The AP reports: T.J. Ford had 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the banged-up Indiana Pacers won their third straight game with a 98-87 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night. Marquis Daniels and Jeff Foster added 16 points apiece as the Pacers beat the Nets for the second time in three games. Vince Carter scored 28 points and Jarvis Hayes added 15 for the Nets, who lost their third straight game with point guard Devin Harris sidelined with a sprained ankle. New Jersey turned the ball over 18 times, leading to 25 points for Indiana.
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Nov 10: Pacers 107, Thunder 99
The AP reports: T.J. Ford had 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds on Monday night to help Indiana beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 107-99… Ford scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as Indiana (3-3) pulled away. Danny Granger added 20 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, who won their second straight… Kevin Durant led the Thunder (1-6) with 37 points and eight rebounds, but he was dissatisfied with his team’s effort in the fourth quarter… Indiana F Troy Murphy left the game during the second quarter with the stomach flu and did not return.
InsideHoops.com Notes: Earl Watson started at point guard for the Thunder and shot 2-of-11 with 9 assists. Russell Westbrook came off the bench to shoot 1-of-10.
Nov 8: Pacers 98, Nets 80
The AP reports: Danny Granger scored 23 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 98-80 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night… Indiana guard T.J. Ford nearly had a triple-double, but settled for 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Troy Murphy had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jeff Foster added 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Pacers.
InsideHoops.com Notes: Devin Harris didn’t play for the Nets. Starting in his place at point guard was Keyon Dooling, who shot 7-of-11 for 17 points and 4 assists. Vince Carter shot 11-of-22 for 31 points. But the Nets frontcourt was awful: Yi Jianlian shot 1-of-10 for 2 points and 11 rebounds. Bobby Simmons tossed up bricks for 6 points and little else. And Josh Boone had 4 points with 7 rebounds. The Pacers dominated the glass and had 23 assists while the Nets had just 10. Mike Dunleavy still hasn’t played yet this season for the Pacers.
Nov 7: Cavs 111, Pacers 107
The AP reports: LeBron James got plenty of help on offense, then sealed the victory with a spectacular play on defense. James scored 27 points, Anderson Varejao added 10 of his career-high 18 in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 111-107 on Friday night… Mo Williams, a key offseason acquisition from Milwaukee, finished with 21 points for Cleveland, which trailed throughout most of the first three periods, then scored 40 points in the fourth quarter. Danny Granger tied his season high with 33 points for Indiana. He scored 21 in the first half… Pacers rookie center Roy Hibbert had 11 points and nine rebounds in 19 minutes, but fouled out with 9:08 to play. Marquis Daniels added 17.
Jermaine O’Neal offensive struggles
The Toronto Sun (Mike Ganter) reports on Raptors center Jermaine O’Neal: “I’m just not making the shots,” said O’Neal. “When I look at the (tape) I’m doing everything I’m supposed to be doing as far as getting the position I want. I’m catching it deep. I’m clearing the space when I turn to the basket but I’m just not making the shot.” In four games so far this season, O’Neal has had a 3-for-10 shooting night — that was Wednesday — and a 2-for-10 night last Friday against Golden State. For the year, he’s shooting just shy of 38% from the field, well below his career average of just a tick under 46%. O’Neal said he’s trying to make sure he doesn’t let this funk become a mental one. “The things I’m going through now were things I was hoping I would go through in the pre-season,” he said. “But it takes time. I’m always going to be a little more frustrated by a situation like last night when we lose the game and where we’re down one with chances to win and I take a couple of shots and I wasn’t able to make them.”
David Harrison signs in China
Fiba.com reports: American center David Harrison has been reunited with good friend and former NBA colleague Dontae Jones in China’s with Beijing. The seven-footer, who averaged almost 13 minutes in 55 games for Indiana last season, said to Titan: “I came here for the sake of basketball. “I love basketball. Besides, my good friend Dontae Jones is here, which is amazing we are together here in China playing basketball. “I will try all my best to bring the team a champion’s title.”
Nov 5: Suns 113, Pacers 103
The AP reports: Amare Stoudemire scored 49 points, falling a point short of his career high in the Phoenix Suns’ 113-103 victory over Indiana on Wednesday night. Stoudemire was 17-for-21 from the field, made 15 free throws without a miss and had 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals. He just missed his career high of 50 points, set against Portland on Jan. 2, 2005. Boris Diaw added 14 points for the Suns (4-1). T.J. Ford and Danny Granger each scored 23 points, and Marquis Daniels added 19 for the Pacers (1-2). Indiana beat defending NBA champion Boston on Saturday.
Amare drops 49 on Pacers
The AP reports: Amare Stoudemire scored 49 points, falling a point short of his career high in the Phoenix Suns’ 113-103 victory over Indiana on Wednesday night. Stoudemire was 17-for-21 from the field, made 15 free throws without a miss and had 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals. He just missed his career high of 50 points, set against Portland on Jan. 2, 2005.
Pacers team notes
Danny Granger’s 33 points at Detroit on Wednesday, October 29, were the most by a Pacers’ player in the season’s first game since Jalen Rose hit for 43 points at New Jersey, October 30, 2001.
Since scoring nine points at Detroit in February, Granger has scored in double figures in a career-high 29 straight regular season games.
Boston’s 79 points in the Pacers’ home opener were the fewest ever allowed by Indiana in its NBA home opener.
With its sellout crowd of 18,165 in the home opener vs. Boston, November 1, the Pacers’ matched their total of sellouts in 2007-08.
The win over the Celtics was Indiana’s fifth in a game in which it did not score 100 points since Jim O’Brien became head coach in 2007. In that span, the Pacers are 5-26 when not reaching the century mark.
Marquis Daniels’ team-high 10 rebounds vs. Boston were his most ever in a Pacers’ uniform and tied his overall career-best.
Troy Murphy registered the Pacers’ first double-double of the 2008-09 season with 13 points and a game-high 15 boards at Detroit, October 29. His 14 defensive rebounds in that game matched his most ever with the Pacers.
Murphy had a game-high five assists in the win over Boston and he has led the team in assists 10 times in its last 58 regular season games.
Last season, the Pacers were ninth in the NBA with an average of just over five blocked shots a game (5.02 bpg). Thus far in 2008-09, the Pacers have averaged a league-leading 8.0 bpg.
Roy Hibbert not getting minutes yet
The Indianapolis Star (Mike Wells) reports: Pacers rookie Roy Hibbert is averaging just nine minutes in the first two games, which includes a total of 68 seconds in the second half. O’Brien said it’s not because Hibbert, the No. 17 pick last summer, has done anything wrong. It’s due to the fact that he’d rather go with more experienced players in the second half. “I see a guy growing well,” O’Brien said about Hibbert. “When you’re playing against Detroit and Boston, I’m going to go with veterans down the stretch. “I thought Roy did some good things. He needs to maintain his focus. His work ethic is great and I’m very, very pleased with how he’s developing.”