Game 5: Injuries Take Toll In Summer Finale
July 14, 2006

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The injury toll finally took full effect in the finale of the Orlando Summer League as Charlotte dropped a 106-93 decision against Indiana on Friday. The Bobcats finished the week’s play with a 3-2 record.

Adam Morrison and Sean May made the all-tournament team, as Morrison was the league’s top scorer with 24.6 points and May added 18.6 points and 5.2 rebounds.

Morrison paced all scorers with 27 points on the day and Marcus Campbell added 15 points. Steve Burtt also netted double figures with 13 points and Brett Blizzard tallied nine points.

“This was a good week for me. I enjoyed my first taste of NBA-type basketball and I think I showed I can succeed at this level,” Morrison said. “This is a good start for me and I look forward to next week with USA Basketball and then returning to Charlotte to get ready for the season.”

Indiana scored the games first eight points in only 1:20 of play before Campbell stunted the run with a layup. The Pacers then built a 19-7 lead midway through the first quarter and finished the quarter with a 29-16 advantage. Charlotte shot .273 from the field in the quarter while the Pacers were .579 from the field.

The Pacers jumped out to a 17-point lead early in the second quarter. Charlotte cut the deficit to 53-43 at halftime. May left the game late in the second quarter with a left ankle injury and did not return to the game. He scored eight points prior to the injury. The Pacers shot .600 from the field in the half. Campbell scored 11 points in the opening half with Morrison adding nine points.

The Bobcats battled back in the third quarter and used a 7-2 run to move within 55-50 less than three minutes into the period after a three-pointer by Blizzard. Charlotte moved even closer, 61-57, as the team started the period by hitting 5-7 from the field. But the Pacers scored eight of the game’s next 10 points to take back control with a 69-59 lead. Charlotte closed the quarter with a mini-run to narrow the margin to 74-68. Morrison scored 16 points in the quarter.

After the Bobcats scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to move within four points, the Pacers controlled the rest of the quarter and took a 19-point advantage late in the period.

“Tonight was indicative of the way we played this week,” Coach John-Blair Bickerstaff said. “We endured the injuries for a while but when Sean went down in the second quarter that really caught up with us. We did a good job battling back to within four points, but we couldn’t get that one shot to fall or that one stop defensively.”

On the Presbyterian Hospital injury report, Alan Anderson (plantar fascia), Ryan Hollins (right ankle) and D’or Fisher (left knee) missed the game.