Nets-Pacers Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Feb 16 2012 1:27AM

The Indiana Pacers and New Jersey Nets find themselves in the midst of five and seven game losing streaks, respectively.

While both team's efforts have left much to be desired, Indiana has to be feeling good about its chances of getting back on track given its recent history in this series.

Hoping to have leading scorer Danny Granger available, the Pacers conclude their first back-to-back-to-back stretch of the season Thursday night seeking a 10th consecutive win over the visiting Nets.

Indiana (17-12) has hit a rough patch after opening the season with 16 wins in 22 games. The Pacers have since dropped six of seven - including five straight by an average of 9.2 points.

"Good teams don't lose this many games in a row," David West said. "Right now we can't call ourselves that. We're not playing good enough to be a good team. We just don't have enough resistance. We're letting teams dictate what they want to do offensively.

"We're going to have to dig deep and find a way to get out of this."

One night after falling 105-90 to Miami, Indiana fell behind by 18 at halftime en route to a 98-87 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday.

"We haven't played well for a week," coach Frank Vogel said. " ... It's not an excuse, but I think guys are worn down. It's been a tough stretch of the schedule against a string of good teams and we've had a slew of injuries. It's just something that will come back around."

Granger, averaging 18.0 points, was held out Wednesday after suffering a sprained left ankle versus the Heat. The Pacers' medical staff, however, was encouraged by his progress and he could give it a go in this one.

Granger's return would undoubtedly provide a boost as Indiana looks to continue its recent domination of New Jersey (8-22). The Pacers have taken 12 of 13 in the series, winning nine in a row by 14.4 points per contest.

The Nets, however, managed to hold their own in a 106-99 loss Jan. 31 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse behind 34 points from Deron Williams.

New Jersey wasted another impressive effort from Williams on Wednesday, falling 105-100 to Memphis despite 26 points and 11 assists from its three-time All-Star.

The Nets have been outscored by an average of 10.5 points during their skid.

"The difference between where we want to be at and where we are right now, right now we are a team that turns the ball over three of four possessions with the game on the line," said Kris Humphries, who had 10 points and seven boards Wednesday.

"It's no one's fault, in particular, we just have to tighten and be able to play under pressure in the fourth quarter. There is no play you can draw up for that. We just have to play basketball and execute. We didn't give ourselves a chance to win."

DeShawn Stevenson (swollen knees) returned from an eight-game absence Wednesday but went 0 of 5 from the floor. Jordan Farmar, meanwhile, was held out with a strained right groin, leaving his status for Thursday unknown.

Indiana's Paul George, averaging 12.1 points, has shot 16 of 21 (76.2 percent) - including a 9-of-11 effort from 3-point range - in scoring a combined 45 points in two meetings with the Nets this season.

Pacers end 5-game skid with 93-88 win over Nets

By MICHAEL MAROT
Posted Feb 16 2012 10:59PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Danny Granger was definitely playing Thursday night - gimpy ankle and all.

The way he saw it, there was no choice.

The Pacers' leading scorer ignored a painful sprained left ankle and scored 32 points to lead Indiana past the struggling New Jersey Nets 93-88, a win Granger and his teammates desperately needed to right themselves.

"It's been a lot of icing, a lot of pain medication," Granger said after producing his second-highest points total of the season. "I knew I had to play tonight. We had lost five in a row, we had to get off it tonight."

Granger made sure the Pacers (18-12) put an end to this dubious, season-long losing streak once and for all.

Yes, there were questions about how long Granger could play and how effective he would be after missing seven straight quarters since landing awkwardly on his foot Tuesday against Miami. When the Pacers forward arrived at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, he was still listed as day-to-day.

But Granger knew better, and it didn't take him long to prove he could overcome the pain.

He made 10 of 20 shots, eight of nine from the free-throw line and grabbed five rebounds, igniting an early run that wiped out New Jersey's 11-point lead. He also made the key shots during a late 9-2 run that finally gave the Pacers control of the game.

Indiana needed every ounce of energy Granger could provide.

"He was close last night, but he was going to be limited with what he could do in terms of pushing off," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "Twenty-four hours makes a huge difference. The one thing about it is that he had fresher legs than anyone else out on the court."

New Jersey (8-23) sure didn't want to see Granger playing this way.

Deron Williams scored 29 points and Kris Humphries had 24 points and 10 rebounds, not quite enough to snap their losing streak which is now at eight. The last time they lost eight in a row was Nov. 30-Dec. 14, 2010.

And in a metropolitan area that already has a Super Bowl champion (the Giants), the biggest mouth in football (Rex Ryan), a Stanley Cup contender (the Rangers) and the NBA's hottest new attraction (Jeremy Lin), the last thing the Nets needed in this latest public relations battle was another loss.

"So much pressure, I don't know how we're going to deal with it," Williams said sarcastically.

The difference Thursday was Granger.

New Jersey sure didn't make it easy.

Humphries controlled the inside early, making his first six shots and scoring 12 points in the first quarter as the Nets built a 29-18 lead.

But when Humphries went to the bench after drawing his second foul with 47.4 seconds left in the quarter, Granger asserted himself and the Nets collapsed.

The Pacers forward hit a 3-pointer to start a 15-0 run. Paul George ended it with another 3 to give Indiana a 33-29 lead.

From that point, the teams were locked in a virtual stalemate and Granger was just trying to hang on.

"A lot of times, when you get into a game and the adrenaline starts slowing, you're not in as much pain as you would normally be in," he said. "But I felt it."

Things didn't change much in the second half. Neither team led by more than four points in the third quarter, and it wasn't until George made a 21-foot jumper with 8:15 to go that the Pacers finally took the lead for good.

Then, Granger re-emerged. He followed George's basket with two free throws and made two more after George forced a turnover and tossed the ball down the court. Suddenly, Indiana had a 75-69 lead with 7:05 left, and after extending the margin to 88-79, all the Pacers had to do was fend off one more Nets' charge.

Granger made sure of it by making the final four free throws of the game.

"We definitely missed him," George said after finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. "Danny brings a lot. He's our best scorer. He defends so well, with Danny out, that definitely hurt us."

Notes: The biggest surprise of the night came when the lights went out with 8:08 left in the first half. The officials sent both teams to their benches briefly before the lights came back on. ... Indiana has only six fast-break points in its past two games. ... The Pacers have played five games in seven days and wrapped up their first back-to-back-to-back of the season Thursday. ... Indiana played its 11th straight game without George Hill, who has a chip fracture in his left ankle. ... New Jersey was missing Shawne Williams, who is out indefinitely because of a sprained left shoulder, sore left foot and knee.

Notebook: Pacers 93, Nets 88

Posted Thursday February 16, 2012 10:59PM

By Conrad Brunner, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Winning ugly may just be the identity of the Indiana Pacers. Despite shooting 39 percent overall and 29 percent in the second half, they buckled down defensively and rode 32 points from Danny Granger to a 93-88 victory over the visiting New Jersey Nets Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana (18-12) snapped a five-game losing streak and avoided being swept in its first back-to-back-to-back set in 13 years, while handing the Nets (8-23) their eighth consecutive loss. Deron Williams led New Jersey with 29 points and Kris Humphries had 24 with 10 rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "We're very happy to not be on a losing streak anymore. When you're on a losing streak the game that breaks it is never easy."
-- Indiana Coach Frank Vogel

THE STAT: Indiana won for the sixth time this season when shooting less than 40 percent from the field.

TURNING POINT: The game was tied at 69-all early in the fourth when the Pacers put together a 17-8 run, with six players contributing to the scoring, to take an 86-77 lead with 2:38 left. The Nets got as close as 89-86 with 25 seconds left after a Humphries tip-in but the Pacers closed it out at the line.

QUOTABLE II: "Coach made it very apparent and clear that defense had to come back and had to improve. We know that legs on back-to-back-to-backs will suffer some. But we all have to suck it up, get at it and get the job done."
-- Granger

HOT: Humphries hit his first six shots and wound up 11 of 14 from the field, and was just one point shy of matching his career high. Granger hit 4 of 7 from the 3-point line.

NOT: Just about everybody else. Deron Williams shot 10 of 24 and committed six turnovers, MarShon Brooks and David West both shot 6 of 16, and Darren Collison was 2 of 8.

QUOTABLE III: "The spirit of our team is good. We're just playing against some really good teams and it doesn't get any easier with our next game. Right now we could focus on the losses, but we need to focus on getting better."
-- Nets coach Avery Johnson

GOOD MOVE: Deron Williams was the best player on the floor in the first half so Vogel put 6-9 Paul George on him in the second half, allowing point guards Collison and A.J. Price to match up with shooting guards MarShon Brooks and/or Anthony Morrow. George's long wingspan and lateral quickness disrupted Williams' rhythm and the Nets constantly found themselves battling the shot clock for good looks.

BAD MOVE: When Roy Hibbert rebounded Granger's missed drive with 31 seconds left and the Pacers up 88-84, he should've pulled it out, re-set the offense with a fresh 24 and run the clock down. Instead, he put up a shot, drew a foul and made one free throw, leaving the Nets with three more possessions instead of one.

NOTABLE: The Pacers have won 10 in a row over the Nets, their longest active streak against any opponent. ... Ending a run of six straight games in which the opposition scored at least 97, the Pacers improved to 9-1 when they limit opponents to less than 90. ... The Pacers forced New Jersey into 20 turnovers, the second Indiana opponent with 20 or more turnovers this season. ... With a game-high 11 rebounds and 13 points, Hibbert registered his 12th double-double of the season. ... George led the Pacers in assists (five) and steals (four). ... Including 29-21 tonight, the Pacers have been outscored 94-57 in the first quarters of their last three games. ... Granger returned after missing Wednesday's 98-87 loss in Cleveland with a sprained left ankle. ... George Hill continues to go through individual workouts on court but the timetable for his return from a chip fracture in his left ankle remains indefinite. Vogel said he remains hopeful Hill may return before the All-Star break. ... The Nets were without starting center Brook Lopez (broken foot), backup center Mehmet Okur (back spasms), Damion James (foot surgery) and Shawne Williams (sprained left shoulder, sore left knee and foot).

UP NEXT: For the Pacers, Sunday vs. Charlotte, Tuesday vs. New Orleans, Wednesday @ Charlotte. For the Nets, Saturday @ Chicago, Sunday vs. Milwaukee, Monday @ New York.

• Nets: James, Lopez, Williams
• Pacers: --

• Nets: Williams
• Pacers: --

• Lead Changes: 15
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Officials: #17 Joe Crawford, #70 Brent Barnaky, #30 John Goble
• Attendance: 11117
• Duration: 2:27