Mike Dunleavy returns, but Indiana Pacers’ struggles continue in 113-92 loss to Dallas Mavericks

INDIANAPOLIS – Mike Dunleavy made his long-awaited 2009-2010 NBA debut Friday night, and at times, he gave the Indiana Pacers a solid contribution.

The positives for the Pacers pretty much ended there.

Dunleavy, the Pacers’ swingman, scored 13 points in 15:40 in his first appearance in eight months, but the struggling Pacers were otherwise dominated by the surging Dallas Mavericks in a 113-92 loss in front of 16,613 at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

The domination extended beyond the scoreboard, Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said.

It was physical. Big-time.

“We did not play tough at all,” O’Brien said. “That’s why we got pounded.”

The Pacers (6-8), who now have lost five of six games after a five-game winning streak, were outrebounded by Dallas (12-4) by a margin of 54-43.

Dallas finished with 17 offensive rebounds and had 21 second-chance points to six for Indiana.

“We did a nice job, particularly on the defensive boards,” said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, who coached Indiana from 2003-2007,

“With 17 offensive rebounds, you should be scoring some points.”

The Mavericks, after leading by 12 points at halftime, extended the lead to 95-69 after three quarters. Indiana never led by more than one.

Whatever the outcome, the story of the game for Indiana was the return of Dunleavy, who missed all but 18 games last season and underwent right knee surgery in March.

“I think Mike did fine,” O’Brien said .”I looked confident out there and did a lot of good things offensively.”

His line – thirteen points, 4 of 7 shooting, 1 of 1 from 3-point range, 4 of 4 free throws, two rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot in 15:40 – showed why many consider his return critical to the Pacers’ development this season.

“It was great to get back out there in competition tonight,” Dunleavy said. “It was better to play and lose than to not play at all. I’ve got to work on some things, get my rhythm back and just get back into the daily routine.”

The Pacers thus far this season have played through extensive injuries, with not only Dunleavy, but C Jeff Foster, F Troy Murphy and Hansbrough for extended periods. All played Friday.

“We’ve got a relatively full lineup now,” Dunleavy said. “Now, we’ve got to make things happen. I was pain-free tonight and the legs felt pretty good. They can’t do anything but get better.”

The Pacers will play at Golden State Monday, the first game of a four-game West Coast swing. Their next home game is December 9.

“We just have to go out West and work hard,” Dunleavy said.

Pacers F Danny Granger, who missed Wednesday’s game with a sprained MCL, returned Friday and had 20 points on 5-of-16 shooting. But on Friday, Carlisle said it was the Mavericks’ perennial All-Star – Nowitzki – who made the biggest difference.

Nowitzki had 11 points in the first quarter on 4-of-6 shooting, and finished the first half with 19 points. Dallas led 66-54 at that point and Indiana never got closer.

“Nowitzki started out on fire and got us back on our heels and from there on they played with a lot more force,” O’Brien said. “You have to play with tremendous force and we did not and never found ourselves in the game. They beat us to every loose ball.”

Said Pacers point guard T.J. Ford, “This is a time when we have to regroup, hold on to each other and accountable to each other. We’ve got to play better. We’ve got to show more effort. We did pretty good at the end of the first half – beyond that, not very good.

“We’ve got to refocus, have good practice, get out there and get the effort and get back on the right track.”

Three seconds III: On Indiana Pacers F Dahntay Jones and F Troy Murphy

Each week on Examiner.com, Indy Basketball Report Editor John Oehser offers three thoughts on all things Indiana Pacers. Without further delay, this week’s version of Three Seconds as the Pacers (6-7) prepare to play host to the Dallas Mavericks at Conseco Fieldhouse Friday . . .

3) Still searching. You got the idea watching the Indiana Pacers in the last week that they’re still a team searching for their early-season identity. And you also get a feeling that that’s normal and OK. The Pacers can’t wait forever of course, because a few more four-game losing streaks can turn 6-7 into an abysmal season, but there’s not a vibe around this team that it’s going to go on an extended loss. Because of injuries, Pacers coach Jim O’Brien has shifted lineups often in the early season, but there continue to be signs that this team can solidify itself and be a 45-, 48-victory team. The Pacers have shown in the early season they can beat the NBA’s lesser teams on most nights, and that’s what they’re going to have to do make a postseason push. To be playing at that level with F Mike Dunleavy not yet in the lineup and with F Tyler Hansbrough still learning just how to be productive on a consistent basis is a good sign. There also were some signs that the good to come out of the victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday was a good sign. They won that game without F Danny Granger, and did  good job defensively on a talented offensive team. The key? Can the Pacers put forth that sort of defensive intensity and focus more consistently?

2) Rock solid. You always have to be cautious drawing conclusions from a little more than an eighth of an NBA season, but you also can’t not like what Dahntay Jones has given the Pacers. There are inconsistent players on the Pacers throughout the roster — G T.J. Ford and G Brandon Rush, to name two — but Jones has been remarkable in his consistency. Jones, after scoring in double figures 11 times for Denver last season, has done it all 13 games for the Pacers this season. But Jones’ value to the Pacers early, and the thing you can’t imagine not continuing to be invaluable as the season continues, is the all-out effort and focus he seems to bring. Jones missed his first eight shots — and went scoreless in the first half — against the Clippers, but scored 18 in the second half as the Pacers rallied. After one 3-point shot near the Clippers bench, he turned and jawed just enough, then most importantly, hustled to the defensive end. You get the idea watching him the effort and energy isn’t something that’s going to ebb and flow. That’s crucial in a long season.

1) A good or bad thing? I’ll credit the blogger, BenD, at Indy Cornrows with the idea for this, and it’s interesting. He wrote that the Pacers at one point this week were 0-5 with F Troy Murphy playing. After the victory over the Clippers, that statistic is now 1-6, and while this is an early thought on this subject, it seems a stretch to lay the blame solely on Murphy. His offensive game is a bit unorthodox for a four considering — as BenD notes — he does set up well away from the basket, but he does bring a big rebounding presence and he does give the Pacers another quality outside shooter. He also made some good hustle plays against the Clippers. The Pacers certainly are looking for another big-time offensive threat to package with Granger. The truth is that needs to be Mike Dunleavy, but just because Murphy isn’t a player on the level of Dunleavy or Granger doesn’t necessarily make him a liability.

Dahntay Jones, Indiana Pacers rally in second half to beat Los Angeles Clippers, 86-73

INDIANAPOLIS – The outcome didn’t surprise Indiana Pacers F Dahntay Jones a bit.

No Danny Granger? A four-game losing streak?

A rough first half?

None of it mattered to Jones in the wake of the Pacers’ 86-73 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in front of 12,356 at Conseco Fieldhouse Wednesday night, a victory that ended a four-game losing streak and came without Granger, the team’s lone All-Star who is day to day with a sprained left knee.

“We have capable players who can step up and make things happen,” Jones said.

Perhaps most notable among those players:

Jones himself, who scored nine of his team-high 18 points in a fourth quarter in which Indiana pulled away from the Clippers over the final eight minutes.

The Pacers (6-7) trailed throughout the first three quarters, and trailed the Clippers (6-10) by 11 early in the second half. They rallied to take a one-point lead in the third quarter, then pulled away shooting 12 of 21 (57.1 percent) and outscoring Los Angeles 31-14 in the fourth period.

The Pacers shot 17.4 percent in the first quarter, but improved thereafter, shooting 43.5 percent in the second quarter and finishing at 37.6 percent. Indiana also scored 18 points on nine second-half Clippers turnovers after scoring two points off five turnovers in the first half

Afterward, Pacers coach Jim O’Brien didn’t mind talking about an ugly victory.

In fast, he said he liked it.

“Winning ugly is probably a great step for your team to know that it has taken,” O’Brien said. “We actually used the word ‘Ugly’ at halftime. We said, ‘We’re missing shots that we’ll make in the second half, and there’s nothing wrong with winning ugly. Just make sure we come out of here with a win.’ ”

Jones, who missed all six of his first-half shots, shot 6 of 13 in the second half and 4 of 6 in the fourth quarter. He hit two critical layups on back-to-back possessions in the period, and made his only 3-point attempt of the period.

“A victory is a good victory,” Jones said. “There are no ugly victories. When you win, you win.”

The Pacers, after allowing 104 or more points in each game of a recent four-game losing streak, held Los Angeles to 29 of 90 shooting (32.2 percent).

“We stepped it up,” Pacers point guard T.J. Ford said. “It was a game where we had to grind it out. We know what we can do defensively. We just have to continue to put it together for four quarters.”

Indiana F Troy Murphy had 10 of his 18 points in the quarter. He started and played 35 minutes in his third game back after missing six games with a back injury. Brandon Rush had 13 points for Indiana, with Luther Head scoring 14 and Ford finishing with 11 points and six assists.

“We broke our losing streak by distributing the ball,” said Jones, who has scored in double figures in 13 of 13 games this season after doing so 11 times last season with Denver. “We did a lot of positive things, keeping the ball moving, distributing the ball well and knocking down our shots. We have capable players that can step up and make things happen.”

O’Brien, who talked extensively about a lack of “force” in a Tuesday loss at Toronto, said the Pacers improved drastically in that area Wednesday. Even when the team was struggling early, O’Brien said the effort and intensity was at the necessary level defensively.

The Pacers’ 12 first-quarter points were their fewest of any quarter this season, and their 34 points were their lowest first-half total of the season.

Yet, despite being outrebounded, 55-52, O’Brien said the team found a way to win a game that hardly started off as the Pacers wanted.

“I’m very proud of our team,” O’Brien said. “We played a game with a lot of adversity around it, and played with a tremendous amount of force on the defensive end.”

Indiana Pacers continue to struggle defensively, lose to Toronto Raptors, 123-112

The Indiana Pacers’ winning streak suddenly seems a long time ago.

The preseason commitment to defense does, too.

Despite a season-high 36 points from F-G Danny Granger, most of which came in a too-little, too-late second-half rally, the recently-hot Pacers fell behind early and could never catch the Toronto Raptors in a 123-112 loss at Air Canada Centre in Toronto Tuesday.

Since a five-game winning streak, the Pacers (5-7) have lost four consecutive games.

“You can’t play one good quarter on the road and expect to win,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien told Pacers.com afterward. “We played with no force in the first half and made it a game in the second half because we did play with force.

“You have to play four quarters on the road and we did not do that.”

The effort came in a game in which O’Brien altered the lineup, with C Jeff Foster starting for the first time this season, replacing Roy Hibbert, who began the game on the bench for the first time this season. O’Brien told the Associated Press it was because he preferred Foster’s defensive quickness.

Pacers.com wrote that Foster in place of Hibbert is not expected to be permanent.

Troy Murphy started at F, and Brandon Rush started at G. With Murphy in the lineup, Granger moved to small forward, moving Dahntay Jones – who has been productive in the early part of the season – to the bench.

“I think Dahntay deserves to start, but I think it’s better for our rotation if Dahntay comes off the bench,” O’Brien told Pacers.com. “Dahntay knows I think he’s a starter.”

The Pacers have allowed more than 100 points in all four losses during the streak. Toronto’s 74 first-half points were its most in a half since 1999, and its 39 first-quarter points was its highest first quarter this season.

The 123 points were the most by a Pacers opponent this season.

“It’s definitely an obstacle for our team,” PG Earl Watson told the Indianapolis Star. “We have to lose ourselves and sacrifice defensively. That means a total focus on just energy and good communication in order to get past this point.”

O’Brien told the Star, “It’s up to the players in the NBA to bring a high level every night, and right now, the last two games we did not bring it. That’s the bottom line. They did nothing that we did not expect.”

The Pacers, after trailing 74-53 at halftime, closed the lead to 97-92 late in the third quarter with a follow dunk by rookie F Tyler Hansbrough. Granger – who finished with seven 3-pointers – had 22 of his 36 points in the second half, and scored 11 of the Pacers’ first 14 third-quarter points.

Granger opened the quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers, and a 9-3 run late in the third quarter cut the lead to five.

“It’s irrelevant,” O’Brien said of Granger’s season-high game. “It’s irrelevant. He could’ve had 70 and it’s irrelevant. It doesn’t matter.”

The Pacers stayed within range, trailing by eight at the end of the third quarter, and after a pair of 3-pointers by Murphy, they trailed 113-106 with just under seven minutes remaining. Toronto quickly pushed the lead back to 11, with a 3-pointer by former Pacers G Jarrett Jack making it 117-106.

“They shot 55 percent tonight,” Granger told NBA.com. “I don’t even know what to say. We emphasized what we wanted to do. Sometimes we do it and sometimes we don’t and we didn’t do it tonight.”

The Pacers shot 6 of 18 from the floor in the fourth quarter.

Chris Bosh had 16 points and 12 rebounds, for Toronto, while Jose Calderon scored a season-high 21. Jack had 18 for Toronto, and Andrea Bargnani and Hedo Turkoglu each had 14 points.

Pacers PG T.J. Ford, who played for the Raptors, scored 16 points.

For the third time in four games, the Pacers lost to a team that entered the game struggling. A little more than a week ago, they lost to the Knicks, who entered the game on a six-game losing streak, and this past Sunday, they lost to Charlotte, which entered having lost seven consecutive games.

For the Raptors, the victory over Indiana was their second in six games.

“I thought we played horrible at Charlotte and I think the first half here was just like Charlotte,” O’Brien told NBA.com. “We just did not play with any defensive force and as a result we got pounded.”

Granger told the Indianapolis Star, “We’re Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as a team. We’re two different teams in the first and second half. We dug ourselves too big of a hole and we couldn’t get back. I don’t really know what to tell you. We emphasize what we want to do, and sometimes we do it and sometimes we don’t.”

Also Tuesday:

* O’Brien said F-G Mike Dunleavy, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, could be ready to return “within days,” according to the AP.

Indiana Pacers lose third consecutive game, 104-88, to struggling Charlotte Bobcats

A week ago, the Indiana Pacers had the look of an up-and-coming team on a roll.

Now, they just want to win again.

Their lineup got healthier and bigger, but that didn’t keep the Pacers (5-6) from helping end an extended losing streak for a second time in three games. On Sunday, the Pacers fell behind the Charlotte Bobcats (4-9) early and never recovered, losing 104-88 to the NBA’s lowest-scoring team.

The Bobcats, who entered the game averaging 82.4 points a game, had lost seven consecutive games.

“They controlled the whole game,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien told NBA.com. “They controlled everything. They played with more force that we did all four quarters.

“We just didn’t seem to have an answer.”

Former Pacers F Stephen Jackson, averaging 17.8 points a game since joining Charlotte recently, scored just 10 points, but had seven rebounds, two steals and four assists. Center Nazr Mohammed scored 18 points in 17 for Charlotte, which hadn’t won in 17 days. Last Wednesday, the Knicks beat the Pacers to snap a six-game losing streak, the first game of what is now a three-game Indiana losing streak.

Indiana, which had won five consecutive games after a three-game season-opening losing streak, lost to Cleveland Friday.

The Pacers haven’t won since beating Boston on Saturday, November 15.

“They shut us down,” F Danny Granger, who scored a team-high 18 points, told NBA.com. “We couldn’t even guard them.”

The Pacers shot 41 percent from the floor with 18 turnovers, shooting 5 of 22 from 3-point range and missing their first eight. Indiana never led after the first quarter, and after Charlotte went on a 22-5 first-half run, the Bobcats led 81-60 entering the fourth quarter.

Former North Carolina standout F Tyler Hansbrough, playing his first NBA game in North Carolina, had eight points and six rebounds. Pacers F Dahntay Jones continued to score consistently with 19 points.

C Jeff Foster, out three weeks with a sprained ankle, did not score in his first game back, and F Troy Murphy finished with seven points and eight rebounds in his second game after returning from a back injury.

Also, O’Brien said while F-G Mike Dunleavy (knee) has been cleared to return, it’s not certain he will return this week. “He has not practiced enough fullcourt that we’re comfortable just throwing him out there,” O’Brien told the Associated Press. “When he feels like he’s in NBA shape, then he’ll be back.”

LeBron James’ 40 points, nine rebounds, lead Cleveland Cavaliers past Indiana Pacers, 105-95

INDIANAPOLIS — The way Danny Granger saw it, there was a pretty simple choice in the Indiana Pacers’ 105-95 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Let LeBron James shoot outside.

SEE SLIDESHOW

Or let him drive inside.

As is often the case with James, neither was a good option Friday night, with the result being not just another dominant performance from James, but a second consecutive late-game disappointment for the Pacers, a team suddenly no longer quite as hot as it was this time last week.

“It’s kind of like pick your poison,” Granger, the Pacers’ All-Star forward, said after James’ 40-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist performance in front of a solid-out crowd of 18,165 at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. “You either let him get to the lane or let him pull up for a jump shot.

“He was really hitting those from the perimeter.”

The poison the Pacers picked late was really one James picked:

A 25-foot 3-point field goal with just under a minute remaining as the shot clock expired with the Cavaliers (9-4) hanging onto a four-point lead they earned by overcoming a five-point deficit at the end of the third quarter.

James converted it for his first 3-point field goal not only of the quarter but the game.

“Sometimes, there’s not a lot you can do when you’re playing one of the premier players in the league,” said Jim O’Brien, who was ejected for the first time as Pacers coach in the first quarter.

Such was the case throughout for the Pacers (5-5), who lost a second consecutive game after a five-game winning streak pushed them two games over .500.

With Granger, who led the Pacers with 19 points and nine rebounds, scoring nine first-quarter points and forward Dahntay Jones scoring 12, Indiana matched an equally hot-starting Cleveland team early. The first quarter ended tied 38-38, and Jones hadn’t missed any of his seven shots.

The Cavaliers pulled ahead, 66-61, at halftime, outrebounding Indiana, 22-15, in the first half and shooting 55.8 percent.

Indiana took a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter and led by 82-77 entering the fourth quarter, but Cleveland rallied quickly to tie it 82-82 a little more than a minute into the period. The Cavaliers, holding the Pacers to 22.2 percent fourth-quarter shooting, shot 52.9 percent in the fourth quarter to pull away.

“Our defense wasn’t that bad down the stretch,” Granger said. “Offensively, we got some decent looks, but they played defense and pushed us to the shot clock.”

The Pacers, who squandered a 19-point lead Wednesday against the Knicks, have made 8 of 35 field goals in their last two fourth quarters.

“Our offense was stagnant and there was a lot of standing around,” Pacers F Troy Murphy said. “We moved the ball well the first three quarters, but not so good in the fourth.”

Granger shot 7 of 21 wirh nine rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots while Jones finished with 17 points and Brandon Rush finished with 16. Point guard T.J. Ford finished with 14 points for the Pacers, who shot just 4 of 18 from 3-point range.

Murphy, after missing six games with a bruised back, returned with a double double, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“I felt alright,” Murphy said. “I was kind of rusty at the beginning. But conditioning wasn’t an issue.”

In other Pacers news:

• F-G Mike Dunleavy, out since undergoing knee surgery last March, could return next week, O’Brien said.

• G Travis Diener will miss 4-to-6 weeks after undergoing toe surgery Friday.

• C Jeff Foster, out the last eight games with an ankle injury, said he expects to play against Charlotte in Charlotte Sunday.

Indiana Pacers squander 19-point second-half lead to lose to struggling New York Knicks, 110-103

INDIANAPOLIS – As Dahntay Jones sees it, the Indiana Pacers will grow from this. It was, he said, a lesson above all else.
A painful lesson.

The Pacers, one of the NBA’s hottest teams over the last week and a half, started Wednesday the same way. But after Indiana took a 19-point third-quarter lead, the struggling New York Knicks outscored the Pacers 34-17 in the fourth quarter en route to a 110-103 victory in front of 12,258 at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

“It’s definitely a learning experience for us as a growing team,” said Jones, a free-agent forward who scored 10 of his 25 points as Indiana’s lead disappeared in the fourth quarter.

“We have to close out games better than that. No matter how many we won in a row, we should have taken advantage of that situation.”

PHOTO GALLERY | PACERS-KNICKS. HERE

The Pacers (5-4), who beat the Knicks on November 4 in New York for their first victory of the season, lost for the first time since that game. They entered Wednesday night’s game on a five-game winning streak, at the time tied with Cleveland and Atlanta for the NBA’s longest.

The Pacers, who last won five consecutive games in 2004-2005, play host to Cleveland Friday.

“They wore us out in the fourth quarter,” said Pacers coach Jim O’Brien, whose team was playing its first back-to-back of the season having won at New Jersey on Tuesday.

“We tend not to move well in fourth quarter.”

The Knicks outscored the Pacers 27-7 over the last 7:30 and helding Indiana to 4 of 16 fourth-quarter shooting. The Pacers shot 8-of-30 (.267) in the second half after shooting 26 of 44 (.591) in the first.

“Our offense got kind of stagnant and they just outplayed us down the stretch,” Granger said.

Granger’s offense got particularly stagnant in the second half.

And it is in that area that O’Brien said the Pacers need to learn from – and improve on – the most.
Granger, the Pacers’ All-Star forward, scored 30 first-half points on 11 of 14 shooting. He made 5 of 6 first-half 3-point field goals but took just four second-half shots.

“We just overplayed everything he got,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We made him work harder to get the ball. We contested every one of his shots.”

That, O’Brien said, will be the strategy of most teams until the Pacers prove it doesn’t work.

“They did a good job shutting him down,” O’Brien said.

It’s a strategy Boston used successfully in a Pacers victory, but unlike in that game – when the Pacers’ held off Boston with Jones leading a balanced second-half offense – Indiana struggled without production from Granger. Jones scored 13 second-half points, but Indiana shot 24.2 percent in the second half.

“I don’t think they necessarily went after him [Granger],” O’Brien said. “It’s the same thing we saw against Boston. He had a big first half and teams are going to take the attitude, ‘Somebody else is going to beat us.”

Said Granger, “We still should have moved the ball and scored. We turned it over too much. We really couldn’t score the ball tonight.”

The Pacers took a 69-54 halftime lead after a 43-point second quarter in which they shot 76.2 percent from the floor. Granger shot 6-of-7 – 3 of 3 from 3-point range – and finished the quarter with 17 points. The Knicks cut the Pacers lead to 10 entering the fourth period, during which Granger said the Pacers allowed too many easy baskets inside and allowed seven turnovers.

“They were scoring too easily around the bucket,” Granger said. “They hit some threes, and we couldn’t score at the other end. Credit their defense.”

Said Jones, “We had some costly turnovers and we didn’t score much. We got a little stagnant and wore down a little bit. We let them take advantage of the situation.”

Indiana Pacers go on the road to beat winless New Jersey Nets, 91-83, for fifth consecutive victory

The Indiana Pacers are officially hot. Roy Hibbert is, too.

Hibbert, the Pacers’ second-year center, turned in yet another impressive performance – and yet another double double – with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 91-83 victory over the winless New Jersey Nets (0-11) in front of 11,332 at IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

“We went out there and played hard,” Hibbert, who recorded his fourth double double in eight games this season, told Pacers Television.

“We didn’t want to underestimate these guys. We didn’t want to be their first win.”

The victory was the Pacers’ fifth in succession after three losses to start the season. They hadn’t won five consecutive games since the 2004-2005 season.

“After starting out 0-3, to be able to come back and get five wins, two of them on the road, it’s really a tribute to the work ethic of the guys in the locker room,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien told the Indianapolis Star.

The Pacers play host to the New York Knicks at Conseco Fieldhouse Wednesday night, their first back-to-back of the season.

The Pacers, who were led by F Danny Granger with 22 points, are two games over .500 for the first time since December 22, 2007. They then play host to Cleveland Friday.

“We’re going to try to build off these wins and keep the momentum going,” Hibbert said.

The Pacers, who started the first and third quarters with 9-0 runs, took a 17-point lead early in the second half, then holding off several Nets rallies thereafter. New Jersey cut the lead to 83-77 before point guard Earl Watson – who continues to develop a key role early in the season – hit a 3-point field goal with 1:58 to give Indiana a nine-point lead.

“They fought the whole game,” Granger told Pacers.com. “They kept fighting back and fighting back. Fortunately, we got the win.”

Hibbert told the team Web site, “Coming down to the end of the game we wanted to make sure we closed it out. Last year, I think that we kind of folded and we lost those close games. They made their run, we stayed strong, we dug deep and we played together and we had each other’s backs out there and that’s why we got this win tonight.”

The Pacers’ bench outscored the Nets’ bench, 18-5.

“They made their run and we stayed strong,” Hibbert told Pacers Television. “We dug deep and stayed together.”

The victory came three nights after the Pacers beat the Boston Celtics, their lone victory this season over a team with a winning record.

“It was really an ugly game by both teams,” Granger told the Indianapolis Star. “There will be games like that we win in the future. We came from a game where we played very well against Boston, but we didn’t play so well tonight. We got the win, though.”

Forward Dahntay Jones continued a strong offensive start with 17 points, five rebounds and four assistants.

“We’re doing a good job committing on defense,” Jones told NBA.com. “If we stick to our scripts, we’ll be all right.”

The Pacers were without F Troy Murphy (back) for a fifth consecutive game, and are still playing without F Jeff Foster and F Mike Dunleavy.

“We showed a lot of maturity out there,” Pacers PG T.J. Ford told the Star. “It wasn’t pretty and we definitely didn’t play perfect, but we got the job done and you take it. That was part of the task. We’ve got to do the same thing against the Knicks.”

Three Seconds II: On Indiana Pacers G-F Danny Granger’s “slump” and some good early-season signs

Each Monday on Examiner.com, Indy Basketball Report Editor John Oehser offers three thoughts on all things Indiana Pacers. Without further delay, this week’s version of Three Seconds as the Pacers (4-3) prepare to visit New Jersey Tuesday, play host to the New York Knicks Wednesday and play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday.

3) Snapping out of it? One of the interesting exchanges following the Pacers’ 113-104 victory over the Boston Celtics on Saturday was between Pacers G-F Danny Granger and Indianapolis Star Pacers writer Mike Wells. Minutes after Granger finished 8 of 16 shooting (6 of 9 from 3-point range), Granger teased Wells about having written late last week about Granger being in a shooting slump. ”I was never in a slump,” Granger said, laughing. No idea if the story motivated Granger, but in the last two games, he has looked more like the All-Star player he was last year than he did during the first three games. An example of why in the marathon season that is the NBA conclusions can’t be drawn after the first two or three games. Having not watched Granger closely until this season, it has been interesting in the last few games to observe him. When he wasn’t shooting well early in the season, he didn’t look much like an All-Star, franchise player. During the last few games — since leaving the locker room without speaking to the media following a disappointing loss to Denver in the third game of the season — his game seems to have steadied, he’s hitting a higher percentage of his shots and it has been very obvious that he’s a franchise-level player and core building-block guy this team builds.

2) Getting it done.  As silly as it is to put huge emphasis on the seventh game of an 82-game season, the Pacers’ victory over the Celtcs did have the feel of a legitimizing event. Obviously, it means nothing if they don’t continue to build on what they’ve done the last four games, but you got the feeling talking to players after the game that they while they were liking what they had done beating the Knicks, Wizards and Warriors they — like coach Jim O’Brien and just about everybody following them — were wanting something solid against an elite team to show them they could play with quality teams. “It lifts us a lot,” Granger said. “To extend our winning streak against Boston says a lot about us. It was what we needed. A week ago, I was looking forward to playing this game, because I love playing the really good teams — Cleveland, the Lakers and the Celtics. I really love those games. We took care of the other games. This game, we were up for it and we were ready for it.” Several things about the victory over the Celtics stood out. One was that the Pacers beat a team with a size advantage. The Celtics started out dominating the Pacers inside, but in the second half — when Indiana seemed to get its footing and and take control — the rebounding advantage diminished. Second, they beat the Celtics on a night where not everything went right. This wasn’t one of those dream games where every shot was falling and every loose ball bounced toward Indiana. The Pacers fell behind by nine in the first half in spite of Granger starting out hot, and it didn’t take a second-half miracle to get them back in it. “We kept fighting back,” Granger said. “We kept out composure down the stretch.” They came out of halftime with a solid run, then gradually took control in the third quarter without an overwhelming run. They just played solidy, and that was enough to take control. Thirdly, they won in the second half without Granger being particularly hot or even that involved in the offense. He said afterward it seemed as if the Celtics started denying him the ball as he crossed half court, and that’s only exagerrating a bit. With Granger thus denied, F Dahntay Jones — who continues to look like a solid offseason addition to the team’s foundation — scored 18 of his season-high 25 points in the second half. And while Granger wasn’t scoring big in the second half, you never got the feeling the Pacers seemed confused or lost offensively. “It was definitely a team effort,” Granger said. That has to be a good sign.

1) Still short-handed. Perhaps the most obvious positive for the Pacers early is that they not only have recovered from their 0-3 start in steady fashion, but that they have done so while still playing shorthanded. Watching this team, you get the feeling that rookie F Tyler Hansbrough is still getting acclimated to the NBA game, and that once he gets comfortable at the very least he’s going to provide an energy and inside presence. The Pacers also are still without F Jeff Foster, F Troy Murphy and G-F Mike Dunleavy, the latter of whom returned to practice last week on a limited basis. O’Brien talked extensively last week about the importance of Dunleavy’s return. He missed all but 18 games last year, but his presence would give the Pacers a legitimate, multi-talented offensive player aside from Granger and significantly increase the talent level. The Pacers aren’t dependent on Dunleavy to be competitive, but his return could make them an interesting factor in the Eastern Conference. So far this season, the Pacers have done what they have needed to do – beat the inferior teams on their schedule and sneak in a home victory over a contender (Boston). To have done so at less than full strength speaks not only to the character of the team, but of its potential. ”We don’t even have Troy Murphy or Jeff Foster, so we’ll be ready,” Granger said.

Danny Granger, Dahntay Jones lead Indiana Pacers by Boston, 113-104, for fourth consecutive victory

As Indiana Pacers coach Jim O’Brien saw it, this one mattered. And it mattered a lot.

Yes, the Pacers had won three consecutive games after an 0-3 start, but there was a nagging feeling – not only from observers, but within the organization – that came from the less-than-intimidating nature of the teams played during the streak.

The Pacers, O’Brien said, needed a victory over an elite team. They got it Saturday.

 And they did so in impressive fashion.
 

“We had beaten three teams that were struggling teams,” O’Brien said Saturday after the Pacers’ increasingly gelling, productive supporting cast helped Indiana hold off the Boston Celtics, 113-104, in front of a loud crowd of 18,165 at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. “I said all week, ‘We need to get a win over a quality opponent.’ The Celtics are every definition of a quality opponent.

“We’ll take it. We’ll be proud. We’ll enjoy it.”

The Pacers lost their first three games to Miami, Denver and Atlanta – each of which is near the top of its respective conference – and although they had won three consecutive games, the victories came over New York, Golden State and Washington. The last three had a combined 6-20 record.

Boston, which lost to Atlanta in Boston Friday, entered the game tied with Phoenix for the NBA’s best record. They also entered the game as the best shooting team in the NBA at 50.1 percent. The Celtics shot 52.1 percent in the first half and 41.2 percent in the second.

They finished shooting 47.6 percent from the field.

“We did a great job executing our offense and making a lot of deflections on defense,” Pacers G Earl Watson said after the Pacers finished with eight steals, forcing 14 turnovers. “We’re starting to become more determined on offense and defense. We beat a very focused team that was coming off a loss.”

The Pacers’ four-game winning streak is their longest since April 2008.

“If we keep working doing whatever we’re supposed to be doing, we can go far,” Pacers center Roy Hibbert said.

Danny Granger, the Pacers’ All-Star forward, led Indiana with a game-high 29 points on 8-of-16 shooting. He also finished 6 of 9 from 3-point range.

“It’s huge for us,” Granger said. “That’s four in a row after losing three in a row. That’s a very good Boston team that lost the previous night. Usually, when teams of that caliber lose, they come back ready to play.

“We still beat them them. That’s a good game for us.”

On Saturday, the victory was about more than the team’s lone All-Star. The Pacers, after trailing 61-52 at halftime, took an 84-79 lead by holding Boston to 35 percent shooting (7 of 20) and out rebounding the bigger Celtics 13-7.

“It gave us a lot of momentum that we were able to carry over to the fourth quarter,” Pacers guard Brandon Rush said.

The Pacers pushed ahead with a strong fourth quarter from forward Dahntay Jones. Known as a defensive presence in five previous NBA seasons, he averaged 15 points in six previous games with Indiana. He scored a season-high 25 points, and with the Celtics focusing their defense on Granger, Jones had 18 in the second half.

“He’s been put in a situation where he’s had the ball in his hands more than at any time in the NBA,” O’Brien said of Jones. “He’s growing as an offensive player.”

Said Jones, “Coach O’Brien kept calling my number, and told me to be aggressive. We had something that worked, and we kept with it. That’s what you do. You build plays that are working.”

Hibbert, who recently had a string of three consecutive triple doubles, finished with 11 points and two rebounds, with Watson finishing with 12 points and seven assists and Rush finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Point guard T.J. Ford, returning from a back injury, had 10 points.

The victory was Indiana’s third in succession at home. They beat the Wizards last Friday and the Warriors this past Wednesday.

“It was wonderful,” O’Brien said. “We really appreciate the support and everybody can see that this team just works their tails off and plays hard as they’re capable of playing. They play for 48 minutes, and it’s nice to play in front of a crowd that gave us everything they had for 48 minutes.

“It’s nice to be establishing a home-court advantage.”