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PACERS at HOUSTON ROCKETS Tonight, 8:30, Toyota Center TV: Fox Sports Indiana Radio: 1070 The Fan Injury Report presented by Ortho Indy |
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 Jim O'Brien |
Scouting Report
It's Thanksgiving week but the Pacers are stuck in Groundhog Day. They keep playing the same game over and over and over, hence their three-game losing streak. They led Orlando by 10 in the second quarter, 77-70 entering the fourth and 83-77 with 7:03 to go but lost in overtime. They led Miami by 15 in the first half and 82-81 in the fourth but were outscored 10-2 in the final 2½ minutes. They led Dallas by 13 in the third quarter, 83-77 entering the fourth and 97-90 with 3:40 to go but were outscored 14-2 in the next two minuets and lost. Turnovers and stagnant, one-dimensional offensive have been the chief culprits. Houston (10-5) has won three in a row and ranks second in the NBA in points allowed (90.5), a number that is actually getting better of late (85.8 in the last five).
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 Rick Adelman |
 T.J. Ford |
Point Guard
As the one player on the team capable of creating something out of nothing, T.J. Ford needs to play a bigger role in clutch situations. He's in a big of a shooting slump (18-of-48 in the last four games) and his assist numbers (15 in the last four) aren't where they need to be but Ford may need to be given more freedom to create, which means a greater tolerance for the occasional mistake, in order to fully thrive. Rafer Alston (10.2 points, 4.5 assists) is an explosive but erratic player.
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 Rafer Alston |
 Marquis Daniels |
Shooting Guard
Marquis Daniels continues to plug along quietly and effectively, producing his fourth double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds) in Dallas and averaging 21.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last three games. He's matched up against a struggling Tracy McGrady (15.6 points), who has not yet regained full health after surgeries on his left knee and shoulder and has been playing no more than 31 minutes of late.
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 Tracy McGrady |
 Danny Granger |
Small Forward
This is the matchup of the game from the Pacers' perspective. If Granger stays on the perimeter, which has been his trend of late, he'll play into the Rockets' hands. He needs to use his quickness against Ron Artest, who has the strength and breadth to shut down any stationary target but lacks lateral footspeed. Artest (14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.93 steals) is having a solid first season with the Rockets.
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 Ron Artest |
 Troy Murphy |
Power Forward
Just when it looked like Troy Murphy was on his way to a huge night, scoring the first eight of the third quarter, he didn't score again in Dallas. He still finished a very strong 21-point, 14-rebound performance but seems to be struggling to figure out where he fits in offensively with the reconstructed Pacers. He's much more than a spot-up shooter and needs to be used in different ways. Luis Scola is a hustler (11.5 points, 6.9 rebounds) who's smallish for the position but plays a solid all-around game.
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 Luis Scola |
 Rasho Nesterovic |
Center
From his years in the Western Conference, Rasho Nesterovic has no shortage of experience dealing with Yao Ming. Nesterovic has struggled with his shot (.344 in the last three) but has been steadily productive. Yao (18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds) can be a dominant force when so inclined and has totaled 50 points and 25 rebounds in the last two games while shooting 18-of-30 (.600).
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 Yao Ming |
 Brandon Rush |
Bench
If Brandon Rush keeps this up, he'll go a long way toward solving the Pacers' bench problems. The rookie had another strong performance in Dallas with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting and is taking on the look of a player who can be turned to in clutch situations. Jarrett Jack has slumped (5-of-17 in the last three) and the Pacers need consistency from the veteran. Jeff Foster has shot 27-of-42 (.643) in the last seven. Houston has a thin bench, leaning heavily on former Purdue star Carl Landry (8.8 points, 5.2 rebounds) up front and speedy Aaron Brooks (11.6 points) in the backcourt.
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 Carl Landry |
