Game Rewind: Pacers 95, Wizards 86

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Pacers go on the attack, rout Wizards

END RESULT

From the outset, you could sense the Pacers were in attack mode. Danny Granger started with two hard drives to the basket, Roy Hibbert dunked and the tone was set for Indiana's 95-86 payback victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday afternoon before 13,043 in Conseco Fieldhouse.

Granger scored 18 points, with seven of his eight baskets coming on layups, as the Pacers bounced back from a sluggish performance in a 104-90 loss in Washington Wednesday night. Indiana led from its first basket and was up by as many as 20 before the Wizards closed the final margin with an inconsequential late flurry.

Darren Collison scored 18 and Roy Hibbert 17 for the Pacers, who also got a big lift from rookie Paul George's career-high 13 points, seven rebounds and five steals in 18 minutes off the bench.

John Wall scored 25 to lead Washington but the rookie point guard from Kentucky committed seven turnovers.

IMPACT

The Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 14-17 overall, 9-8 at home. They finished December with a 5-10 mark this season, 12-34 the past three. They also beat the Wizards for the sixth game in a row at Conseco Fieldhouse, a streak that dates back to April 18, 2007. The Wizards dropped to 8-23 and remained winless on the road this season. At 0-16, they are the first NBA team to open with as many road losses since the 2001-02 Bulls lost their first 18.

QUOTEWORTHY

  • “Paul George had 19 hustle stats in 18 minutes. That’s the most of anybody this year. We thought about a couple things with Paul regarding line-ups and he has practiced well. I thought we played well and played a very solid game." – Pacers coach Jim O'Brien
  • “I didn’t have any idea that my number would be called that early in the game. When I got in the game my teammates helped me, urged me and got me going." – Pacers forward Paul George
  • "We knew that we could play better than we played the other night. I knew that I could, because I didn’t play very well the other night." – Pacers guard Darren Collison
  • "It seems on the road, some of them we just give away." – Wizards guard John Wall

STAT OF THE GAME

This was the 300th win of O'Brien's NBA coaching career. His overall record is 300-317, including 118-159 with the Pacers.

HIGHLIGHTS

While the offense made its mark by attacking the lane, the defense closed down that area of the court to the Wizards, who were 8-of-22 in the first quarter – then got colder in the second. In the first nine minutes of the second quarter, the Pacers put together a 22-7 run to build a 47-29 lead as the Wizards missed all eight of their shots and committed seven turnovers. The advantage was 49-34 at the break as Washington shot 28 percent for the half with three assists and 10 turnovers.

George put on a show in the third quarter, scoring seven in a row, the last on a windmill jam after a steal that put the Pacers up 69-49. Wall tried to bring the Wizards back, scoring 13 of their final 15 points of the quarter but picked up his fourth foul on a charge taken by James Posey in the closing moments of the period.

With Wall on the bench, the Pacers stretched the lead back out as another George steal and dunk made it 89-72 with 5:53 remaining. The Wizards got no closer than the final margin in the second half.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Pacers shot 48.7 percent overall despite a sub-par 5-of-19 mark (.263) from the 3-point line. They outrebounded the Wizards 45-39 but committed 23 turnovers, seven by Hibbert. They had 15 steals. Granger was 8-of-12 from the field, adding three rebounds and two assists to his 18 points. Collison was 8-of-14 with six assists and four rebounds along with his 18. Hibbert's 17 came on 6-of-13 shooting and he added eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. George was 5-of-8 from the field and Brandon Rush scored 11.

Wall posted a career-high 10 field goals made in just 15 attempts on the way to his 25 for Washington but he had more turnovers (seven) than assists (four). Rashard Lewis scored 15 with six rebounds and five assists and Al Thornton had 10 on 4-of-4 shooting off the bench. The Wizards shot just 38.8 percent and had nearly twice has many turnovers (22) as assists (12).

NOTEWORTHY

  • George played in the first quarter for the first time since Nov. 9 (Denver) and played in consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 5-9.
  • Though healthy enough to play, Jeff Foster was inactive for the second game in a row.
  • Wall returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 10. He had come off the bench the previous three after missing five with a bone bruise in his right knee.
  • Saunders was back on the bench after missing Wednesday's game due to a family emergency.
  • The Wizards played the second half with Josh Howard (sore left knee).
  • His first steal today is the 500th of Mike Dunleavy's career.
  • The Wizards' 12 points in the second quarter are the fewest scored against the Pacers in any period this season.
  • The Pacers scored a season-high 58 points in the paint.
  • Washington's 22 turnovers tied the most by a Pacers' opponent and Indiana's 27 points off those mistakes are a season-high.

UP NEXT

The Pacers open 2011 Sunday afternoon in New York against the resurgent Knicks (1 p.m., WIBC 93 FM). Please note, the game will not be televised locally.

--Conrad Brunner, Pacers.com