Kings-Pacers Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Nov 03 2012 12:52AM

After splitting two games against teams that finished well below .500 last season, the Indiana Pacers will try to get back in the win column when they return home to take on another such foe.

The Pacers will also seek to add to the Sacramento Kings' struggles this season during their debut at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday night.

Indiana opened its season Wednesday with a 90-88 victory over Toronto, which was 23-43 in 2011-12, when George Hill hit the tiebreaking shot with two seconds left. The Pacers, though, couldn't pull out another close game Friday in Charlotte, falling 90-89.

Indiana held the Bobcats, who finished with the worst winning percentage in NBA history last season and had lost 23 straight games, to 36.5 percent shooting but couldn't get enough at their own end of the floor.

The Pacers shot 39.8 percent and made only 16 of 27 from the free-throw line (59.3 percent).

"It was a tough shooting night, but you have to give the Bobcats credit," coach Frank Vogel said. "We turned the ball over too much and we couldn't knock down our free throws."

Former Bobcat D.J. Augustin had a chance to follow Hill's lead and play the hero, but couldn't connect on a 3-pointer just before the buzzer. The Pacers are currently playing without perennial scoring leader Danny Granger, who is awaiting a second opinion on his sore left knee and is out indefinitely.

"You just learn from it. You can't get too high and you can't get too low right now," center Roy Hibbert said. "We're not complete and we're not completely healthy, but eventually we'll get there."

Indiana (1-1) will try to overcome Granger's absence when it welcomes Sacramento, which finished 22-44 last season and is seeking to avoid its second 0-3 start in four seasons.

The Kings have averaged 83.5 points on 38.2 percent shooting in their first two games and have missed 24 of 33 from 3-point range. They were 3 of 16 from beyond the arc Friday in Minnesota and shot 36.0 percent overall in a 92-80 loss.

After scoring 21 points in a 93-87 defeat in Chicago on Wednesday, Tyreke Evans had six on 3-of-14 shooting against the Timberwolves. With 20 points, Isaiah Thomas was the only starter to score more than 11 in Friday's game.

"Part of growing up with this team is not to take the quick shots at that particular point, to focus on what you need at that moment, and obviously it didn't happen," coach Keith Smart said.

The Kings have won two straight against Indiana, taking last season's only meeting 92-88 at home on Jan. 18 despite shooting 30.1 percent.

During their most recent visit to Indiana, DeMarcus Cousins had 18 points to lead six players in double figures and 14 rebounds in a 110-93 victory on March 25, 2011.

Pacers defense stymies Kings in 2 OT, 106-98

By MICHAEL MAROT
Posted Nov 03 2012 11:45PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indiana Pacers are still trying to figure out how to make up for Danny Granger's absence.

In the meantime, they're content to rely on their suddenly staunch defense.

George Hill scored the first four points of the second overtime Saturday night and his teammates took care of the rest, allowing only three baskets over the final 10:45 to lead the Pacers past Sacramento 106-98 in double overtime.

"Not the prettiest game in the world, but we got the W," coach Frank Vogel said. "Like early last season, our defense is carrying us."

The drastic turnabout may be the biggest surprise in Indy early this season.

After allowing more than 100 points per game two years ago and nearly 95 per game last season, the Pacers went into their home opener as one of only 12 teams holding opponents under 90. Sacramento (0-3) barely topped that mark in regulation and still couldn't get to 100 points despite playing 10 extra minutes.

Sure, the explanation could be fatigue after playing their third straight road game and their second game in two nights.

But the Pacers were just as determined to redeem themselves after Friday night's embarrassing loss at Charlotte and in front of a sold out crowd clad mostly in gold T-shirts for Indiana's biggest home opener in nearly a decade.

They gave the hometown fans a glimpse of the way basketball has traditionally been played in Indiana - gritty, selfless and with a relentless defensive mentality.

"This was a very tough, gut-it-out game," Pacers forward David West said. "These are the types of games you have to win in the NBA if you want to be successful."

If the Pacers (2-1) demonstrated anything Saturday, it was how they could continue to win without their injured scoring leader.

Hill finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists. West had 18 points and 18 rebounds. Paul George added 16 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while Gerald Green had 17 points and All-Star center Roy Hibbert finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks.

Defensively, they were in sync on play after play.

With the game tied late in regulation and early in the first overtime, Indiana missed seven consecutive shots. Yet the Pacers never allowed the Kings to take the lead.

And from the moment Indiana tied the score at 36 with 5:25 left in the first half, the Kings never retook the lead.

"It's tough," backup guard Aaron Brooks said. "To go into double overtime and not get 100, I think that's something that kind of baffles us. We're such a good offensive team."

Not on this night.

While DeMarcus Cousins delivered his usual double-double (21 points, 13 rebounds), and Marcus Thornton almost single-handedly rallied the Kings with 26 points and four 3-pointers, the Kings shot just 36.3 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from 3-point range. In the extra 10 minutes, they were even worse - just 3 of 19 from the field overall.

"I thought they competed at a really high level and we just didn't pull it out," Sacramento coach Keith Smart said.

The problem wasn't lack of effort.

Sacramento cut Indiana's 14-point halftime lead to eight after the third quarter and to one when Chuck Hayes hit an 11-foot jumper with 1:07 left in regulation.

West made it 91-88 with an 11-footer, and Thornton finally tied the score at 91 with 48.6 seconds to go.

Indiana had four chances to take the late lead in those final seconds, missing all four shots. Thornton, too, had a chance to give Sacramento the lead on a fast break, but George cut in front of him and caused an errant shot.

So the game went to overtime.

Lance Stephenson's 3 and Hibbert's 6-footer gave Indiana a 96-93 lead with 41.2 seconds left, but Thornton tied it again with a 3 and Hill and Hibbert couldn't get their potentially winning shots to go before the buzzer sounded, forcing another overtime.

"It's going to come," Vogel said of the Pacers offense. "We're working some new faces in there. Gerald and Lance haven't been in our rotations and George Hill is coming along."

He certainly demonstrated that two minutes into the second overtime when he broke the tie with a 6-foot runner and then was awarded a layup when Cousins was called for goaltending. That made it 100-96 with 1:44 left, all the Pacers had to do was close it out with defense.

"I wasn't making shots, my teammates were not making shots," West said. "But we were able to keep pushing and get the win in a very nasty game."

NOTES: It was Indiana's first double overtime game since Dec. 19, 2008. .... Granger missed his third straight game with a sore left knee. ... The Kings have now been the opponent for three home openers - all on the road. ... Saturday's game marked a homecoming of sorts for Kings coach Keith Smart, who became famous for making the winning shot in Indiana's 1987 national championship game victory. ... WNBA Finals MVP Tamika Catchings attended the Pacers home opener.

Notebook: Pacers 106, Kings 98

Conrad Brunner, for NBA.com
Posted Sat Nov 03, 2012 11:11 PM - Updated Sat Nov 03, 2012 11:55 PM

THE FACTS: Until the offense comes around, Indiana must rely on defense. The Pacers held Sacramento to seven points on 3-of-19 shooting in two overtime periods and finally made some plays in the final three minutes to pull out a 106-98 victory Saturday before 18,165 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. David West (18 points, 18 rebounds), Paul George (16 points, 17 rebounds) and Roy Hibbert (12 points, 10 rebounds) all had double-doubles for the Pacers, while George Hill scored 18, including the first two buckets of the second overtime to put Indiana ahead to stay. Marcus Thornton came off the bench to score 26 for the Kings, while DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 13 rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "Certainly not the prettiest game in the world but happy to come out with the W. Like early last year, our defense is carrying us." -- Pacers head coach Frank Vogel.

THE STAT: The Pacers have held all three opponents this season to less than 40 percent shooting, including the Kings at .363.

TURNING POINT: After coming up empty with the chance to win on the final possessions of regulation and the first overtime, the Pacers got a quick boost from Hill, who posted up Aaron Brooks and then drove for a goal-tended bucket to build a 100-96 lead with 1:44 remaining. The Kings got nothing out of their next two possessions and George hit a step-back jumper for a 102-96 lead with 32.9 remaining.

QUOTABLE II: "We're just now playing with each other. George (Hill) sat out the whole preseason. It's new for Gerald (Green). It's new for D.J. (Augustin). Hopefully it's just early in the year and we'll get down to executing." -- George.

HOT: The fill-in starter during Danny Granger's absence due to lingering knee pain, Green shook off rough starts in his first two games and scored 17 points in 24 minutes, hitting 6-of-9 from the field.

NOT: Cousins jacked up 27 shots in 42 minutes, making just nine. Indiana's reserves combined to shoot 7-of-26.

INSIDE THE ARENA: IndyCar driver Ed Carpenter had a front-row seat.

GOOD MOVE: Though Green had given the Kings problems earlier in the game, Vogel went with Lance Stephenson for the fourth quarter and both overtime periods and the young guard played solid defense against Thornton while contributing a 3-pointer to open the first overtime session.

BAD MOVE: With the Kings down by six and 32 seconds left, Sacramento -- in obvious need of a 3-pointer -- went inside to Cousins, whose two-point bucket left a four-point deficit. With a foul to give, the Kings then let 15 seconds run off the clock before taking a foul.

ROOKIE WATCH: Thomas Robinson had his best game thus far for the Kings, scoring nine points on 3-of-6 shooting in nearly 12 minutes off the bench. Neither of the Pacers' draft picks, Miles Plumlee nor Orlando Johnson, got off the bench.

NOTABLE: The Pacers won their third straight home opener and snapped a two-game losing streak to the Kings. ... George's 17 rebounds were a career-high. ... After being outrebounded 17-10 in the first quarter, the Pacers dominated the board 57-30 the rest of the night. ... Indiana committed 24 turnovers, bringing its three-game total to 62. ... Stephenson made his fourth 3-pointer of the season, matching his previous career total.

UP NEXT: For the Pacers, Monday @ San Antonio, Wednesday @ Atlanta, Friday vs. Minnesota. For the Kings, Monday vs. Golden State, Wednesday vs. Detroit, Friday vs. San Antonio.

• Kings: Salmons
• Pacers: Granger, Pendergraph

• Kings: Thompson
• Pacers: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
• Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #61 Courtney Kirkland, #44 Eli Roe
• Attendance: 18165
• Duration: 2:56