| PACERS | vs. | HEAT |
 T.J. Ford |
Point Guard |
 M. Chalmers |
 B. Rush |
Shooting Guard |
 D. Wade |
 D. Granger |
Small Forward |
 Q. Richardson |
 T. Murphy |
Power Forward |
 M. Beasley |
 R. Hibbert |
Center |  J. O'Neal |
 D. Jones |
Sixth Man |
 U. Haslem |
 J. O'Brien |
Coach |  E. Spoelstra |
Bench production could have big impact
By Conrad Brunner | Oct. 29, 2009
| Tonight's Game |
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8 p.m., Home TV: FSN-Indiana Radio: 1070 The Fan Buy tickets |
Positive signs were evident enough to buoy the Pacers heading into their home opener Friday against Miami. They shot well (.534, including 10-of-18 from the 3-point line), outrebounded Atlanta and avoided the free-throw disparity that plagued them in the preseason.
But the most pleasant was the play of the second unit, namely newcomers Earl Watson and Dahntay Jones, notorious non-scorers who nonetheless combined for 37 of the team's 49 bench points.
"It was a great spark," said Danny Granger. "We were down and they came in and brought us back. We were right there in the game for the most part until the last six or seven minutes when we had trouble scoring and couldn't stop them.
"That's a positive from the night. Of all the negatives we had, that was a positive, the energy they did bring. Hopefully that will continue for the rest of the season."
Watson scored 20 on 7-of-8 shooting. Jones had 17 but committed six turnovers, evidence of his unfamiliarity with handling the ball with any frequency. Even so, it was the second unit that wiped out a 10-point deficit and pushed the Pacers into a 101-100 lead with 9:04 remaining on Watson's 3-pointer.
"We were down 10, the combination of Earl, Luther (Head), Dahntay, Jeff (Foster) and Solomon (Jones) gave us for a period of time the type of defensive intensity that is necessary for us to win basketball games. We need that across the board from everybody under any circumstances whether you're home or away, back-to-back, it really doesn't matter. …
"We're trying to build everybody's game from the standpoint of what they can contribute offensively. What is good for Luther might not be good for Dahntay. What's good for Solomon might not be good for Roy Hibbert within the passing game. We scored with whatever lineup we had on there. We might score differently with the group we had coming off the bench than we do with our starters but we know we can score points. We have to prove we can score points, take care of the ball, and defend and be on the same page when we're defending."
Hansbrough takes another step forward
Tyler Hansbrough went through his first full-court practice since the summer league period in July in what O'Brien termed "a dramatic step forward" in the rookie's comeback from a stress reaction in his shin."It was good to get him out there," O'Brien said. "He looked great. He's in very good condition. That will not be an issue at all. He's in very, very good condition. He rehabbed very hard.
"This was a dramatic step forward. You always see how he feels the next day and progress it. If he can get to the point where he can practice for an extended period of time live, then he'll be ready for the games."
Hansbrough said he's now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
"I feel like it was a big step for my rehab and getting something done," he said. "It's just up to me getting into shape, listening to the trainers, seeing if we can do more and more and taking it from there.
"It's been frustrating but I feel like we're making progress. We're starting to see some drastic changes and starting to see this thing heal and looking to get to play in my first game in the NBA."
Fast breaks. …
