Kevin Garnett went over the fans sitting courtside to save the ball, and then he ran through the seats halfway up the court before he found an opening - over the broadcast table - to get back on the floor.

By the end of the game, he couldn’t get back on the floor at all.

Garnett scored 18 points before he was ejected for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter, but by then the Boston Celtics were on their way to a 94-75 victory over the Indiana Pacers that snapped a four-game losing streak.

”You could tell we needed this win, and that’s how we came out tonight,” Garnett said after Boston held the Central Division-leading Pacers to a season-low 31.8 percent shooting. ”We needed a win. Tonight was the night to stop the bleeding. I felt like we did that.”

Rajon Rondo added 18 points, seven assists and five rebounds for Boston, which had lost eight of 10 to fall a season-worst three games below .500. Garnett also had seven rebounds and made a nice play to keep a ball from going out of bounds in the second quarter.

After going over the thickly padded courtside seats, Garnett couldn’t find a gap in them to get back on the court. He ran through the fans until he got to midcourt, then jumped onto and over the broadcast table to return to the game.

Things weren’t so comical by the fourth quarter, though. After three Pacers technical fouls, Garnett picked up a Flagrant 2 for hitting Tyler Hansbrough in the face while flailing with his arms…

Hansbrough, who scored 19 points, said his immediate concern was his history of concussions.

– Reported by Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press

The Indiana Pacers today re-assigned Miles Plumlee and Orlando Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s NBA Development League affiliate.  The assignments are the record 88th and 89th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, while Plumlee and Johnson are two of the 46 players who have been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Plumlee (6-11, 255, Duke) re-joins the Mad Ants following four previous assignments when he played in six games and averaged 14.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and 33.0 minutes.  He has appeared in six games for the Pacers this season, averaging 1.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 3.7 minutes.

Selected 26th overall by the Pacers in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft, Plumlee was a four-year member of the Blue Devils, where he won an NCAA Championship in 2010.

Johnson (6-5, 220, UC-Santa Barbara) has appeared in three games for Indiana this season. In his previous two assignments with Fort Wayne, Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals.

Selected in the second round (36th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, Johnson was acquired by the Pacers via trade on June 28, 2012. In just three seasons at UC-Santa Barbara, Johnson became the Gauchos all-time leading scorer (1,825 points), and is the only player in school history to have scored 500 or more points in a season three times. His 674 points as a junior and 39 points in a game vs. Cal-Davis are also school records

Plumlee and Johnson are expected to be in available tonight when the team hosts Santa Cruz Warriors.

Good enough to beat the Wizards, not good enough to satisfy Paul George.

George had 29 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Indiana Pacers to an 89-81 victory over Washington on Wednesday night.

”I’m glad we got this win but we’ve got to look past this,” George said. ”We didn’t do a good enough job executing.

”Luckily we made enough shots to win, but we didn’t do a good job at all of executing. We let them pressure us and get us out of stuff; we play tough teams and that’s not going to fly.”

The Wizards (4-26) came into the game with the NBA’s worst record, and had lost eight straight against the Central Division-leading Pacers (19-13)…

Roy Hibbert added 13 points for the Pacers, who won their sixth straight home game. Ian Mahinmi added nine points and 11 rebounds.

Jordan Crawford scored 20 points to lead Washington, which fell to 1-14 on the road this season. Kevin Seraphin scored 16, Nene added 15 points and Bradley Beal scored 14 for the Wizards, who never led in losing for the third straight game.

– Reported by Andy Proffet of the Associated Press

The Indiana Pacers are now finding ways to win on a regular basis with or without veteran players.

”I’m proud of them and the effort to be a really good basketball team,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.

Paul George scored 21 points to lead the Pacers to an 88-83 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

D.J. Augustin had 17 points and David West added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who have won five of six. George also had six rebounds and five assists.

Zach Randolph had 21 points and 15 rebounds and Marc Gasol scored 13 for the Grizzlies, who have lost three of four…

Still without star forward Danny Granger and with the injured Hill on the bench and even without center Roy Hibbert putting up the expected numbers, Indiana remains atop the Central Division and now a game up on the Chicago Bulls…

[Lance] Stephenson was listed as day to day with a left orbital contusion, but started. … Grizzlies F Quincy Pondexter didn’t travel with the team because of a left MCL sprain. … Hibbert’s first offensive rebound of the night was his 800th career.

– Reported by the Associated Press

The Indiana Pacers today re-assigned rookie guard Orlando Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the record 81st of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, and is the second for Johnson this year. He is one of 43 NBA players who’ve been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Johnson (6-5, 220, UC-Santa Barbara) has played nine minutes in three games for Indiana this season. In his previous two-game assignment with Fort Wayne, Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals.

Selected in the second round (36th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, Johnson was acquired by the Pacers via trade on June 28, 2012. In just three seasons at UC-Santa Barbara, Johnson became the Gauchos all-time leading scorer (1,825 points), and is the only player in school history to have scored 500 or more points in a season three times. His 674 points as a junior and 39 points in a game vs. Cal-Davis are also school records

Johnson is expected to join the Mad Ants today and be available when the team hosts the Texas Legends on Friday, Dec. 28.

The Chicago Bulls game against the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night (December 26) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indiana has been postponed due to weather conditions.

The game will be rescheduled and announced at a later date.

Tickets for Wednesday night’s game will be honored for that game.

The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday that rookie center Miles Plumlee has been recalled from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League.

In five games with the Mad Ants, Plumlee has averaged 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

The Pacers this season have a 13-12 record, good for 7th best in the Eastern conference.

The Indiana Pacers today re-assigned rookie Miles Plumlee to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA Development League affiliate.  The assignment is the 55th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons, while Plumlee is one of 35 NBA players to have been assigned to the NBA D-League this season.

Plumlee (6-11, 255, Duke) re-joins the Mad Ants having played in four games for Fort Wayne during his previous assignments when he averaged 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 33.3 minutes.  He has appeared in four games for the Pacers this season, scoring four points and grabbing five rebounds in 16 minutes.  Selected 26th overall by the Pacers in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft, Plumlee was a four-year member of the Blue Devils where he won an NCAA Championship in 2010.

Plumlee is expected to join the Mad Ants today and be available tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 18, when the team hosts the Canton Charge at 7 p.m. ET.

The Indiana Pacers’ Paul George and the Golden State Warriors’ David Lee today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 10, through Sunday, Dec. 16.

George led the Pacers to a 3-0 week which included wins over Central Division rivals Cleveland and Detroit. George averaged 23.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks. He shot .474 from three-point range on the week and ranks eighth in the league with 54 made three-point field goals on the season.

Lee helped the Warriors to a 3-1 record which included wins at Miami and Atlanta. Lee tallied 22.8 points on .606 shooting from the field, 12.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals. He posted a point-rebound double-double in all four contests and extended his double-double streak to seven consecutive games – the longest such streak in the NBA this season.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin, Miami’s LeBron James, Minnesota’s Nikola Pekovic, New York’s Carmelo Anthony, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio’s Tony Parker and Toronto’s Jose Calderon.

Shaw won three championships as a Lakers player under Jackson and was part of two more on Jackson’s coaching staff from 2005 to ‘11. Shaw returns to Staples Center on Tuesday as the associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers, the right-hand man of coach Frank Vogel.

Shaw didn’t get a phone call from the Lakers after they fired Brown on Nov. 9.

“I’m in a good situation here in Indy, a situation where I have a job,” he said. “After how things ended for all of us in L.A. at the end of that last season I was there, there’s no reason for me to get my hopes up about anything because if that was the case, something different would have probably been done initially.”

Shaw interviewed to replace Jackson after the 2010-11 season. He found out he didn’t get the job after seeing media reports of Brown’s hiring.

– Reported by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times

The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday that rookies Miles Plumlee and Orlando Johnson will join the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for two games this weekend. This is the first time the Pacers have assigned players to their NBA D-League affiliate.

Plumlee, a 6-10, 245-pound center/forward who was the Pacers’ first-round pick last June (26th overall), has played in four games this season, scoring four points and pulling down five rebounds. Johnson, a 6-5 guard who was a second-round pick that the Pacers acquired from Sacramento on draft night, has played in two games, but hasn’t scored.

“We could not be happier to have Miles and Orlando join our team for these first two games,” said Mad Ants head coach Duane Ticknor.  ”We think we can provide both players a great opportunity to improve their games, and I am excited for this watershed moment in our partnership with the Pacers.”

Fort Wayne hosts Erie Friday night and Maine Sunday. The two players will re-join the Pacers for their three-game western road trip next week.

Danny Granger injury update: The news is bad

The Indiana Pacers announced that Danny Granger received an injection Tuesday to treat left patellar tendinosis.  The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Team medical personnel are looking at a recovery time of approximately three months. Further updates will be provided when appropriate.

According to the Associated Press, “Without Granger, the Pacers will be searching for offense to offset his loss. Granger averaged 18.3 points per game last season and led Indiana to the Eastern Conference semifinals. He has led the team in scoring the past five seasons. Gerald Green had started at forward in Granger’s absence before coach Frank Vogel turned to Sam Young this week.”

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Brandon Rush will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2012-13 season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during the first quarter of last night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team announced today.

A surgery date has yet to be determined. It is anticipated that Rush will make a full recovery.

According to the Associated Press, “Rush leaped in the air for a dunk when Zach Randolph fouled him from behind in the first quarter of Golden State’s 104-94 loss to Memphis on Friday night. Rush landed awkwardly, and his knee bent badly as he tumbled to the court. He held back tears and had to be helped to the locker room.”

The Indiana Pacers announced Tuesday that forward Danny Granger has continued soreness in his left knee and will be out indefinitely.

He will get a second opinion and once that is received an update will be provided.

Granger in the playoffs last season averaged 17.0  points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, though he shot just 39.7% from the field.

In the regular season for 2011-12, he averaged 18.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 1.8 apg while shooting 41.6% FG.

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

The Indiana Pacers announced Monday they have exercised the team option on forward/guard Paul George for the 2013-14 season. George will be entering his third season with the team.

It’s a no-brainer that the team would hang onto George. This was a completely expected move.

The Pacers also announced Monday that center Luke Nevill along with guards Sundiata Gaines and Blake Ahearn have been released, putting the Pacers’ roster at 15. Nevill saw limited game action in two games, scoring one basket. Gaines also played in two games, scoring four points, and Ahearn played in three games, scoring five points.

The Pacers close out the preseason this week with games at Cleveland Tuesday night and at South Bend, IN, Friday night against the Chicago Bulls. They will open the regular season Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Toronto, visit Charlotte on Friday, Nov. 2 and have the home opener in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Saturday, Nov. 3, against the Sacramento Kings.

Tamika Catchings finally won her long-awaited WNBA championship.

She scored 25 points to help the Indiana Fever win their first title with an 87-78 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night.

Catchings, who was the MVP of the Finals, averaged 24.8 points in the series, which the Fever won 3-1 over the defending WNBA champions.

Erin Phillips added 18 points and eight rebounds while Shavonte Zellous and Briann January each had 15 points.

The Fever won even though No. 2 scorer Katie Douglas missed most of the series with a severely sprained left knee. Douglas checked in with 3.2 seconds left to a loud ovation…

Seimone Augustus, Minnesota’s leading scorer in the playoffs, was held to eight points on 3-for-21 shooting. Lindsay Whalen scored 22 points and Moore added 16 points for the Lynx, who were vying to become the first team to win consecutive titles since Los Angeles in 2001 and 2002.

– Reported by Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press 

Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger is just like the rest of his teammates during most of practice.

He stretches with them and takes part in the same drills and scrimmages. But there comes a point in every practice when Granger makes his way to the sideline and becomes a spectator.

That’s because the Pacers continue to limit Granger’s practice time to avoid any flare-ups with his left knee.

“It is frustrating,” Granger said. “I’m just glad we still have plenty of time before the first game (on Oct. 31). I’m still conditioned, and when I’m on the court, my wind isn’t that bad.”

– Reported by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star

Forward Danny Granger, the team’s leading scorer the past five seasons, will be limited some at the start of training camp after an issue with his left knee, which happened while working out in Los Angeles late in the summer, caused him to get an injection in it.  Granger’s at the fieldhouse working out with the rest of his teammates daily, but the Pacers, who don’t believe it’s a major issue, plan to take it easy with him early on and allow him to use the preseason to work on his conditioning. Granger’s expected to play in some of the preseason games.

I ran into forward David West in the building and immediately noticed that he spent a lot of time in the offseason toning up his upper body.

– Reported by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (Blog)

The Indiana Pacers announced Tuesday the signing of free agents Luke Nevill and Ben Hansbrough to contracts. We presume these are training camp deals.

Nevill is a 7-2 center out of the University of Utah (2009). He was the Mountain West Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. Since then, he has played in the NBA D-League with the Utah Flash and overseas in Australia and Russia.

Hansbrough is the younger brother of Pacers’ forward Tyler Hansbrough. The 6-3 guard played at Notre Dame (2011) where he was the Big East Player of the Year in 2010-11. He spent last season playing in Europe and was a member of the Pacers’ Summer League team in Orlando this past July.

Knick nemesis Reggie Miller admitted on Friday that he committed a foul during his infamous eight-points-in-nine-seconds run in Game 1 of the 1995 playoffs which propelled the Indiana Pacers to an improbable come from behind win.

Miller finally admitted that he shoved Greg Anthony and held him on the ground before the steal that set up the second of his back-to-back 3-pointers.

“In 1995, as you saw on the video, yeah, I pushed,” Miller said Friday during his Hall of Fame induction speech. “I’m sorry. The ref didn’t call it, I went with it.

– Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York