Pacers defeat Magic 93-78, even series 1-1

An Orlando team without its top rebounder, injured All-Star center Dwight Howard, dominated the boards in the first half to take a two-point lead. The heavily favored Pacers stewed in their locker room as they faced the possibility of taking a two-game deficit to Orlando for Game 3 on Wednesday…

The Pacers responded, asserting complete control inside during the second half of a 93-78 win in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Indiana grabbed 12 of the first 13 rebounds in the third quarter and outrebounded Orlando 26-13 in the second half…

Indiana lost Game 1 81-77 on Saturday and felt its season slipping away in Game 2 before rallying…

David West had 18 points and 11 rebounds and has emerged as a stabilizing force for the Pacers…

Granger and George Hill each added 18 points and Paul George had 17 points and eight rebounds for Indiana. The Pacers won despite making just 2 of 20 3-point attempts and Granger, the team’s leading scorer this season, shooting just 7 for 21 from the field.

Indiana held the Magic to 36 percent shooting overall. Indiana has held the Magic below 40 percent shooting in both games…

Davis led the Magic with 18 points and 10 rebounds, but he shot 5 for 16 from the field. Davis, the loudest talker after Saturday’s win, was the first player off the court on Monday.

J.J. Redick scored 13 points and Jameer Nelson added 12 for Orlando.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Stoudemire hurt postgame, Heat beat NY, 104-94

amare stoudemire

Drops of blood stained the carpet leading up to the back entrance of the New York Knicks’ locker room. The glass portion of a nearby fire-extinguisher case was quickly replaced. And Amare Stoudemire needed doctors and paramedics to treat a cut on his left hand.

Game 2 probably wasn’t all the Knicks lost in Miami on Monday night.

Stoudemire left the building with his arm in a sling and what appeared to be a bulky wrap over his left hand, long after the Heat took control of the teams’ Eastern Conference first-round series with a 104-94 win over the Knicks, going up 2-0.

It resumes Thursday in New York, and although the Knicks were saying nothing for certain, it seems most unlikely that Stoudemire would be able to play…

Dwyane Wade scored 25 points, Chris Bosh added 21 and LeBron James finished with 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Heat, but their night was completely overshadowed by whatever went on with Stoudemire in the hallway that’s just a few steps from the edge of the court…

Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points on 12-for-26 shooting for New York, which got 18 points from Stoudemire and 13 apiece from Chandler and J.R. Smith. The only other team to lose 12 straight playoff games is the Memphis Grizzlies, who dropped their first dozen postseason contests from 2004 through 2006.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Lakers forward Jordan Hill charged with assault

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jordan Hill faces a felony assault charge after his girlfriend accused him of choking and shoving her in Houston earlier this year.

Hill is charged with assaulting 28-year-old Darlene Luna on Feb. 29 at his apartment while the New York Knicks’ former first-round draft pick was playing for the Houston Rockets.

The 24-year-old Hill was charged by Harris County prosecutors in March, and he has a court appearance scheduled for Tuesday in Houston.

Hill was apologetic, but said little about the accusations after the Lakers’ practice at their training complex Monday.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Rajon Rondo suspended one game for bumping ref

Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics has been suspended one game without pay for making contact with a game official,it was announced today by Stu Jackson,NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 0:41 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’83-74 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on April 29.

Rondo will serve his suspension tomorrow when the Celtics play the Hawks in Game 2 of their opening round series in Atlanta.

Paul Silas will not return as coach of Bobcats

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that Paul Silas will not return as head coach and a search for his successor will begin immediately.

“I would like to personally thank Paul for everything he has done for this team under some pretty unique circumstances,” Higgins said. “His basketball experience as a coach and a player speak for themselves. We have been fortunate to have someone of his character associated with this franchise and we hope he will continue to be a valuable resource to us in the future.”

Silas recently completed his first full season with the Bobcats, after being named interim Head Coach on December 22, 2010, and then having the interim title removed on February 16, 2011. He led the team to a 25-29 record (.463) over the remainder of the 2010-11 season and compiled an overall record of 32-88 (.363) with the Bobcats.

In 11 seasons as an NBA head coach, Silas has a career record of 377-531 with the Clippers (1980-83), Hornets (1999-2003), Cavaliers (2003-05) and Bobcats. He also spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach for the Hornets, Knicks, Nets and Suns.

Jeremy Lin not ready to return for Knicks

jeremy lin

Jeremy Lin, who has been out since April 2 surgery on his left knee, said he hopes to play in this series — as early as Game 4 next Sunday — but was discouraged by soreness in the knee Sunday, something he termed a “setback.”

Lin had been encouraged a day earlier when he cut and moved laterally in a one-on-one game with Knicks assistant Kenny Atkinson.

“I’m going to evaluate it at the end of the week and see,” he said. “I can do basic cutting but I haven’t gone to contact [drills] yet. The main thing is to be able to play without thinking about [the injury]. I don’t want to make a promise because I don’t know how I’m going to feel.”

— Reported by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald

Melo insists Knicks can take Heat

carmelo anthony

But amid the rubble of Saturday’s 100-67 disaster, Carmelo Anthony gave a call to arms to his troops that a 1-0 series deficit is not a death sentence.

“We’re definitely not at a low,’’ said Anthony, who shot 3-of-15, scored 11 points, turned it over four times and got outclassed by LeBron James. “We’re definitely still a confident team. We felt we didn’t play our game [Saturday] and we want to correct that. [Today’s] a new day. [Today’s] Game 2 and Round 2.

According to a source, co-captains Anthony and Stoudemire arranged an evening workout session at a private Miami gym last night with several teammates.

All logic suggests the Knicks will get knocked out again after their embarrassing performance in Game 1. Chandler remains questionable for tonight after staying back at the hotel yesterday, with Mike Woodson saying Chandler is “barely hanging in there.’’

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom pulling plug on show

lamar odom

Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian have decided to pull the plug on their spin-off show “Khloe & Lamar.”

Sources tell TMZ, the show’s second season will be its last … because Lamar wants to focus on reviving his fizzling NBA career.

As we previously reported, Lamar was relegated to the Dallas Mavericks’ inactive list after putting up career low numbers this season. If he’s lucky, he’ll be traded. If not, who knows.

— Reported by TMZ