Pacers-Nets Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Mar 27 2012 2:58PM

The Indiana Pacers faced little difficulty in knocking off one of the Eastern Conference's best teams in their last game.

The Pacers' recent matchups with the last-place New Jersey Nets haven't given them much trouble, either.

Looking to continue its domination in this series, visiting Indiana tries for a four-game season sweep and an 11th consecutive victory over New Jersey on Wednesday night.

The Pacers (29-19) have won four of five, their only loss in that stretch coming by a 113-111 score to Phoenix on Friday. Indiana bounced back with a 125-104 win at Milwaukee the following night before posting one of its most impressive efforts of the season Monday, a 105-90 victory over star-studded Miami.

Danny Granger had 25 points and Darren Collison scored 20 for the Pacers, who went 10 of 18 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Heat 49-33.

"Our guys had a determination that they weren't going to be denied," coach Frank Vogel said. "We're competing at a high level. We're looking forward to making a serious run at the end of the season and be one of the hottest teams going into the playoffs."

Indiana is two games back of Orlando for the third seed in the conference.

"It's a confidence builder, showing that if we play the right way, believe in each other, play team defense, that we can be one heck of a team," guard George Hill said. "Anytime that you get a win like this, you have to build off of it."

Indiana has to like its chances of doing just that versus the woeful Nets (16-35). The Pacers have taken 13 of the last 14 meetings and 10 in a row by an average of 13.4 points.

They cruised to a 108-94 win Jan. 2 in their most recent visit to Newark, though they struggled to put New Jersey away in a 93-88 home win Feb. 16.

Sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, the Nets have gone 1-6 in their last seven after a 105-84 loss to Utah on Monday. New Jersey, outscored 58-44 in the paint and limited to 35.8 percent shooting, cut a 22-point third-quarter deficit to three in the fourth but was ultimately outscored 33-19 over the final 12 minutes.

"I didn't like the way that we finished the game," coach Avery Johnson told the league's official website. "... We didn't show quite the professionalism and character that I would have liked."

Deron Williams scored 17 points but went 7 of 21 from the field. Kris Humphries, averaging 13.3 points, was held to a season-low two and shot 0 for 6.

Teams are shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range versus the Nets - the third-highest mark in the league. Indiana has gone 20-4 when shooting at least that percentage from beyond the arc.

The Pacers have won two in a row on the road after dropping seven of nine there.

In addition to Brook Lopez, sidelined with a sprained right ankle, New Jersey was without Jordan Farmar and Anthony Morrow on Monday. Farmar is out until at least April 5 while Morrow is listed as day-to-day.

Deron Williams leads depleted Nets over Pacers

By TOM CANAVAN
Posted Mar 29 2012 1:27AM

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Down to eight healthy players, the New Jersey Nets put together one of their best finishes to a game all season.

Deron Williams had 30 points and nine assists and injury-ravaged New Jersey beat the Indiana Pacers 100-84 Wednesday night in a game the Nets finished with eight healthy players.

"This was probably our best home win of the season against a playoff team," said Williams, who hit 11 of 19 from the field and had only one turnover.

Rookie MarShon Brooks added 17 points and Gerald Green had 14 as the woeful Nets won for the second time in eight games and handed the Pacers their second loss in six. The 16-point margin of victory was the largest of the season for New Jersey (17-35).

"We needed a win," Brooks said. "This was a good team win, everyone pitched in a little bit and played good team defense."

The Nets started the game with only 10 healthy players and lost starting center Shelden Williams with an injury to his right eye in the second quarter and backup center Jordan Williams with concussion-like symptoms in the third. Shelden Williams went to the hospital afterward.

Deron Williams said having three players left on the bench wasn't an issue.

"I don't think you really think about it when you are playing the game," he said. "It's just something that happens. Guys go down sometimes and you just have to keep playing. I just try to keep playing the same way no matter what."

This was the second time the Nets won with only eight healthy players. They beat Detroit earlier this season when the Pistons were playing their third game in as many night.

Paul George had 22 points to lead Indiana.

The Nets, who have been notorious for giving away games in the fourth quarter, instead expanded their lead in the final 12 minutes, turning a two-point lead into a 21-point advantage.

Deron Williams had 13 points in the fourth quarter and the Nets hit 9 of their first 14 shots in the period. Gerald Wallace opened it by putting in a rebound to ignite an eight-point run. Brooks hit a 10-footer after a Pacers' turnover and Deron Williams hit two jumpers to help New Jersey snap a 10-game losing streak against the Pacers, including three this season.

George scored 10 points in the third quarter but, for a change, the Nets would not be denied.

Deron Williams hit a jumper and a 3-pointer and set up a layup by Wallace and 3-pointer by Green in sparking a 12-6 run at the end of the first half that gave New Jersey a 49-43 lead.

Kris Humphries added 12 points and eight rebounds for New Jersey. Pacers leading scorer Danny Granger was limited to five points before fouling out.

Pacers coach Frank Vogel wasn't happy with his team.

"I think every team in the NBA has nights where the energy isn't there, and that was certainly the case tonight," Vogel said. "Anytime you play like that you're concerned."

Granger said it was an understatement to a say the Pacers lacked intensity two night after beating Miami.

"We were kind of sleep-walking, and they took it to us." said Granger, who was 2 of 8 from the field.

Forward David West was even more blunt.

"We just can't come out and play like this against a team like the Nets," he said. "It's embarrassing."

Deron Williams laughed when asked if the Nets were upset that the Pacers felt they were an inferior team.

"We are a sub-par team," Williams said without hesitation. "We just played better than them tonight."

NOTES: Vogel, two assistants, six players and roughly 20 members of the traveling group went to Broadway on Tuesday night to see a preview of "Magic/Bird," which is set to open in April. ... A native of Wildwood Crest in southern New Jersey, Vogel only needed six tickets for the game, including one for his mother. The last time he was here, he needed 30 tickets. ... The Nets only had 10 players available with backup point G Jordan Farmar and backup shooting G Anthony Morrow (shoulder) each out for the second straight game. ...Indiana's starting five has missed a combined two games this season, with F Danny Granger missing both. ... Nets starting C Brook Lopez has only played five games this season. ...The Nets previous largest win was 13 points against Charlotte last week.

Notebook: Nets 100, Pacers 84

Posted Wednesday March 28, 2012 10:52PM

By Abe Schwadron, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: One game after beating the star-studded Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers were blown out on the road by the New Jersey Nets, as Deron Williams scored 30 points and dished out nine assists to lead the Nets past the Pacers for the first time in 11 tries, 100-84. MarShon Brooks added 17 points, Gerald Green scored 14, and New Jersey avoided a season sweep at the hands of the Pacers.

The Nets survived a big night from Paul George, who scored 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting, but was the only Pacer to get it going all night. Indiana was outscored 31-17 in the fourth quarter, during which its starters combined for just three points, including zero from George.

QUOTABLE: "We just can't come out and play like this against a team like the Nets. We're the ones fighting for playoff position and we've got something to play for. It's just embarrassing."
-- Pacers forward David West

THE STAT: The 16-point margin of victory was the largest for the Nets this season, and New Jersey is a surprisingly competent 7-6 on the year when scoring at least 100 points.

TURNING POINT: New Jersey twice held off Indiana runs, as the Pacers roared back from eight- and nine-point deficits in the first and third quarters. Whereas normally the Nets would fold, they hung tough. And, with just under five minutes remaining, George missed a dunk for Indy before Deron Williams swished a 3-pointer in transition, plus a loose ball foul that resulted in a Kris Humphries free throw to push the Nets' lead to 93-75. New Jersey never looked back.

HOT: Even with the Pacers trailing for much of the opening quarter, George got off to a red-hot start, pouring in 10 points on 4-for-4 field goal shooting in the first. He made both of his 3-point attempts, plus had a layup-saving steal, an assist and a blocked shot all in the opening nine minutes.

NOT: Danny Granger picked up two fouls in the first six minutes of the game, then committed his fourth with 8:21 left in the third quarter. He fouled out with 3:14 in the fourth, having scored just five points on 2-8 shooting. In just 21 minutes of action, Granger, who in his first three matchups New Jersey this season had averaged 23 points per game, was a complete non-factor.

QUOTABLE II: "Outstanding defense by Gerald Wallace on Danny Granger. Granger missed some shots but he denied him the basketball."
-- Nets head coach Avery Johnson

GOOD MOVE: After being inserted into the game for the first time late in the first quarter, Green showed why he's been a major sparkplug for the Nets as of late. On the first possession of the second quarter, he blocked a Leandro Barbosa 3-point shot, then scored the first four points of the period for New Jersey. He led all second-quarter scorers with nine points.

BAD MOVE: With seven minutes to play and the Pacers already trailing by eight, Tyler Hansbrough committed a Flagrant 1 foul, decking Brooks on a drive to the hoop. After a pair of Brooks free throws and a Deron Williams jumper on the ensuing possession, the Nets' lead climbed to 12.

NOTABLE: The Nets suffered yet another injury Wednesday night, as Shelden Williams left in the second quarter with an eye injury and did not return. He scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in 12 minutes, but was taken to Hackensack Medical Center for further evaluation on his eye.

QUOTABLE III: "We have to approach these teams like they're the Miami Heat or the Chicago Bulls and stop looking past the teams that are sub-.500. We let Deron Williams just take over."
-- George

INSIDE THE ARENA: Former IBF Light Welterweight boxing champion and Brooklyn native Paulie Malignaggi was in attendance to watch his soon-to-be hometown Nets.

UP NEXT: For the Nets, Friday @ Golden State, Saturday @ Sacramento, Tuesday @ L.A. Lakers. For the Pacers, Thursday vs. Washington, Saturday @ San Antonio, Sunday @ Houston.

• Pacers: Fesenko, Foster
• Nets: James, Lopez

• Pacers: --
• Nets: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
• Officials: #17 Joe Crawford, #7 Kevin Fehr, #33 Zach Zarba
• Attendance: 10817
• Duration: 1:59