Pacers pop Pistons' bubble with 107-83 win

By Mark Montieth, for NBA.com
Posted Friday February 5, 2010 11:31PM

INDIANAPOLIS (NBA.com exclusive) -- Tonight's game was about the basics and the Pacers were the team to master them. Simple as that. Indiana came out hot and hit more jump shots than the Pistons on Friday, leaving Conseco Fieldhouse with a 107-83 victory before a crowd of 14,832 fans, most of whom were wearing Colts gear for their Super Bowl favorites.

The Pacers might not be a super team, but they're at least not quitting despite standing on the precipice of practical elimination from the Eastern Conference playoff race. After scoring a season-high 130 points in a win over Toronto on Wednesday, they came back with their largest victory margin of the season, and shot better than 50 percent for the second consecutive game.

"It was the second solid win in a row," said Pacers coach Jim O'Brien, who missed the previous game to attend his mother-in-law's funeral. "Everybody that played, played well for us."

That includes T.J. Ford, who watched the previous 18 games after falling out of O'Brien's rotation. Ford, forced out of hibernation because starter Earl Watson was attending his grandmother's funeral, came off the bench and finished with 11 points, five assists, two steals and two turnovers in 23 minutes. He even hit a three-pointer, after converting just 1-of-18 in his first 31 appearances.

"It's a credit to T.J.'s professionalism that he kept sharp, kept in shape, kept his handles," O'Brien said. "It was a very focused game for him, and we needed it.

"It says a lot about his character. I really like T.J. I admire him, as a matter of fact. He showed everybody what he's all about by staying in a frame of mind that he's ready when we call his name."

Ford has clearly been frustrated by his demotion, but has bit his tongue and bided his time. He's hoping Friday's revival boosts his stock on the trade market, but his contract, which pays him $8.5 million next season, remains a deterrent.

"It was up to me and the conditioning coach to stay in condition," he said. "I came in early a lot and did individual stuff on my own and continued to work on my game. At the end of the day, there's 20-some other teams out there, so I have to be ready if my name is called."

He did acknowledge, however, that this is the most difficult stretch of his career. The eighth pick in the 2003 draft, he's already on his third team, with a fourth seeming inevitable.

"I think it's just making me stronger," he said. "This situation can only help me. I don't think it can get any worse than this. I just hope everybody knows my professionalism. I'm becoming a man. I'm not blaming anybody for the situation that I'm put in. I'm not making any excuses.

"It's my role as third point guard to come in and play. We know talent isn't the issue. They went another direction, it's that simple. I just stay ready. I'm not the only guy in this situation in this locker room."

Ford will play again tonight in Milwaukee in Watson's absence. Another strong performance could create an awkward moment for O'Brien, if he returns him to a spectator's role.

"We'll deal with that when we get there," O'Brien said.

Danny Granger led six Pacers (18-32) in double figures with 25 points. Brandon Rush added 16, reaching double figures for the eighth consecutive game. Rush also tied his career high with five assists.

"That's kind of what I expect from him. He showed so many signs of that last year. He's getting his confidence back.

After enduring Ford-like struggles early in the season, the Pacers hope he's turned a corner toward consistency. They're not making any guarantees, however.

"We didn't have to do anything to turn on the light bulb," said O'Brien, who has long since stopped trying to explain the second-year shooting guard. "He just seems to find his level. We try not to bother him too much, maybe it will keep on going."

The Pistons (16-32) were led by Ben Gordon, who came off the bench to score 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Rodney Stuckey added 16, but the rest of the Pistons hit just 16-of-53 shots to drop the overall field goal percentage to 39.1.

Former No. 1 draft pick Kwame Brown played 7 minutes, 20 seconds, and apparently thought that was enough. He ignored coach John Kuester's call to enter the game with the outcome decided in the fourth quarter, finally getting up slowly from the end of the bench when assistant coach Darrell Walker walked toward him and summoned him loudly.

Kuester told him to stay put, however, and called for Jason Maxiell, instead. Brown later approached Walker in a timeout huddle later in the game, seemingly explaining himself, but did not comment after the game.

• Pistons: Atkins, Villanueva
• Pacers: Foster, Hansbrough, Watson

• Pistons: Bynum
• Pacers: --

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #60 David Guthrie, #61 Courtney Kirkland
• Attendance: 14832
• Duration: 2:4