Game Rewind: Pacers at Bobcats

89
90

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Friday, November 2 at 7:00 PM at the Time Warner Cable Arena

Instant Rewind: IND 89, CHA 90

by Scott Agness

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Game Rewind

On the road for their second game to start the season, Indiana struggled against a Bobcats team that played gritty all night. Once again, the Pacers final shot was going to decide the game. This time, however, it was a different ending as Augustin’s three was no good.

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The Bobcats got off to a fast start and went up on the Pacers 12-3. They started in a zone, which slowed the Pacers and had them throwing up outside shots. Following an Indiana timeout, the Pacers went on a 12-0 run, led by 8 straight from Tyler Hansbrough, who had 12 points at the half.

Reserve Sam Young went to the locker room with a right shoulder injury after playing just 20 seconds. He was first fouled hard by Gerald Henderson and then by Brendan Haywood at the other end on an illegal screen. It was clear how Charlotte wanted to play as Lance Stephenson was roughed up by Ben Gordon, who was given a flagrant-one and then Hansbrough was slow to get up after hard fouls. Later, the Bobcats missed eight shots in a row and went six minutes without scoring.

Hansbrough’s great play continued into the second quarter where he entered double-figures just a few minutes into the second. Indiana went on an 8-0 run and a Gerald Green three gave the Pacers their largest lead of the game, 9, at 28-19. Charlotte responded with a 7-0 run that was eventually ended by a Green jam. At the break, the Pacers led 43-39.

Just like the first quarter, the Bobcats pressed hard out of the locker room, beginning the half on an 11-2 run. Charlotte’s physical play, full-court pressure and zone gave the Pacers fits. With Walker and Henderson combining for 21 third-quarter points, the Bobcats led by four with one period to play.

A Tyrus Thomas field goal put Charlotte up 5 with 3:28 to play and they never scored again. George Hill connected on a floater and David West scored on a layup, but the Pacers were never able to take over the lead. Paul George was called for a charge and then missed a shot underneath on back-to-back possessions.

Then, like last game, the Pacers had the ball for the final shot with 10.2 seconds to go. Hill found Augustin in corner and he missed an open three as time expired.

The Bobcats win ended a 23-game losing streak dating back to last season.

Inside the Numbers

Kemba Walker led the charge for Charlotte. He finished with a career-high 30 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. At one point, Walker was 9-of-13 from the field, but then cooled off, and finished 1-for-8.

Indiana’s bench scored 41 points. Tyler Hansbrough led the charge in the first half and it was Lance Stephenson in the second. Both finished with 15 points, team-highs.

Ian Mahinmi contributed 7 points and 8 rebounds off the bench in 21 minutes of work.

The Pacers controlled the paint, outscoring Charlotte 44-24 and grabbing 11 more rebounds.

The Pacers had 19 assists on 33 field goals.

Again, ball handling was an issue as the Pacers recorded 19 turnovers.

Stat of the Game

A one-point loss is especially tough for the Pacers because they left 11 points at the charity line, going 16-for-27 (59%). Last season, they shot 78%, good for third-best in the NBA.

Quotable

"It was a tough shooting night, but you have to give the Bobcats credit. Kemba Walker was sensational. We turned the ball over too much and we couldn't knock down our free throws." – Frank Vogel

"We were the first team to see it. We saw them do it in preseason. We attacked it pretty well and got a lot of good looks but we just had a tough shooting night." – Vogel on Charlotte's zone

"We knew it was coming. We call it the college scheme. I just think that we turned the ball over a little bit too much and we missed a lot of free throws." – Roy Hibbert on the zone

"You just learn from it. You can't get too high and you can't get too low right now. They played very well and we're a team that's still evolving. We're not complete and we're not completely healthy, but eventually we'll get there." – Roy Hibbert on the loss

"I thought we played at a good pace, we just let them get settled in the first half. They shot 36%, so we played defense well enough to win, we just had too many turnovers and we didn't make them pay. We didn't move the ball when we should have moved the ball in some cases." – David West

"It was gritty play defensively. Indiana can score even without Granger, so I thought on the defensive side of the ball we held it together and did some good things. We took full advantage of the fact that we were at home. The crowd was incredible." – Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap

Noteworthy

  • Sam Young exited the game with a right shoulder injury and never returned. However, he was given clearance by trainers to do so.
  • Frank Vogel was assessed a technical foul late in the second quarter. Gerald Green was given one in the third quarter.
  • Not only does the Bobcats’ win end a 23-game losing streak, it also ends a 9-game losing streak to the Pacers.
  • Bobcats head coach Mike Dunlap won his first game as an NBA head coach.
  • Former Fever head coach (2004-07) and Pacers scout Brian Winters is on Mike Dunlap’s staff in Charlotte.
  • Charlotte sold-out their season-opener (19,124).

Upcoming

After playing the first two contests on the road, the Pacers return to Indy Saturday for their home-opener against the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. The Kings will also be playing in their first back-to-back of the season and are wrapping up a three-game road trip. The game is a "Gold Out"—all fans will receive a Gold Swagger shirt and the team will be wearing their gold jerseys.

The Pacers first home game also marks the premiere of the NBA's best, new scoreboard. Fans in attendance are encouraged to be in their seats by 7:00 for a special intro of the new scoreboard. Tickets for Opening Night start at $10. Buy Tickets for Opening Night »

Halftime Photo Gallery - Tyler Hansbrough fights for some points

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