Pacers News

Brawl triggerer confesses to drinking problem
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November 20
Indianapolis Star
 
"John Green, the Detroit Pistons fan who threw the cup at then-Indiana Pacer Ron Artest that triggered the brawl in Detroit, told ESPN on Thursday that his issues with alcohol led to the brawl five years ago. "You know, I realized then the trouble I got in that night pretty much stemmed from alcohol," he told ESPN's "First Take." "I wouldn't have done that sober. Look at the video of people throwing stuff. One little thing triggered this huge event with people throwing stuff and everything getting way out of hand. It all stemmed from alcohol. If we can control that, we can control these situations.""
LeBron as a Pacer? Why it's not likely
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November 20
Indianapolis Star
 
"Pick a team, almost any team, and LeBron James' name has been linked to it as a possible destination in next summer's much-anticipated free agent frenzy. (Speaking of which: Doesn't James look good in that Indiana Pacers jersey? It's even No. 6, a tribute to one of his favorite players, Julius Erving. Alas, this tricked-up photo will have to serve in place of reality.) James might play for a team other than Cleveland next year, but it won't be the Pacers. Why? James no longer is discussing free agency. Regardless, here are six reasons -- in honor of him changing his number next season -- his appearance tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse will be the exception, not the rule."
A few more observations from Bird's nest
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November 20
Boston Globe
 
"Larry Bird was not in the house when Bill Belichick decided to go for it on fourth and 2 from his 28. Even though Bird works just a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium, he has never been to a game there. "But I watch 'em all,'' he said Saturday night before his Pacers beat the Celtics at Conseco Fieldhouse. "My son is a big Patriots fan,'' said Bird. "He's screaming and hollering and all that stuff. I always go with the Colts, but I never want any Boston team to lose, so I'm stuck in between. Even when my beloved Cardinals were playing the Red Sox [2004 World Series], I was like, 'I can't lose here.' I just wanted the best team to win."
Curry helps snap Knicks' six-game slide
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November 19
New York Post
 
"The Knicks found their own "Answer" last night in the fourth quarter, playing the best period of the season in rallying for a stunning 110-103 victory over the Pacers that snapped a six-game losing streak. Rallying from a 19-point deficit with 3:25 left in the third, the Knicks pounded the Pacers, 34-17, in the final quarter at Conseco Field House in what could be their last game without Allen Iverson. Eddy Curry's season debut was impressive and Al Harrington went wild with a 13-point fourth quarter. The 2-9 Knicks got a victory and -- from all indications -- may now get Iverson, who becomes a free agent tonight. "Break up the Knicks," a relieved coach Mike D'Antoni said. "They're all ..."
Pacers show signs of finally recovering from 'The Brawl'
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November 19
Indianapolis Star
 
"The Indiana Pacers have enjoyed a five-game winning streak during the past two weeks. Not so coincidentally, it was their hottest streak since the 2004-05 season, a campaign wrecked by one horrible night in Detroit. Five years ago today, in the final minute of a blowout statement victory over the defending champion Pistons, former Pacer Ron Artest fouled Ben Wallace, who then shoved Artest. Rather than retaliate, Artest retreated to the scorer's table -- until Pistons fan John Green hit Artest with a beer cup. What followed shook the NBA, destroyed the Pacers' realistic championship hopes and contributed mightily to the revamped roster you see today."
Pacers blow big lead in 4th, lose to Knicks
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November 19
Indianapolis Star
 
"As their lead stretched into double digits midway through the fourth quarter, it looked as though the Indiana Pacers were about to win their sixth straight game and move into a tie for first place in the Central Division. Looks, however, can be deceiving. Reverting to some bad habits that cropped up often last year, the Pacers blew a 19-point lead and fell 110-103 to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at Conseco Fieldhouse. They were outscored 23-3 late in the fourth, and heard it from their disgruntled fans down the stretch. "(The 2-9 Knicks) needed a win and just beat the heck out of us in the fourth quarter," said Pacers coach Jim O'Brien, who got testy with some fans behind the ..."
New York Knicks outscore Indiana Pacers by 17 in 4th quarter, win 110-103
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November 19
New York Daily News
 
"The only team that needs Allen Iverson more than the Knicks may be the Indiana Pacers. Mike D'Antoni's team, featuring Eddy Curry off the bench, rallied from a 19-point second half deficit to defeat Indiana, 110-103, last night to snap a six-game losing streak. In what may be their last game before Iverson arrives, the Knicks played their best 24 minutes of the season by holding Indiana to 34 second-half points on eight field goals. "Here come the Knicks," D'Antoni joked after the team improved to 2-9. "I think they decided enough's enough. And they played hard." The Knicks won for the first time in 16 days by relying on their veterans, otherwise known as the Rent-A-Knicks. So much for ..."
Things go from bad (Nets) to worse (injured) for Indy's Lee
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November 18
Indianapolis Star
 
"Luck has not been on Courtney Lee's side the past five months. There has been the foot problem for the former Pike High School standout. The ankle problem. Now a groin problem. And, oh yeah, Lee was traded from a team that reached the NBA Finals last season (Orlando) to one that is rebuilding and won't be a playoff team anytime soon, the New Jersey Nets. "He's just been snakebit," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "Every time he starts to make a little bit of progress, he's gotten hurt. He's had basically three different injuries in 52 days." Lee has missed the past five games with a strained left groin. "It's just I had some fiber tears on top of my groin, the groin muscle," Lee told New ..."
Pacers hold off Nets to extend winning streak
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November 18
Indianapolis Star
 
"Never mind their inability to firmly hold onto a double-digit lead. Don't pay attention to how the New Jersey Nets had their way in the paint in the first half, either. None of that was relevant because the test for the Indiana Pacers was how they would handle playing an inferior opponent after beating an elite team in their previous game. There were plenty of spotty moments, but the Pacers did what was necessary to pass the challenge and extend their longest winning streak in more than four years. The Pacers won their fifth straight game when they held off the scrappy Nets 91-83 Tuesday at the Izod Center. "It was really an ugly game by both teams," Pacers forward Danny Granger said. ..."
The beat goes on for 0-11 Nets
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November 18
New York Post
 
"The team that brought you tie-dyed uniforms back in the early '90s and some squads that were as unwatchable as anything McLean Stevenson did after M*A*S*H, came up with a boffo promo for last night. It was a "10 is Enough" program designed to fill the Meadowlands with fans, many in $10 seats, who would cheer the Nets to their first victory of the season, hopefully ending a 10-game losing streak. So, what's next, $11, $12, $13 seats? Please, no "27 is Enough" promos. Suffice to say the master plan didn't work. "It's a bitter feeling pretty much every loss," said Chris Douglas-Roberts, whose career night went for naught. "I really can't describe how I feel." And then he did. "My numbers ..."
Pacers won't take winless Nets lightly
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November 17
Indianapolis Star
 
"There were no voicemails or post-it notes on their lockers when they showed up for work Monday. The Indiana Pacers didn't need a reminder. The returning players know their recent roller-coaster history of beating an elite team one night, losing to inferior opponent the next. The Pacers are in that all-too-familiar position tonight at winless New Jersey (0-10) after toppling Boston on Saturday. "Trust me, we know about what happened last year," center Roy Hibbert said. "We're not in the position to be able to underestimate any team. They're a good team; their record just doesn't show it. If you look at the tape, they've been in most of their games until the last minute." The Pacers don't ..."
Daniels settling in as Celtics' reserve
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November 15
Indianapolis Star
 
"Marquis Daniels saw the writing on the wall when it came to his future with the Indiana Pacers last summer. Daniels would have made $7.5 million this season if the Pacers had picked up his team option, which would have strangled them financially in regards to signing any free agents. The Pacers decided against the move and let Daniels become an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the Boston Celtics for the $1.9 million biannual exception. Pacers president Larry Bird said they would have brought Daniels back if they could have gotten him that cheap. "I had a sense of it," Daniels said. "There were some trying times financial-wise for the organization. Things weren't going the way they ..."
Streaking along
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November 15
Indianapolis Star
 
"Dahntay Jones played with a scowl on his face and a chip on his shoulder, attacking some of the NBA's premier defenders as if they were a bunch of recreation league players. Danny Granger shot with pinpoint accuracy from the perimeter in the first half and the sellout crowd at Conseco Fieldhouse stood on its feet and cheered most the second half, providing the extra type of energy needed for an undermanned team. It all came together perfectly, as the shorthanded Indiana Pacers kicked off a weekend of NBA and NFL games against Boston-area teams with an impressive 113-104 victory over the Celtics on Saturday night. It was their fourth straight victory after starting the season 0-3. "It's the ..."
Griz sign former Pacers' point guard Jamaal Tinsley
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November 15
Memphis Commercial Appeal
 
"Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace oversees a team that is shaky at the point and has little to no leadership in the locker room. The hope is that veteran floor general Jamaal Tinsley provides an upgrade in both of those areas. Wallace insisted Saturday that signing Tinsley to a one-year, veteran's minimum deal had nothing to do with Allen Iverson's weeklong leave of absence due to personal reasons. Either way, Iverson still isn't with the team and starting point guard Mike Conley entered Saturday's game against Minnesota as the weakest link to a 1-8 start to the season. "We just felt that (Tinsley's) experience and playmaking ability could be of benefit to us," Wallace said. "So we ..."
Celtics worn down by pace
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November 15
Boston Globe
 
"The rest of the NBA has no regard for the Celtics' lofty goals or the fact they may be a step slow and ailing in the second game in two nights. The rest of the NBA has no sympathy. They thirst to knock off a championship contender. The Pacers used 29 points from Danny Granger and 25 from Dahntay Jones to run away from the Celtics, 113-104, at Conseco Fieldhouse last night. Boston's 9-point halftime lead over Indiana was gone by the end of the third quarter and the Celtics spent the fourth quarter screaming at official Joey Crawford and watching their status as an NBA elite team shrink further."
Play defense or else
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November 14
Indianapolis Star
 
"The jawing started as they walked off the court. It continued during a timeout, late in the game at New York.

Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger was yelling at teammate Dahntay Jones. Jones barked back. Someone missed a defensive assignment. That's not tolerable. Not this year. Surprised? You're probably not the only one wondering what's gotten into the Pacers. These Pacers care about contesting shots and stopping dribble penetration. Their new emphasis on defense explains why they have held opponents to 43 percent shooting, which ranks seventh in the league. Coach Jim O'Brien said they need to finish in the top 10 to make the playoffs. "Honestly, ..."

Rehabbing Mike Dunleavy rejoins Pacers practice
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November 14
Indianapolis Star
 
"Indiana Pacers swingman Mike Dunleavy practiced today for the first time since February. Dunleavy, who is working his way back from right knee surgery in March, is limited to practicing in the halfcourt.

"It's tremendous that he was able to play in the halfcourt," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "He's so important in many aspects of the team. He's really almost like a genius offensively from a standpoint of how he moves. He has a way of modeling of what we want in our passing game." There's no timetable on when Dunleavy will play in his first game. "At this point we're going by the old cliché of one day at a time," Dunleavy said. "Literally we're going to do that ..."

Pacers' Watson back on target
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November 13
Indianapolis Star
 
"Indiana Pacers point guard Earl Watson picked a pretty good time to find his shooting touch. Watson, who signed a one-year contract over the summer, doesn't shoot often, but when he does, it usually goes in. Watson is shooting 56 percent, and even better from behind the 3-point line: 60 percent (9-of-15). The touch comes from taking a lot of extra shots after practice with teammate Dahntay Jones. "Last year, I was coming off hand surgery and I was really hampered," Watson said. "That really hurt me and made me more determined to get back in the gym as soon as possible and get up a lot of shots. The ball is feeling really good, and I feel like I'm getting back to my old form. I feel like ..."
Golden State Warriors take step back with loss to Indiana Pacers
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November 12
Contra Costa Times
 
"It was obvious during the Warriors' 108-94 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday that Golden State's theme of ball movement didn't stick. The Warriors have worked on it in practice. They have talked about it at shootarounds. They have witnessed it work, most notably in Monday's 41-point victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Still, somehow, the Warriors (2-5) can't make unselfish play a regular staple of the offense. They wasted what was, per Golden State's standards, a solid defensive effort with an offense hobbled by untimely one-on-one play. "I thought we reverted back," coach Don Nelson said. "You would think since that's all we talked about, how great it was to play in that game ..."
Jackson still speaks his mind
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November 12
Indianapolis Star
 
"Stephen Jackson never was one to shy away from expressing his feelings during his two-plus seasons with the Indiana Pacers. That's why it shouldn't be surprising these days that the Golden State Warriors forward doesn't regret publicly saying he wants to be traded. "I'm not going back on anything I've said," said Jackson, who was no stranger to controversy during his time with the Pacers. "I still feel the same way. The fact is I want to win. I'm 31 years old and I'm not getting any younger. I want to make the best of my last couple of years." Jackson made his initial request to be traded in August. He didn't say which teams he would like to play for Wednesday because he was fined $25,000 ..."
Pacers win 3rd straight
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November 12
Indianapolis Star
 
"Not even a field-goal drought or another starter going down could stop the Indiana Pacers from doing something that's taken them nearly a year to accomplish. The Pacers picked up their third straight victory Wednesday night when they held off the pesky Golden State Warriors 108-94 at Conseco Fieldhouse. It's their first three-game winning streak since Nov. 8-12 last year. "I think our guys have shown that they'll compete for 48 minutes," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We lost our wind a little bit. We started to turn the ball over, which allowed them to get out on their break, but our guys did what was necessary to get a win." The Pacers will try to make it four in a row for the first ..."
Pacers' Granger can't seem to locate his shot
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November 11
Indianapolis Star
 
"Practice had ended an hour earlier, and most of the Indiana Pacers were long gone. Mike Dunleavy, trying to work his way back from a knee injury, was shooting on one end of the court. All-Star Danny Granger, working his way back from an early shooting slump, was on the other. "Come on, Danny!" a frustrated Granger yelled after he failed to make consecutive 3-pointers during a drill with assistant coach Frank Vogel. Later, after hitting five consecutive 3s, he missed from outside the key. "This spot is killing me," he said, walking back to the corner. And so the quest to rediscover his shooting touch continues. He hopes all the hard work in a desolate gym pays off, heading into tonight's ..."
Pacers' Ford snaps out of slump quickly
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November 10
Indianapolis Star
 
"There he sat, at the end of the bench during crunch time. It was the final month of last season all over again for Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. Ford. It wasn't how this season was supposed to start, watching his backup play the key parts of the first three games. But it all changed in a three-minute stretch at the end of the Pacers' game with the Knicks on Wednesday in New York. Ford came off the bench after Danny Granger fouled out and scored eight points down the stretch, securing the Pacers' first victory after opening the season with three losses. His hot streak was huge. It got the Pacers a victory, which led to another one Friday night against Washington. In those few brief ..."
Teammates happy Hansbrough is playing
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November 8
Indianapolis Star
 
"Tyler Hansbrough's teammates couldn't wait for him to play his first game. They wanted to see Hansbrough, the Indiana Pacers' first-round pick last summer, beat up on somebody other than them in a game. Hansbrough didn't disappoint in his long-awaited season debut against the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Hansbrough, an energetic player who plays only one way -- hard -- came off the bench to score 13 points and grab five rebounds in 14 minutes. The power forward had been sidelined with a right shin problem since the end of July. "We had all been waiting to see Tyler play because we had all seen him in practice and we know how aggressive he is," forward Danny Granger said. "(The ..."
After loss to Pacers, Jamison blasts effort
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November 7
Washington Times
 
"The one-armed team captain stormed from the locker room alone after unleashing a vicious, expletive-laced tongue-lashing. Antawn Jamison, still recovering from a partially dislocated right shoulder, had just watched suit-clad from the end of the bench as his Washington Wizards stumbled and fumbled their way through a 102-86 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday night. And as if the poor performance - marked by 19 turnovers and 58 percent shooting from the free throw line - weren't cause for enough frustration, the nonchalant response the two-time All-Star power forward observed from some of his teammates sent him over the edge. Meanwhile, first-year coach Flip ..."
Washington minus two starters equals yuck
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November 7
Washington Examiner
 
"Four thoughts about the Wizards' 102-86 loss at the Pacers, which was (a) simply an abomination, (b) moved Washington one step closer to legitimate concerns about this season's prospects, or (c) was simply an exclamation point demonstrating how much the Wiz are hurting with two starters (Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller) sidelined by shoulder injuries [Update before I post -- Jamison apparently berated his teammates afterward, making the answer (a)]: At least Caron Butler got some of his scoring mojo back, with a team-high 24 points to go with 12 rebounds. His three-pointer was still off (1 for 5) and he committed the first of Washington's seven first-quarter turnovers. Tonight, it wasn't ..."
Not a bad start for Hansbrough
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November 7
Indianapolis Star
 
"Tyler Hansbrough definitely didn't disappoint in his first game. The rookie out of North Carolina doesn't look for style points when he plays. He just wants to get the job done. Hansbrough looked like a fullback when bullied his way to the basket for 13 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes. Coach Jim O'Brien said before the game that Hansbrough wouldn't play more than 16 minutes. The stat that stood out was the 10 free throw attempts. Hansbrough's either going to get called for an offensive foul or he's going to get fouled when he goes up for a shot in the paint. "I had a couple of jitters with it being my first time on the NBA stage," Hansbrough said. "I got to attack the rim, I was ..."
Pacers recognize man who helped keep them in Indy
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November 7
Indianapolis Star
 
"Mel Simon, one of the two people responsible for keeping the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, became the sixth person to be recognized in the rafters at Conseco Fieldhouse by the organization during a ceremony before Friday's game against the Washington Wizards. "It's fair to say none have contributed more than Mr. Simon," emcee Mark Boyle said. "Without Mr. Simon and his brother, we may not have an NBA franchise here." Simon joined Reggie Miller, Roger Brown, George McGinnis, Mel Daniels and former coach Bob "Slick" Leonard in being honored with a banner at the fieldhouse. Simon died Sept. 16 after battling pancreatic cancer. Simon's brother, Herb, his daughters, Deborah Simon and Cindy ..."
Pacers keep up defensive effort
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November 7
Indianapolis Star
 
"The message was written on the board when the Indiana Pacers arrived for their meeting at Conseco Fieldhouse late Friday afternoon. The message from coach Jim O'Brien said: "Just play with the defensive intensity you did the last nine minutes against New York and everything else will fall into place." Mission accomplished. The Pacers brought their defense back with them from New York and used it to beat the Washington Wizards 102-86 on the 10th anniversary of the opening of the fieldhouse. "That's huge," Pacers point guard T.J. Ford said. "It gives us a lot of confidence knowing we don't have to worry about scoring. The scoring will come; we just have to continue to play defense like we're ..."
Listless Wizards fall on the road
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November 7
Washington Times
 
"Flip Saunders threw darn near the entire kitchen sink at the Indiana Pacers on Friday night at Conseco Fieldhouse. He tried the traditional lineup (although it was his third different one of the season thanks to injuries). He tried a small lineup. He played Gilbert Arenas on the ball. He played him off the ball. He used all 12 players at his disposal. But none of that did the trick. The Wizards put on a listless performance and fell 102-86, their third straight loss. Although the score indicated otherwise, the Pacers' play couldn't exactly be described as dominant."
After loss to Pacers, Jamison blasts effort
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November 7
Washington Times
 
"The one-armed team captain stormed from the locker room alone after unleashing a vicious, expletive-laced tongue-lashing. Antawn Jamison, still recovering from a partially dislocated right shoulder, had just watched suit-clad from the end of the bench as his Washington Wizards stumbled and fumbled their way through a 102-86 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday night. And as if the poor performance - marked by 19 turnovers and 58 percent shooting from the free throw line - weren't cause for enough frustration, the nonchalant response the two-time All-Star power forward observed from some of his teammates sent him over the edge. Meanwhile, first-year coach Flip Saunders ..."
For slumping Wizards, it's three of a bad kind
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November 7
Washington Post
 
"The frustration could be heard moments after the Washington Wizards' 102-86 loss to the Indiana Pacers as a voice, shouting expletives, boomed from the locker room. It belonged to Antawn Jamison, who didn't play on Friday night but was infuriated by the lethargic and listless display of his teammates. Jamison didn't mince his words, challenging every player in the locker room, young and old, and peppered his speech with curse words to get his point across. Jamison stormed out of the locker room after his profanity-laced rant and shouted, "Ain't nothing funny about this!" The frustration could be seen upon entering the locker room, as a shattered fruit plate rested against a wall, ..."
Conseco Fieldhouse an Indiana shrine by design
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November 6
Indianapolis Star
 
"Ten years after Conseco Fieldhouse opened its doors, this shrine to Indiana basketball -- part museum, part arena -- remains one of the most revered basketball venues in the nation and has altered the idea of what an NBA arena should be. The retro-styled home of the Indiana Pacers -- a modern venue soaked in history -- has influenced other teams to rethink nondescript multipurpose buildings and embrace designs tied to basketball's past. Charlotte, Dallas, Memphis and San Antonio are among franchises that modeled specific elements of their new arenas after what they saw at Conseco. New Jersey, which has a new arena in the works, also is aiming in that direction. "We looked at probably 20 ..."
Hibbert is growing into low-post scoring presence Pacers need
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November 6
Indianapolis Star
 
"Roy Hibbert's time is coming. It could be this season. It might be a season away. But those associated with the Indiana Pacers' 7-2 center are convinced he's on his way to becoming a low-post force. "In the very near future, if not right now, he's going to be a dominant low-post scorer, a guy you can count on throwing the ball to and getting you points," Pacers veteran center Jeff Foster said. "He will be a presence," his college coach, Georgetown's John Thompson III, said, "at both ends of the floor in that league for a long time." Just four games into his second season, Hibbert has shown flashes of improvement. He is averaging 10.8 points and a team-high 10.3 rebounds. He is coming off ..."
Knicks lose to previously winless Indiana Pacers, 101-89, at Madison Square Garden
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November 5
New York Daily News
 
"And in other sports in New York Wednesday night ... If the Knicks can't beat the previously winless and porous Pacers, then how are they ever going to compete against Le-Bron James and Shaquille O'Neal Friday night? That's the ugly truth for Mike D'Antoni, whose team was an offensive wreck in the fourth quarter of its 101-89 loss to the Pacers at the Garden. D'Antoni didn't hide his disgust after his team missed 15 of its last 17 shots, and scored only 15points in the fourth quarter and just 33 after halftime against one of the league's worst defensive teams. When asked about his team's obvious lack of intensity after halftime, he said, "I don't want to say something when I'm so ticked ..."
Knicks president Donnie Walsh not surprised at Larry Bird's words about Lebron James
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November 5
New York Daily News
 
"Donnie Walsh didn't take it personally when his former subordinate, Pacers president Larry Bird, lobbied against Le-Bron James coming to New York next July as a free agent. "I have no problem with what Larry said," the Knicks president said Wednesday night before New York took on his old team at the Garden. "I love Larry. I'm not surprised he'd say that, either." Bird's contention is that James, an Akron native, means too much to Ohio and would be a catastrophic loss to the franchise. It's hard to argue with either of those points. "I like to see the great players stay in the cities and with the teams that drafted them," said Bird, who played his entire Hall of Fame career in Boston. "So ..."
Pacers' 1st win 'tastes so good'
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November 5
Indianapolis Star
 
"A.J. Price couldn't help himself. He had to do it. The Indiana Pacers' rookie point guard let out a loud yell inside what had been a mellow locker room at Madison Square Garden. "A victory. It tastes so good," Price blurted out. "It tastes so good." The Pacers can say they're no longer winless, and not even Danny Granger fouling out could stop them from getting a victory. The Pacers ended their three-game losing streak when they beat the New York Knicks 101-89 on Wednesday night in front of a crowd that appeared to be more interested in the New York Yankees' World Series game. "Finally," Granger said. "The first one is always the hardest one, unless you get it in the first game. I'm glad ..."
Indiana loses its way early, can't rally against Denver
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November 4
Indianapolis Star
 
"Fall behind early. Make a run to try to keep things interesting. Run out of a gas at the end. The Indiana Pacers aren't good enough to fall behind by double digits and expect to come back and win, especially against a team that reached the Western Conference finals last season. They found that out Tuesday night when the Denver Nuggets toyed with them for most of their 111-93 victory over Indiana at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers (0-3), who play the New York Knicks tonight, are one of three remaining winless teams (New Jersey, Golden State). "We've got to find a way to get a win," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "The first quarter we didn't make shots that we've made the last couple of ..."
Melo ready for rumble with ex-teammate Jones
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November 3
Denver Post
 
"For a few moments before and after tonight's game against Indiana, Dahntay Jones' 4-year-old son will steal the show in the Nuggets locker room, where last season he was a team favorite. During the game, Jones will try to steal the show from Carmelo Anthony. Anthony got a taste of Jones' tactics in two preseason games this season and says he'll be ready for it tonight when the Nuggets begin their six-game road trip at Indiana. Things got a bit heated when the two squared off in Beijing and Taiwan last month. Anthony, who scored 45 points in the second of the two exhibition games against the Pacers, shrugged it off. "It got a little chippy. That's him though," Anthony said. "That's his ..."
Larry Bird likes LeBron James as Cavalier, not a New York Knick
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November 3
New York Daily News
 
"Not that he wants his former boss, Donnie Walsh, to fail at rebuilding the Knicks, but Pacers president Larry Bird doesn't want to see LeBron James come to New York next summer. "I hope he stays in Cleveland," Bird said Monday. "He's from Ohio and he means so much to that team and that state. I used to love to go and play in Cleveland because they love the game. And, I like to see the great players stay in the cities and with the teams that drafted them. It means so much for the league and the state. So I would rather see him stay." Bird, who coached for Walsh and then joined the front office when the current Knicks president ran the Pacers, participated in a conference call with Magic ..."
Pacers like Jones' aggression
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November 3
Indianapolis Star
 
"Indiana Pacers guard Dahntay Jones is doing what coach Jim O'Brien wants. Defense was a given. His reputation is that of a defensive specialist. His offense has been a surprise. Jones is averaging 11.5 points through two games. He is attacking the basket and attempting to be a playmaker from the wing, something starter Brandon Rush is not doing. The only drawback: Jones has a team-high nine turnovers. "Dahntay is more of a playmaker," O'Brien said. "He's very aggressive going to the glass. We want him to be aggressive, but at the same time have a good assist-turnover ratio." Jones faces his former team, Denver, tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse, though the Nuggets rarely saw this version of ..."
Hibbert, Rush contracts extended...Foster Sprains ankle
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November 2
Indianapolis Star
 
"The Indiana Pacers will be without one of their veteran frontcourt players for at least two weeks, but their first-round pick could make his season debut this week. Veteran center Jeff Foster is expected to miss the next two weeks because of a high right ankle sprain, which he suffered in the first half of last Friday's loss to the Miami Heat. Foster's injury leaves the Pacers (0-2) with a relatively inexperienced frontcourt, which has been abused by Atlanta's Al Horford and Miami's Jermaine O'Neal in the first two games. Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said rookie Tyler Hansbrough could make his season debut Friday against the Washington Wizards as long as he has no setbacks in practice this ..."
Foster to miss 2 weeks with ankle sprain
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November 1
Indianapolis Star
 
"Indiana Pacers center Jeff Foster will miss at least two weeks after suffering a high right ankle sprain. The injury to the 6-11 Foster, a 10-year NBA veteran from Texas State, happened at Friday's loss to the Miami Heat at Conseco Fieldhouse. Meanwhile, Pacers rookie Tyler Hansbrough could be making his season debut Friday against the Washington Wizards as long as he has no setbacks in practice this week."
When teammates become foes
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November 1
Indianapolis Star
 
"Midway through his sixth season in the NBA, Troy Murphy was traded from his original team, the Golden State Warriors, to the Indiana Pacers. Twenty-one days later, he played against the Warriors. "It was really kind of odd," said Murphy, now in his fourth season with the Pacers. "You know those guys and spent so much time with them over the years, to go against them, it's just an odd situation." With so much player movement in the NBA, many end up facing former teammates, some of whom have become close friends. Dahntay Jones goes through it next, when the Pacers (0-2) play Tuesday night against Denver (2-0 heading into tonight's game against Memphis). It's the first regular-season game for ..."
Heat ends long skid in Indiana behind Wade, O'Neal
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October 31
Miami Herald
 
"The last time the Heat departed Indiana with a regular-season victory, second-year forward Michael Beasley was 12 years old. His vivid memory from 2001? ``I just graduated from sixth grade and was going to the seventh,'' Beasley said Friday. ``Thanks for bringing back bad memories. I got my bike stolen that year. Dang, it's been that long since we won here?'' Not anymore. Beasley was among the assailants this time. Miami built a 17-point lead in the second half to swipe a 96-83 victory from the Pacers and end a 14-game regular-season losing streak at Indiana. The man who was responsible for delivering Miami much of its misery during that stretch was also the one led it out of the Hoosier ..."
Wade, O'Neal help Heat end drought in Indy
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October 31
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"It wasn't exactly the Indy 500. But the Miami Heat's 17 consecutive losses at Conseco Fieldhouse certainly felt like triple-digit misery. Now? Now there is a one-game winning streak in Indiana, with Friday's 96-83 victory over the Indiana Pacers. "It was gratifying," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "To have this feeling here hasn't happened very often for us." After 14 consecutive regular-season losses in Conseco, with three more in the playoffs, the Heat finds itself with its first 2-0 start to a season since it went 4-0 to open 2004-05. Both victim and former victimizer contributed for the Heat. Guard Dwyane Wade, who had lost all 11 of his previous Conseco visits, led the Heat with 32 ..."
Motivated O'Neal still a force inside
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October 31
Indianapolis Star
 
"Jermaine O'Neal played like he was at home. He looked like it after the game, too. The former Indiana Pacers center now playing for Miami gave his game shoes to a young fan in the stands after the Heat's 96-83 victory Friday night. He walked over to the Pacers' postgame television broadcast and gave former teammate Austin Croshere, now doing color commentary, a kiss on the cheek. O'Neal high-fived and hugged some of the Conseco Fieldhouse security guards. "It's good to be back home in Indiana," O'Neal said. "One thing that people haven't heard from me is that this will always be my family here, and this will always be my home. "I appreciate the support I've had over the eight years. You ..."
No time for Pacers to panic
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October 31
Indianapolis Star
 columnist Bob Kravitz
"In the end, it doesn't really matter if the Indiana Pacers read nursery rhymes to every kid in the city, open soup kitchens and eradicate the H1N1 virus. Yes, they've reconnected with the populace and managed to stay off the police blotter, and for that, they get high marks. But now it's time to win. Or, at the very least, play a lot better than they did in Friday's night's spirit-crushing 96-83 home opening loss to the Miami Heat. It might be time for Pacers coach Jim O'Brien to mimic Indiana Fever coach Lin Dunn, who, after two season-opening blowout losses to begin the season, pleaded for a "mulligan.'' What went wrong? We could save time and space and tell you what went right, but that ..."
Pacers stagger through opener, fall to O'Neal and the Heat
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October 31
Indianapolis Star
 
"At least the Indiana Pacers can't say their defense failed them this time. It turns out the best part of their game -- their offense -- did them in during their home opener Friday night against the Miami Heat. The run-and-gun Pacers were forced to slow things down and slug it out with the Heat, and that turned out to be a bad move because the Heat knocked the Pacers around and left them staggering at the end, winning 96-83. The loss ended a 17-game home winning streak for the Pacers against the Heat. "I think our players are trying to get comfortable with each other," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We certainly are not a solid basketball team right now. We will work to become one." ..."
Pacers' Granger is an All-Star. He wants to become a winner.
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October 30
Indianapolis Star
 
"The face of the Indiana Pacers was just another face in the crowd on this night. There were no autograph seekers or photo requests and very few whispers or finger-pointing as Danny Granger and his new bride dined at one of Indianapolis' premier steakhouses. Those who did tell Granger "good luck this season" as he exited toward his white Range Rover know the 26-year-old All-Star has to carry the Pacers if they hope to return to being a playoff regular. "I hear that a lot from people," Granger said, cutting into his 24-ounce porterhouse. "People ask me if we're going to get back to the playoffs." Granger's continued growth will be pivotal. Team president Larry Bird repeatedly has said there ..."