If this is how the regular season is going to be for the Indiana Pacers, Danny Granger better prepare for a long season.
The Pacers were outmatched in every way by the Magic on Wednesday night, as Orlando rolled to a 117-87 victory over Indiana.
“They (Magic) have so many All-Stars on that team that I lose count,” said Granger. “They probably will go far again this season. They are good team, and a veteran team.”
Granger scored 11 points in 25 minutes of action, but the team was missing starting PG T.J. Ford (left hamstring), guard Luther Head (back) and center Jeff Foster (back).
The Pacers’ frontcourt was the only bright spot in the night, as PF Troy Murphy owned the defensive glass en route to 15 total rebounds, and second-year center Roy Hibbert scored 20 points overall, 14 in the first half.
The Pacers kept it close in the first half, only entering halftime down six points. But the Magic came out on fire in the second half, scoring 72 points to turn a close game into a blowout quickly.
Friday, October 23, 2009 at 12:16 am by bryan
The Denver Nuggets got revenge against the Indiana Pacers for their preseason win earlier in the week, as the Nuggets stomped the Pacers on Sunday, 128-112, to split the series the teams played in Beijing.
Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony put in most of the heavy lifting for the Nuggets himself, scoring 45 points on 14-19 shooting and 16-17 from the free throw line. Anthony also chipped in nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks in a ridiculous 24 minutes.
For the Pacers, center Roy Hibbert led the team in scoring for the second straight game, this time with 21 points. Hibbert added nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and four blocks in 27 minutes of play, notching four personal fouls during his time on the court.
With star SF Danny Granger only playing nine minutes, the Pacers were pretty clearly trying to give some of their younger guys some run to figure out some key lineup decisions. For his part, Granger was one of five from the field for a total of eight points.
Pacers guard/forward Brandon Rush added 14 points to the team, while PF Troy Murphy scored 11.
Monday, October 12, 2009 at 10:02 pm by bryan
In the first NBA preseason game to ever be played in Taiwan, the Indiana Pacers trumped the Denver Nuggers, 126-104 on Thursday.
PF Troy Murphy, SG Brandon Rush and second-year center Roy Hibbert each chipped in 20 points for the Pacers, who burst out to a lead with a 60-point first half.
The sellout crowd of 13,599 at Taipei Arena were treated to one of the Western Conference finalists and their stars, as Nuggets’ forward Carmelo Anthony led his team with 17 points, and point guard Chauncey Billups added 14 for Denver.
The 7’2” Hibbert, the second-year center out of Georgetown, posted the most impressive stat line of the night, nearly recording a triple-double. Hibbert scored 20 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, and blocked a ridiculous eight shots. Most impressively for Hibbert – he only turned the ball over once and had two fouls, a huge improvement over his foul plagued rookie season.
“We’re probably about 35 percent ready for the season,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said. “We executed tonight what we practiced.”
Pacers point guard T.J. Ford notched double digit assists (10) in 24 minutes of play, along with six points and four steals.
The Pacers led by 24 points going into the fourth quarter.
Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 1:11 am by bryan
