 |
PACERS vs. CHARLOTTE BOBCATS Tonight, 8:00., Conseco Fieldhouse TV: Fox Sports Indiana Radio: 1070 The Fan Injury Report presented by Ortho Indy | Buy Tickets |
 |
 Jim O'Brien |
Scouting Report
The Pacers may have learned a lesson from Wednesday night's comeback win in Houston: to stay on the attack. In previous losses, they built double-digit leads by being the aggressors then blew them by assuming the NBA equivalent of the "prevent defense" mindset. You can't run out the clock in the NBA or you'll get run down. They scrambled the lineup against the Rockets, went small and wiped out a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to snap a three-game losing streak. They've struggled matching up with the Bobcats, losing three of four last season.
|
 Larry Brown |
 T.J. Ford |
Point Guard
It looks like the T.J. and D.J. Texas two-step matchup will have to wait. With Jason Richardson likely to return, Charlotte's Augustin will go back to the bench and Raymond Felton will slide back to the point. Felton (12.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds) is a strong, aggressive player with a streaky shot. Since flirting with triple-doubles in three consecutive games earlier this month, Ford has slumped to averages of 12.4 points and 4.0 assists on .360 shooting.
|
 Raymond Felton |
 Marquis Daniels |
Shooting Guard
Richardson has missed seven straight games since undergoing a minor arthroscopic procedure on his right knee Nov. 12. He returned to practice Tuesday and considered playing Wednesday in Toronto but sat out to get an additional two days' rest. The Bobcats' leading scorer (17.6) is an explosive athlete who'll be the latest a long line of big challenges for Marquis Daniels (15.5 points, 6.0 rebounds), who failed to score in double figures for the first time this season in Houston.
|
 Jason Richardson |
 Danny Granger |
Small Forward
Somehow it figured Danny Granger's most effective play in crunch time would be a miss. He tipped in his own missed drive with 13 seconds left to lift the Pacers past the Rockets, which just might be the boost his sagging game needs. Granger (23.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.92 blocks) has missed 13 of 14 from the 3-point line in the last two games and appears out of rhythm. He did produce a career-high six blocks against the Rockets. Gerald Wallace is another explosive athletic talent capable of scoring 40 or four but is a consistently solid defender.
|
 Gerald Wallace |
 Troy Murphy |
Power Forward
After posting 21 points and 14 rebounds in back-to-back games, Troy Murphy (10.8 points, 10.8 rebounds) is back to averaging a double-double. In fact, he has precisely the same number of points as rebounds (140). He has pulled double-figure rebounds in the last six games (averaging 13.5) and has seven double-doubles on the season. He'll have his hands full with Emeka Okafor, whose modest numbers (9.9 points, 10.4 rebounds) belie his ability to be a force in the post.
|
 Emeka Okafor |
 Rasho Nesterovic |
Center
This might be one of those games where neither starter plays all that much because Charlotte's Alexis Ajinca, a 7-foot rookie from France, averages roughly seven minutes per game before Brown goes to the bench, frequently employing a small lineup. Rasho Nesterovic has been a steadying, solid force for the Pacers in the middle at both ends of the floor but has struggled with his shot of late.
|
 Alexis Ajinca |
 Brandon Rush |
Bench
It's never safe to make assumptions with rookies but it sure looks like Brandon Rush has taken his first big step toward consistent productivity. He failed to score in double figures in the first 10 games but averaged 13.0 points on 17-of-26 shooting (.654) in the last three. Fellow rookie Roy Hibbert also is showing signs of emerging, although his minutes are being parceled out more judiciously. Rush, Jarrett Jack and Jeff Foster don't start, but they all have been finishers. The Bobcats have a deep bench led by Augustin (19.4 points, 5.8 assists, .515 from the field, .522 from the 3-point line in the last five) but also featuring Adam Morrison, Jared Dudley, Matt Carroll, Nazr Mohammed and Shannon Brown.
|
 D.J. Augustin |
