| PACERS vs. ROCKETS | (10/16/2009) |
| 6:59 | Bruno: Greetings from Conseco Fieldhouse, where the Pacers are preparing for their fourth preseason game, against the Houston Rockets. |
| 6:59 | Bruno: No surprises in the Pacers' lineup. In fact, it's the group you can expect on opening night: T.J. Ford, Brandon Rush, Danny Granger, Troy Murphy and Roy Hibbert. |
| 7:00 | Bruno: Rockets, shorthanded without both Yao Ming (foot) and Tracy McGrady (knee) are starting Aaron Brooks, Trevor Ariza, Shane Battier, Luis Scola and Brian Cook. |
| 7:01 | Bruno: Houston played last night in Toronto, with Battier scoring 26 in a 124-112 victory. Pacers haven't played since Sunday in Beijing. |
| 7:02 | Bruno: First games back from road trips are always difficult. Even with a few days to adjust, this first game back from a 16,000-mile road trip that included 39 hours in planes will be a challenge for many of the Pacers. Danny Granger in particular said he has had a hard time getting his body-clock re-set. |
| 7:02 | [Comment From Ram-Philippines]
Pacers prove to us now the Big D. |
| 7:05 | Bruno: That's a good point. They were flat against the Nuggets last time out and got lit up by Carmelo Anthony. Houston lacks its big guns but obviously has some tough matchups, in particular Brooks and Landry. |
| 7:12 | Bruno: Nice early defense, with three straight steals leading to a 7-0 run. |
| 7:15 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
Hibbert is so crucial to this team. |
| 7:15 | Bruno: True enough, because he's really it from a low-post scoring standpoint. O'Brien said before the game he's going to be hard to beat out for the starting center job because of that. |
| 7:16 | [Comment From Cornrows]
I can live with this defense so far. |
| 7:16 | Bruno: Pacers have five steals in five minutes. |
| 7:18 | [Comment From logan]
how are you guys watching this |
| 7:18 | Bruno: I'm at the game. |
| 7:19 | [Comment From Andrew]
Ford is off to his best start of the preseason |
| 7:19 | Bruno: He's played pretty well defensively in all of the games but hasn't scored well. He looks very, very aggressive early. Pacers will need to find complementary scoring. Can't just lean on Granger and Rush will be inconsistent. |
| 7:20 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
His low post scoring will make the offense more efficient. Everyone points out that the Pacers where fifth in the league in scoring but they fail to mention that the team field goal percentage was ranked 15th in the league. An easy way to make the defense better is to have a more efficient offense. |
| 7:23 | [Comment From Rose]
It's going to be hard for the Pacers to pull off the win tonight. The Rockets are pretty well put together team, or we're until Ron Artest left. |
| 7:24 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
How serious is the injury to Hansbrough? |
| 7:25 | Bruno: No updates from the medical staff lately. Most recent timeline had him missing the preseason, so that's still the idea. |
| 7:26 | Bruno: Timeout with 2:46 left in the first quarter, Pacers up 28-18 with Dahntay Jones going to the line to try to complete a three-point play. |
| 7:27 | Cornrows: Like how DJones can grab a defensive rebound and GO! |
| 7:27 | [Comment From Ram-Philippines]
Hansbrough watching WWE last Monday.... |
| 7:27 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
Do you think Larry knew about the injury before the draft? |
| 7:28 | Bruno: I'm not sure. I don't think Hansbrough missed any time, or certainly not any significant time, with this injury at UNC, so it wasn't a red-flag. |
| 7:28 | [Comment From logan]
I think that Granger will have the same kind of year as he did last year. his scoring may go down but with the better ball handling and better defence he will have the same or bigger impact |
| 7:29 | [Comment From Caleb- Indianapolis]
How is Earl Jones fitting into the team? |
| 7:29 | Bruno: Earl Watson? Solomon Jones? Dahntay Jones? |
| 7:30 | [Comment From Caleb- Indianapolis]
Earl Watson sorry. |
| 7:31 | Bruno: Earl Watson has been very strong. Tough player offensively and defensively. Has really caught the attention of the coaching staff. Will play some shooting guard with T.J. Ford in a very small backcourt. Come to think of it, a need a nickname for that small backcourt, so I'll take suggestions. |
| 7:31 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
What are you seeing from Dahntay on offense? |
| 7:32 | Bruno: He's a better mid-range shooter than I thought and the coaches would like to see him be more aggressive when he's open. He's not going to start scoring 15 a game but 8-12 seems reasonable depending on PT. |
| 7:32 | [Comment From Ram-Philippines]
besides of Defense, what else can the Pacers must be improved? and must be prevented? |
| 7:32 | Cornrows: That's some text book Foster. Tangled up under the hoop, grabs a one-armed rebound and draws a foul. Now he needs to teach Hibbert how to dunk. |
| 7:32 | Bruno: They must cut down on turnovers, improve their halfcourt offensive efficiency and eliminate the free-throw deficit. |
| 7:35 | Bruno: That's the end of the first quarter with the Pacers up 34-21. Ford leads scoring with nine. |
| 7:37 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
I was surprised that Danny got ejected in a preseason game. Do you know what happened? |
| 7:38 | Bruno: He got fired up over getting foul against Melo one possession after he thought Melo got away with one against him. |
| 7:38 | [Comment From Karen]
What channel can the Pacer games be seen on? |
| 7:38 | Bruno: No TV tonight, just radio, 1070 AM. |
| 7:40 | [Comment From Caleb- Indianapolis]
As of now, of course its only preseason, but how do the Pacers chances of making the playoffs look now? |
| 7:40 | Bruno: You guys know what I think: they'll be in the hunt for one of the final two spots. What do you guys think? |
| 7:42 | Bruno: Quick update: Pacers had 5 steals in first 5 minutes. None since. |
| 7:43 | Bruno: And just like that, there's a steal leading to a Luther Head layup and Pacers lead 44-27. |
| 7:43 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
If Dunleavy and Hansbrough are healthy, I think they have a chance. |
| 7:44 | Bruno: Timeout with 8:59 left in the half. Pacers are rolling, up 47-27. Granger has 13. |
| 7:45 | [Comment From Ram-Philippines]
hope NBA.com League Pass can be available tomorrow against the Hornets. . i want to hear again the " BOOMBABY " . . I miss Mark Boyle and Coach Bob "Slick" Leonard. |
| 7:45 | Cornrows: Seems like Pacers are controlling the pace, getting a lot of good, open shots. |
| 7:46 | Bruno: Austin Croshere's in the analyst chair next to Boyle tonight and I think tomorrow night as well. Slick's attending to a family matter. |
| 7:47 | [Comment From M.T.S]
i hope to go to the assembly hall game,I'm a young inspiring rapper in bloomington. |
| 7:49 | [Comment From Caleb- Indianapolis]
As far as the playoffs, we have the same basic offensive core as we did last year but we added a few great defenders which will allow us to get those one of the two last playoff. I would love to have Dunleavy and Hansborough but I don't think they should rush them back. |
| 7:50 | [Comment From Jeremy]
How deep in to the bench do you expect coach O'Brien to go tonight? Will he play everybody or try to tighten up the rotation to the likely one he will use in the regular season? |
| 7:50 | Bruno: This being the first night of a back-to-back, he'll probably play everybody, especially if the margin stays wide. |
| 7:51 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
I still think this team needs talent and I don't know how management is going to acquire it. |
| 7:51 | [Comment From Ram-Philippines]
here in Philippines..its Nets vs. Knicks.. |
| 7:52 | [Comment From Ram-Philippines]
Granger is very hot toningt in shooting. wow. |
| 7:54 | Cornrows: For some reason they keep leaving Granger open. |
| 7:54 | Bruno: Granger has 17 already and after the timeout he'll go to the line for two more with the Pacers up 53-33 and 5:52 left in the half. |
| 7:54 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
Where does this team rank in the central division? |
| 7:55 | Bruno: After Cleveland, it's kind of up for grabs. Don't expect much from Milwaukee or Detroit. Pacers and Chicago should battle for 2-3. |
| 7:57 | [Comment From Jeremy]
Is coach O'Brien more concerned with winning a preseason games or using them to see how players are progressing? |
| 7:57 | Cornrows: I agree with Bruno, Chicago has the talent to play with anyone but they're an unsettled team with a lot of youth. Plus, they have the Chachi is coaching them. |
| 7:57 | Bruno: JOB likes to win everything he plays, including preseason, but the preseason is about team and player development -- until maybe the last 1-2 games. |
| 7:57 | [Comment From mike]
how is tj ford lookin? better than last year? |
| 7:58 | Bruno: Very good defensively. Very active. A lot of ball pressure, deflections and steals. Offensively, tonight he's been in a groove. Generally speaking, too many turnovers. |
| 7:58 | [Comment From Lou]
Is Lawrence Roberts playing tonight and does he have a chance making a team this year? |
| 7:58 | Bruno: Not yet, and I don't see how. |
| 8:00 | Bruno: Hey, what do you know, Brandon Rush scored in the first half, hitting a 3-pointer to put the Pacers up 58-37. He now has 12 points in the first half, 37 in the second. |
| 8:04 | [Comment From Jeremy]
Rush seems to only play well in second half of games. What is he doing differently tonight to make him effective in the first half? |
| 8:05 | Bruno: This is going to sound like an oversimplification, but: he's shooting the ball. |
| 8:05 | Bruno: He has had a tendency to be a slow starter from an energy standpoint. Takes him awhile to get into the flow. |
| 8:05 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
What's going on with Roy? 1-6 FG |
| 8:06 | Bruno: Couple of in-and-outs, couple of missed dunks. |
| 8:06 | [Comment From Mike]
Which player has improved the most from last year in your opinion? Hibbert seems like an obvious choice according to his first couple of games. |
| 8:07 | Bruno: Hibbert has obviously made big strides. But I also have liked what I've seen from Josh McRoberts, who has really worked on his shot. |
| 8:08 | Bruno: Come on, folks, no nicknames for the small backcourt of Ford and Watson? Surely somebody has something for me. |
| 8:10 | [Comment From Matt]
How is Granger doing? Been productive yet? |
| 8:10 | Bruno: 19 in the half. |
| 8:10 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
The Hobbits. |
| 8:10 | [Comment From Jeremy]
You could call the small back court the diminutive duo. |
| 8:11 | [Comment From Jeremy]
As big as Hibber is he rarely finishes strong at the rim. Is this a coaching thing, a lack of athleticism or just his preference? |
| 8:12 | Bruno: I think it's a matter of aggression. He should look to dunk a lot more than he does. |
| 8:12 | Bruno: That's halftime, Pacers leading 71-51. Granger leads the way with 19 and Ford has 11 with five assists. Pacers shooting .591 while holding Rockets below 40 percent. |
| 8:13 | Cornrows: JOB has to be happy with the first 24 minutes.
|
| 8:23 | [Comment From Mike]
Did Luther Head have the opportunity for a 4 point play there at the end? |
| 8:23 | Bruno: He did, but missed the free throw. |
| 8:24 | [Comment From Matt]
I am very impressed with McRoberts and Solomon Jones, what do you think of them? |
| 8:25 | Bruno: McRoberts is showing the results of a lot of time spent with shot doctor Billy Keller. He added 10-15 pounds of muscle, too, and that hasn't appeared to slow him down at all. Solomon has had some nice moments and will push Roy prettty hard for the starting job. |
| 8:25 | [Comment From Kareem]
pacers are playing great right now |
| 8:26 | [Comment From Jeremy]
Troy Murphy was easily one of the worst defenders on the team last season. Have you seen anything so far this season that would indicate he is giving more effort on the defensive end of the court? Or are the Pacers looking to just mask his defensive weakness by surrounding him with better defenders? |
| 8:27 | Bruno: You know, that's an interesting observation that reflects the popular opinion. But JOB insists Murphy was a much-improved defensive player through the second half of the season and consistently praises him for his work on that end. Could be the Randy Wittman theory of defense: maybe you struggle guarding your man straight up but if you're a good team defender, that compensates. |
| 8:28 | Bruno: One lineup switch to start the second half: Solo's in at center instead of Hibbert. |
| 8:29 | Bruno: Foster won't play in the second half to rest his sore lower back. |
| 8:33 | Bruno: Ball isn't moving in the halfcourt offense, shots are forced, not open, and door is opening for the Rockets, who now trail 74-57. |
| 8:34 | [Comment From Mike]
When Tyler Hansbrough gets fully healthy, what kind of role do you see him having on the team? Starter, first man off the bench, etc? How much do you see him contributing this year? I know there are a lot of so called experts who expect him to be a role player at best, but I watched him all 4 years at UNC and was always impressed. |
| 8:35 | Bruno: Keep in mind, he's a rookie who has yet to practice with his team. When he does regain his health, it's going to take quite a bit of time to get into some semblance of basketball condition, not to mention become comfortable with the schemes. He's going to be playing catch-up for awhile so expectations for his first season should be modest. |
| 8:36 | Bruno: Brian Cook wins tonight's Roy Award, fouling out in 20 minutes of playing time. |
| 8:39 | [Comment From Mike]
It's hard to have modest expectations for a guy with a motor like his. I see so many NBA players coasting through half the game, there is always room on the team for a guy who gives 100% effort all the time. |
| 8:41 | Cornrows: I don't think Cook is a fan of chasing the Pacers back on defense. |
| 8:44 | Bruno: Murph is heating up now, 12 in the quarter, 17 for the game, and the Pacers score nine in a row to push it to 93-67. |
| 8:45 | [Comment From John]
Why does Foster have so much trouble with his back? |
| 8:45 | Bruno: He's sacrificed his body for so many years, it's bound to give him some problems. |
| 8:45 | [Comment From Holick]
Sad to know we are not able to listen to the Mark Boyle and Austin Croshere duo online |
| 8:46 | Bruno: Audio League Pass not available anymore? |
| 8:47 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
Not for preseason. |
| 8:48 | [Comment From Holick]
but thank god, we have bruno's live blog, ha |
| 8:49 | Bruno: We're working on a really nice new game-night element that I think you guys will like. Imagine an expanded version of Courtside Live that includes the live blog. |
| 8:53 | Bruno: That's the end of the third quarter and the Pacers are firmly in control, up 100-77. This is the best they've looked since the first Denver game. Very aggressive defensively, tons of deflections and steals. |
| 8:53 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
Is Hibbert done for the night? |
| 8:54 | Bruno: Was just wondering aloud about that, chatting with Mike Wells of The Star. Don't really see a big reason to play him. Rockets are small, don't have a center matchup to speak of, so it wouldn't surprise me if Roy sits out the rest of the way. Could be time for Lawrence Roberts, Rod Benson and Demetris Nichols before too much longer. |
| 8:55 | Bruno: OK, so much for that. Roy is checking in to start the fourth quarter. |
| 8:56 | Cornrows: Shhh, Pacers only have 6 turnovers through 3Q. |
| 8:56 | Cornrows: Oops, shouldn't have said anything. |
| 8:57 | Bruno: A second Rockets big man has fouled out as former Memphis banger Joey Dorsey just picked up his sixth. |
| 8:57 | [Comment From Mike]
Besides bringing in several new defensive minded players, is there another reason to believe we will see an improvement in the defense? Are there new schemes in place on the defensive side of the ball, or is it more of an increased defensive mindset and commitment to that end of the floor? |
| 8:58 | Bruno: It's not so much schemes as mindset. They want to play up-tempo defense, if that makes sense, using a lot of ball pressure and active hands to disrupt. Dahntay and Earl, and T.J., have taken that to heart and have really done a nice job setting that pace. |
| 8:59 | Bruno: There's another highlight-reel moment for McRoberts, who explodes to snuff a shot off the backboard. |
| 8:59 | Bruno: Only thing Pacers haven't done well tonight is protect the defensive board. Rockets have 19 ORBs and are up 46-33 overall. |
| 9:00 | [Comment From John]
I want to see McRoberts get more playing time this year.....he shows so much promise |
| 9:00 | [Comment From mauifresh]
i didn't get what you meant by "generally speaking too many turnovers" about TJ, real close to a triple double with just 1 TO to go with 4 steals so far... |
| 9:01 | Bruno: Was talking about the entire preseason. He had 16 TOs in the first three games. |
| 9:01 | Bruno: Timeout with 7:30 remaining and Pacers up 108-81. |
| 9:01 | Cornrows: Starting to think the Pacers should save some of this good play for the regular season. My goodness. |
| 9:02 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
What do you think of the recent events concerning Stephen Jackson? Do you still remember that guy? |
| 9:02 | Bruno: Not surprised at all. Jack's a follower, not a leader. |
| 9:02 | [Comment From John]
I hope TJ can clean it up before the season starts |
| 9:03 | Bruno: He's doing a really nice job tonight. 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists. |
| 9:03 | [Comment From Mike]
ESPN Gamecast shows that Granger has 22 points in only 17 minutes, is that really the amount of minutes he has played tonight? |
| 9:04 | Bruno: 17 minutes, 38 seconds to be precise. |
| 9:05 | [Comment From Ram-Philippines]
bye uncle bruno...see u tomorrow ... i will go now to school.. |
| 9:05 | Bruno: No blog tomorrow. Team's on the road and noTV. Sorry. |
| 9:05 | [Comment From Michael]
What does TJ stand for? |
| 9:06 | [Comment From bill]
How has the Price kid looked so far |
| 9:07 | Bruno: Has shot well in limited minutes. Knows the game, has a good feel but has played mostly shooting guard so tough to judge him at the point. |
| 9:07 | [Comment From Nick (Dallas, TX)]
So will I see Danny at the all-star game this year? |
| 9:07 | Bruno: I'd rather see McRoberts in the dunk contest. |
| 9:07 | [Comment From Rich S.]
Can't see the game, but how has Hibbert fared? |
| 9:08 | Bruno: So-so. Not much statistically but like I said before, Houston has no centers, plays small and mashes up the game so it's tough for a pure post center to get into much of a rhythm. |
| 9:15 | Cornrows: End of Pacers bench struggling to score. Lead down to 14. Carl Landry is having his way inside. |
| 9:16 | [Comment From John]
it seems like we have the componets to run with big or small lineups... |
| 9:17 | Bruno: I'd agree. I think they're better equipped to deal with smaller teams this year. Last year those teams gave them all kinds of problems but with Watson and D.Jones in the mix, the matchups are better with this group. |
| 9:20 | [Comment From mauifresh]
what would be your projected starting 5 when dunleavy comes back? |
| 9:20 | Bruno: Same five as tonight: Ford, Rush, Granger, Murphy, Hibbert. I'd really like to see Dunleavy evolve into the ultimate sixth-man. |
| 9:21 | [Comment From Michael]
Who do you consider to be the team leader or is it to early to tell? |
| 9:21 | Bruno: Granger is really stepping forward in that role, with support from Foster. |
| 9:23 | Bruno: FINAL SCORE: PACERS 119, ROCKETS 104. |
| 9:24 | Bruno: Granger finishes with 22, Murphy has 17, Ford 11, seven rebounds and six assists. Off the bench, Head has 13, seven rebounds and six assists, Dahntay Jones 11 and Price 10. |
| 9:25 | Bruno: Thanks for watching the game with me. We'll do this again next week. |
| 9:25 | 
|
|
|
