers out to a double-digit lead in the second quarter.

The first unit kept the flow going to start the second half and after the bench continued their solid play it became apparent the Pacers' were headed for a win. Shots were falling, offensive rebounds were plentiful and nothing was coming easy for the Nets. In fact, Rafer Alston's three-pointer was the only bucket New Jersey scored in a ten minute stretch covering the end of the third quarter and early fourth.

Shortly after the New Jersey drought, Roy Hibbertended any doubt in the Fieldhouse that this was the Pacers' night, when he beat the shot clock with a 3-ball (in rhythm, nice stroke, the whole thing) to put the Pacers up 21 points with about eight minutes left.

No lead is ever big enough with the Pacers, but against the Nets that would be enough on this night.

More thoughts and observations on the Pacers' win:

Consider that without Danny Granger's 25 points per game and Dahntay Jones only scoring five, ten below his 15 point per game average, the Pacers were still able to score 107 points and cruise to a 16-point win. Five Pacers scored in double figures to fill the scoring void.
Roy Hibbert finished with 20 points on his 23rd birthday which exceeded the 18 points he scored in the previous three games combined. Roy had that energetic bounce to his game that seems to lift the spirits of the whole team. Hibby also finished with 3 blocks and 9 rebounds, including 7 second-chance boards which helped earn him some easy buckets.
Tyler Hansbrough took full advantage of his minutes limit rising to 24 minutes. He used up all of the minutes to score a game-high and career-high 21 points. He too worked the offensive glass, with 4 of his 7 rebounds at the offensive end. Hansbrough held up well defensively with three steals while guarding everyone from Brook Lopez to Chris Douglas-Roberts.
Earl Watson was solid off the bench at the point making things go for the second unit without needing to take many shots. His +22 on the night reveals his effectiveness, especially compared to another up and down performance from T.J. Ford. The downside of Watson's great play was that A.J. Price didn't get any minutes. Hard to blame JOB on this night because Watson was playing well and the team desperately needed a win.
Mike Dunleavy also had his minutes limit boosted to 24 and he was available for most of the fourth quarter. Dunleavy played 21 minutes and pumped in an efficient 15 points with a nice stroke going on his perimeter shot. Dunleavy made all three of his 3-ball attempts and continued to keep that second unit in motion.
Brandon Rush played a ton of minutes thanks to his defensive effort. He also chipped in 10 points and 8 rebounds with a few nice buckets. There were also a handful of possessions I'm sure he'd like to do over.
Dahntay Jones had a real interesting game, as well. He was on the court quite a bit, but with things going well offensively for the team he never gave into the temptation to pad his scoring average. In fact, Dahntay only took four shots on the night, instead settling in to chase around the Nets' dangerous guard duo of Devin Harris and Courtney Lee.
Speaking of Devin Harris, I was surprised to see him in a heated discussion with Rod Thorn in the tunnel outside the Nets' locker room at halftime. Not sure exactly what the discussion was about, but I don't think he and Rafer Alston are on the same page.
Troy Murphyalso had an efficient night with 15 points and 12 rebounds on just 7 FGAs. Before the game he also expressed his happiness with Brian Kelly taking over as Notre Dame's football coach. Acknowledging that Urban Meyer and Bob Stoops weren't leaving their gigs, he figures Kelly was the best the Domers could do, so he's keeping the faith.
Prior to the game, the Pacers announced that Reggie Miller will be at the Fieldhouse on Tuesday to make a major announcement to benefit the Pacers Foundation, The People's Burn Foundation/Brave Hearts Camp and Riley Hospital for Children Pediatric Burn Unit. Sounds like Reggie will be showing his hero chops in Indy once again. Wonder if a '3' will be included in the final numbers.

Ready Or Not, Rush Thrown Back Into The Fray For Pacers

Tom Lewis — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:33:51 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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The basketball gods must really love Brandon Rush. He's frustrated coaches and fans alike in college and the pros. Yet, there he is, playing with that half smile, wide eyes and freakish bounce in his game that leaves everyone he crosses paths with begging for more. He can't seem to seize a game or exploit his physical talent, but basketball continues to shine on him.

Rush could never carry his talented Kansas team, but he showed up big when the Jayhawks won the national championship. Now in the NBA, injuries have created far more minutes than his play has deserved. His rookie season was erratic but ended with great promise. That promise quickly evaporated in this his second year, when once again Rush started floating through a golden opportunity to establish himself as a key player for the Pacers.

In the first 18 games of the season, Rush has had what I would call five good games and three decent games, the remaining ten games saw little impact from Rush. Four of those five "good" games were in wins which shows the impact he can have producing as a third or fourth option on the floor. These weren't great games, mind you, but good games pitching in on the glass as well as on offense.

But simply offering the Pacers "good" 28% of the time rates Rush somewhere below unreliable along with highly frustrating. Ironically, Rush gets another chance to start when Jerryd Bayless and the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Fieldhouse on Wednesday night. I've watched Bayless and the Blazers quite a bit lately and couldn't help but notice how Bayless and Rush seem like polar opposites.

Bayless has struggled to get any playing time and only after a few injuries depleted the Blazers' rotation has he earned some steady minutes. And even now with a spot in the rotation, Bayless appears to be on a short leash no matter how well he's playing.

Meanwhile, Rush can't seem to play himself out of extended minutes no matter how hard he tries. After starting the first 15 games, Jim O'Brien had seen enough and decided to move Rush out of the regular rotation only giving the second-year guard the scrap minutes left over from Mike Dunleavy's playing limitations.

Just when it appeared Rush wouldn't be heard from for awhile, Danny Granger goes down and Rush is suddenly back in the starting lineup. Jim O'Brien needs to use Rush extensively now because he doesn't want to eat up Dunleavy's minutes too early by starting him. So once again, everyone is pumping up Rush's game hoping the good Rush shows up to help fill the void left by Granger's absence.

The contrast between the two guards extends past their playing time and to how they play. Rush is a hoops specimen with all of the physical tools. He is like a greyhound, with quicks, hops and size at the guard spot. Unfortunately he struggles to sync up all three of those characteristics consistently, instead floating at times and just blending into the action.

Bayless is plenty athletic, as well, although undersized for his guard skills which translate more to a two guard than point guard. But the guy is in full attack mode on both ends of the floor, pedal to the metal trying to make an impact. At times, he's like a wild man on the floor, trying to squeeze a week's worth of production into his 10-15 minutes of time he desperately craves.

Bayless needs to harness all of that energy to become a more productive and complete player, but I'd certainly prefer to slow down a player like Bayless then to have to amp up a guy like Rush. If only the basketball gods could meld these two guys together and create a pair of perfect wings for both teams, everyone would be happy. Actually I think they already did, his name is Brandon Roy.

Kings 110, Pacers 105: Indiana Fights Until The End, But Kings Escape With Win

spstevenson — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:59:14 -0000

More photos » by Rich Pedroncelli - AP

Tyler Hansbrough heard the Home Court Gift Shop needed some new posters and happily obliged by making a new one on Thursday.

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It was the starting lineup that seemed like the obvious choice -- a roll call featuring Dahntay Jones and Roy Hibbert. In the end, however, it didn't make a difference on the final scoreboard.

A listless performance from T.J. Ford, some poor defense from the starting frontcourt of Troy Murphy and Hibbert and a turnover-prone second half (14) were nearly negated by some very energized and surprising bench play, but it wasn't enough as the Pacers dropped a 110-105 loss outing to the Kings on Thursday. The Pacers have now lost seven of their last eight.

The starters helped put the team in a hole in the first and third quarters. Ford, Murphy and Hibbert, particularly, didn't have the best games of their careers. Ford may as well have been in Utah already. The starting PG had no points, one assist and two turnovers in a very forgettable 20 minutes of play. Luckily, the second unit, led by a fiesty and spirited group consisting of Earl Watson, Mike Dunleavy, Tyler Hansbrough and Jeff Foster, kept the Pacers in the game until the very end.

Watson and Foster's determination late, along with Danny Granger's offense, gave the Pacers a fighting chance in the final minute of the game as the Pacers erased a seven-point third quarter deficit. Indiana cut the Kings' lead to 108-105 with 16 seconds remaining, but it was too late. More on that final minute after the jump.

Coach Jim O'Brien attempted to sport only a nine-man playing rotation Thursday. That left Brandon Rush at the end of the bench until midway through the fourth (he played only because Mike Dunleavy had to sit after reaching his 20-minute max) after being relieved from his starting spot for Jones.

Overall, the Pacers at least hung tough in this one and played up until the final buzzer to make it interesting. They were never out of it and there were some great performances from players such as Granger, Watson and Foster, and the Pacers even outrebounded the Kings 49-39...22-10 on offensive boards, yet, still lost! Had Dunleavy been allowed to keep playing with six minutes to go and right when the Pacers started making a run, it could have been even more interesting. But, alas, wishing don't make it happen folks. The Kings shot 51 percent from the field, including 50 percent from beyond the arc, and executed the pick and roll to decimate the Pacers defense.

The Pacers have lost three straight. More after the jump.

Danny Granger and Dahntay Jones again proved that they work well together, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Between Granger's outside shooting and Jones' mid-range jumpers, the two carried what amounted to the Pacers' offense for most of the game. Granger finished with 33 points (his fifth 30-point game of the season) on 10-of-24 shooting, while Jones dropped 16 points.
Mike Dunleavy's "Minute Watch" caught up to him unexpectedly with more than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Dunleavy reached his 20-minute limit early and was sent to the bench right as the Pacers began pulling within striking distance of the Kings. Dunleavy contributed six points in 20 minutes. His absence allowed Brandon Rush to avoid the DNP-CD.
Speaking of Rush, he came in for some brief minutes at the end of the game and on an important possession that could pull the Pacers within five points late, Rush passed up a wide-open 3-pointer for...well, I'll let Jared Wade of Eight Points, Nine Seconds do the commentary from his Twitter page: "So Brandon Rush forgoes a nice, in-rhythm three in transition for a pump-fake, dribble left, pull-up 22-foot two-pointer 2 secs later?"
The Pacers' defense continues to struggle with the pick-and-roll and it continues to allow opposing playmakers to have field days against the blue and gold. Rookie Tyreke Evans exploded for 16 points in the first quarter (finished with 26), while Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes thrived on the generosity of the Pacers spacing issues by going for 22 and 21, respectively.
Granger attempted to put on the Batman mask during the final minute for a near-superhero comeback. A Granger 3-pointer pulled the team within five points with 1:13 left in the game. After getting the ball back on a jump ball, Jones casually threw the ball away on the inbounds pass with 50 seconds left. Granger struck another crazy 3-pointer with 36 seconds on the clock to pull Indiana 107-103. After an Evans made free throw, Granger bricked a three, but was fouled on a second attempt behind the line. Unfortunately, the star clanked the first free throw and made the second two, pulling the blue and gold within a 108-105 score with 16 seconds remaining. Jones missed a 3-ball on the next possession to effectively end the Pacers attempted comeback.
T.J. Ford. Yuck.
Watson played really well in place of the point guard mentioned in the previous bullet point. The backup was all over the court, dishing and hitting the open man. Playing along with Dunleavy really opened up the offense for the Pacers. He finished with 15 points.

IC Cold Links: Waiting On The Pacers vs. Kings

Tom Lewis — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:38:04 -0000

Could this be the night Dahntay Jones starts over Brandon Rush?

Bruno's Scouting Report broaches the subject and and it seems like the time is now for a change. The Sacramento Kings offer up some crazy matchup problems, what with a 6'11" shooting guard and 6'7" center in the starting lineup. But the biggest problem is their stout, 6'6" rookie point guard, Tyreke Evans who was just named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month.

It would be nice to have Dahntay Jones following the rookie's every move, but initially T.J. Ford or Earl Watson will have to try to pester Evans. I know, this sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen, but the Pacers only succeed with a full team effort on defense and with some of these odd matchups that team mentality should take root out of pure necessity. Plus, the Kings normally spend more time playing with a traditional lineup by sliding Evans to the two-guard and bringing Beno Udrih and Sergio Rodriguez in to play the point.

Any way you slice it, I'm looking forward to seeing how the Pacers attack the Kings tonigt. And attack they must, or they'll be left on the side of the road again dragging another L with them to Salt Lake City.

A few more links of interest after the jump.

Pacers must put up better defense
Mike Wells reports on the Pacers looking to shore up their defense at the point of attack with another scoring guard to contend with tonight in Tyreke Evans.
Video: Dahntay Jones springboards off Monta Ellis - Ball Don't Lie
Forget the poster, this is Dahntay's Picasso over Monta Ellis.
Game #15 Recap: The Monta Ellis Show
Jared Wade at Eight Points, Nine Seconds recaps the Dubs second-half destruction of the Pacers.
Kings game plan vs. Indiana - Sacramento Sports
Quick preview of tonight's game from the Sacramento Bee.
Team celebrates Evans' accolade
Sam Amick reports on Tyreke Evans lifting the Kings' spirits after being named Western Conference Rookie of the Month yesterday.
Let's Not Decide the Rookie of the Year Race Just Yet...
Zach Harper makes the case that despite Brandong Jenning bursting on the scene early in his rookie year, that Tyreke Evans and his steady (and huge) play for the Kings deserves the same amount of attention. So let the rooks play it out before locking up your ROY vote too early.
Also, I will be talking about the Pacers this evening on WNDE-1260AM around 5:30PM with Zakk from Indy Sports Nation who is hosting The Drive today while WNDE tries to figure out how to replace JMV.