T.J. FORD
Questionable to play 30 minutes before tipoff because of a strained groin, Ford started, played 34 minutes, scored 25 points and hit the game-winning jumper with 3.8 seconds remaining. He also had six rebounds, five steals and three assists.
Name Min. +/- Name Min. +/-
Maceo Baston DNP --- Marquis Daniels DNP ---
Travis Diener 15:02 +2 Mike Dunleavy DNP ---
T. J. Ford 34:09 0 Jeff Foster 33:18 +6
Stephen Graham 25:21 +2 Danny Granger DNP 0
Roy Hibbert 21:07 -12 Jarrett Jack 31:32 0
Josh McRoberts 28:23 +9 Troy Murphy DNP ---
Rasho Nesterovic 12:59 -3 Brandon Rush 38:09 +1
  • Points in the paint: Pacers 40, Sixers 38
  • Fast-break points: Sixers 18, Pacers 4
  • Second-chance points: Sixers 12, Pacers 9
  • Points off turnovers: Pacers 21, Sixers 19
  • Starters scoring: Sixers 63, Pacers 57
  • Bench scoring: Pacers 38, Sixers 31
    • Josh McRoberts came off the bench to produce career highs in minutes (28), points (10), rebounds (eight) and blocked shots (four).
  • For the second night in a row, the Pacers played without their two leading scorers (Danny Granger and Marquis Daniels) and their leading rebounder (Troy Murphy), all out with a viral infection.
  • Despite being severely shorthanded, the Pacers got 38 points from their second unit, including 12 each from Jarrett Jack and Travis Diener and a career-high 10 from Josh McRoberts. In the last four games, the second unit has outscored opponents 149-68.
  • Jeff Foster was one point away from a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. It was his fourth straight game with double-figures rebounds.
  • The Pacers improved to 5-3 in games Foster starts.
  • Philadelphia was led by Andre Iguodala's 26 points.
  • Andre Miller had 14 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for the Sixers.
  • Philadelpha led by as many as 15 points, 35-20 in the second quarter, but the Pacers cut the lead to 48-44 by halftime and the game was close thereafter.
  • Foster and Coach Jim O'Brien both picked up technical fouls. This was the first time all season the Pacers won a game in which they picked up an individual technical foul.
    • After two much-needed days off, the Pacers return to action Tuesday against red-hot Devin Harris, Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets Tuesday in Conseco Fieldhouse. (7 p.m., Fox Sports Indiana, 1070 The Fan)
  • Inside the Game blog
  • Season plus-minus rankings
  • Game Info

    • Dec. 20, 2008 at Philadelphia
    Pacers 95, Sixers 94

    PACERS COACH JIM O'BRIEN
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    PACERS GUARD JARRETT JACK
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    PACERS FORWARD DANNY GRANGER
    TEXT HERE
    SIXERS COACH TONY DiLEO
    (On tonight’s game) “I think it was a heart-felt game by both teams, I think both teams were tired from back-to-back games. I think when it was coming down the stretch we wanted it and that was the truth from the last play. We got a good look and they just didn’t fall for Andre (Iguodala). But, I think overall the second quarter we stopped moving the ball and stopped running. I think the first quarter we really got out with energy and the second quarter just kind of stopped and we didn’t move the ball. We didn’t run, we didn’t get any fast breaks in the second quarter.”

    (On fast breaks) “We do. We have to do a better job of even after baskets getting into the open court and after steals and rebounds. So we definitely have to do that and it may have been the 15th victory tonight, but we just couldn’t pull that off tonight.”

    (On possession and free throws) “We tried, we talked to them in the time-out and we tried to set up penetration plays and get Lou Williams in there and we really couldn’t get it and on the other end they had a lot of free throws.”

    SIXERS GUARD WILLIE GREEN
    (On the game being a typical trap game) "We talked about it as a team before the game, we talked about Indiana being able to come in and play their style of basketball even when they don’t have their best players and they did tonight. Down the stretch I was watching – they made shots and we didn’t."

    (On blowing the lead) "We have to come out with better energy in the second half. We were up 12 or 15 points, but I do think Indiana did a good job kicking it up. They made shots."

    SIXERS FORWARD THADDEUS YOUNG
    (On thinking they would win) "We definitely knew they were going to come out and play as hard, even if they only had five guys here. They are going to play hard. Indiana is a great team even without some of their starters, and tonight they did it."

    (On what changed in the second half) "They are a great team and they knocked down some big shots when they needed to. That’s what a great team is going to do."

    (On the loss) "Every game we have to have. We took it as a game that we needed, and we didn’t come out victorious but we’re definitely going to capitalize on it Monday at practice. This game is behind us now – we’re playing Boston next and we have to go out there and try to beat them by matching their intensity."

    SIXERS FORWARD ANDRE IGUODALA
    (On losing to a short handed team) "t’s tough – I mean, we’re shorthanded, too, but it’s a game we should have had. It was one of our tougher losses this year, and the games you got to get, you’ve got to get them if you want to be around when April comes."

    (n what they need to do to improve) "We’ve got to continue to focus on the defensive end. Sometimes we get caught up in offense. We have to focus on the defensive end. We had some key gambles in that fourth quarter we should have had. We’ve got to capitalize on them."