Cornrows

Cornrows on the Move to Sports Blog Nation

2007-02-17T14:10:00.000-05:00

Cornrows is officially joining the Sports Blog Nation network at IndyCornrows.com where I'm excited to add my name to some of the best NBA bloggers around. In addition to the delivering the content you expect, the SB Nation sites make it extremely easy to give readers a voice and join in the discussion. I'm looking forward to building a strong Pacers community, so come on over and join the fray.

INDY CORNROWS

Line of the Night 2/15/07

2007-02-16T16:43:00.000-05:00

Some notable LoNny regulars were on display last night, finishing up the pre-All-Star break portion of the season. You had Dirk, T-Mac, Kobe and LeBron playing in the TNT Thursday nighters. Yes, they all led their teams statistically, but none matched the mind boggling lines we normally expect. Considering T-Mac and Kobe lost, their lines were diminished, leaving Dirk and LeBron. Dirk's line was quite ordinary, so that left the LoNny in the hands of LeBron. He did lead his team to a win over the Lakers with 38 points. It really is a no brainer, but with 0 in the 3-ball column I had to hunt for a better option, yet none existed.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
LeBron James	38	4	3	0	3	0

Pacers 114, Grizzlies 104: Win - Pacers Style

2007-02-15T15:05:00.000-05:00

Let's see, sluggish start, falling behind early? Check. Battle back, stay within ten points at the half? Check. Come out with a strong third quarter to take the lead? Check. Get strong minutes from the bench? Check. Get 20 and 10 from your All-Star forward? Check.

When the Pacers win, that's how they roll and that's just what happened on Wednesday night when the Pacers beat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies, 114-104. I didn't see the game but from reading the recaps, it sounds like a game I've seen play out at least 20 times in prior games. Other thoughts:

Danny Granger didn't start but played well, appearing fine after his scary fall against the Clippers. His 21 points led a bench brigade that outscored the starters.
Shawne Williams started in Granger's place but only played six minutes.
The Pacers finally had a full compliment of players with Darrell Armstrong back from his one game suspension.
Marquis Daniels had another solid night off the bench. Dare I say he's becoming reliable.
The Pacers head into the All-Star break feeling pretty good (again). They're in the two steps forward portion of the two steps forward, one step back dance they've been performing all year.
I'd really feel good about the Pacers overcoming their latest step back and moving forward if it wasn't for the 10,000 pound elephant sitting in the corner of the locker room, that being the Tinsley/Daniels situation with the local authorities.
Here's to a nice quiet All-Star break with no off-court headlines involving the blue and gold. Is it too much to ask for everyone (save JO on Sunday) taking it easy, getting some rest so they come back healthy and ready to attack their schedule after the break? I don't think so.

Line of the Night 2/14/07

2007-02-15T13:23:00.000-05:00

Stephen Jackson showed off all of his game's assets last night, leading the Warriors to an easy win over the Knicks

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Stephen Jackson	36	2	8	1	1	4

Line of the Night 2/13/07

2007-02-14T01:29:00.000-05:00

T-Mac made LoNny a believer by filling his line with crooked numbers and W for Rockets win over the Kings.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Tracy McGrady	28	6	12	3	3	2

Line of the Night 2/12/07

2007-02-13T00:20:00.000-05:00

LoNny loves the 3-ball and J.R. Smith delivered in the Nuggets win over the Warriors.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
J.R. Smith	28	4	1	0	0	6

Road Blog

2007-02-13T00:14:00.000-05:00

Checking in from the road to pass on some links today.

Loy's Place has posted the Carnival of the NBA #41 - All-Star Edition. Take a trip down All-Star memory lane and tap into all of the NBA knowledge you can handle in one tidy post.

Don't forget to drop by About:Basketball to check out the Central Division reports and NBA roundtable. The place is heatin' up!

Deon "Dino" Wilford was found guilty of battery for running into Stephen Jackson with his car outside Club Rio. Jack and Tinsley testified and the fact that their testimony held up may be a good sign for Jack when he goes to court in April. Of course, I don't know what I'm talking about.

Kravitz is wondering where the fans are for Pacers games. Naturally a factor is the Tinsley/Daniels 8 Seconds Saloon situation. When are we going to hear more about this? At this point, I'm assuming major charges are in the offing and with the high profile nature of the case, the prosecutors are just making sure the charges are solid. If nothing ends up coming from this incident then Tinsley has some damages to collect from someone because he's been persecuted publicly and left swinging in the wind for a week.

Line of the Night 2/11/07

2007-02-11T23:53:00.000-05:00

Kirk Hinrich gets the LoNny nod for leading the Bull to a win in Phoenix by keeping his team from imploding in the midst of a patented Suns second half run.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Kirk Hinrich	29	5	4	0	2	5

Pacer 94, Clippers 80: Appreciate the W

2007-02-11T23:49:00.001-05:00

Full flight out of O'Hare, middle seat three rows from the back, late take-off, 4 plus hours in the air. My day wasn't going real well. The way the Pacers have been playing lately I wasn't too unhappy about missing their Sunday afternoon game against the Clippers.

I was somewhere over Nebraska when the game tipped. Do I have a problem if I noted that fact while bathing in misery sandwiched between two unknown travel companions? By the time we dropped down at SFO, picked up my baggage and shuttled to my hotel, the game was over.

Once in my room I turned on the TV to find the score. For me, the Pacers-Clips game boiled down to a hand of black jack when the dealer has 14 and is flipping himself a card. The score scroll on the bottom of the screen was dealing and hooray, the dealer busted showing me that the Pacers halted a home losing streak with a 94-80 win over the visiting Clippers.

There was good news with Mike Dunleavy putting a hurtin' on his father with another solid shooting game and 20 points. Marquis Daniels finally returned, contributing 14 points while his off-court partner in crime (ALLEGED) dished 15 assists. Oh, and JO was did his 21 point , 8 rebs, 4 blocks thing. Darrell Armstrong missed the game serving a one game suspension for his double-T histrionics against the Nuggets.

From all appearances, it was a solid day at the Fieldhouse. But there was also some disconcerting news regarding Danny Granger. According to reports, he fell on his neck and had to be taken to the hospital for further examination. With Daniels back, it looked like the Pacers were finally at full ready to go forward at full strength, but it only lasted three quarters. The early report indicates Granger was able to move his arms and legs so hopefully he'll have a quick recovery from the fall.

The Pacers play the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night, their last game prior to the All-Star break.

Line of the Night 2/10/07

2007-02-11T06:50:00.000-05:00

Mehmet Okur filled up his line as the Jazz made a late run to end up beating the Knicks in OT.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Mehmet Okur	29	6	5	1	2	4

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Clippers

2007-02-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

The Pacers take on the LA Clippers at the Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon. Mike Dunleavy, Jr. will be facing his pop who will be on the sidelines coaching the Clippers. Here is Bruno's preview with comments from the Pacers on turning things around.

Pacers Notebook has some interesting tidbits, as usual. First of all, Darrell Armstrong continued to voice his displeasure with the referees after snapping on the court against the Nuggets.

"I feel like this team, the way the referees call it, we get (expletive) every night," Armstrong said. "I'm going to be honest, it seems like the referees are calling our games like the brawl team (2004-05). We're not that team that was in the brawl. We're the 2006-07 team. It's just sad because we get treated like that. We get a lot of bad calls home and away. Then we can't talk to the officials the right way."

I feel what DA is saying. I always thought it was just Stephen Jackson who's lack of respect from the referees filtered through the rest of the team. But Jack is gone and even a six time All-Star rarely gets a benefit call. I hate this conversation and it isn't an excuse, but as I said, I feel what DA is saying.

Speaking of JO,his knee may limit his All-Star activities. I imagine there is a deadline for notifying the league if you plan to sit out, so we'll stay tuned later in the week.

Cornrows is off for a West Coast roadie starting tomorrow and going through the All-Star break. Blogging will be light at times, especially through Wednesday of the upcoming week.

Line of the Night 2/9/07

2007-02-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

Zach Randolph was giving the Bobcats fits all night as he led the Blazers to a win.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Zach Randolph	40	9	3	1	0	1

Nuggets 102, Pacers 95: Pacers Need to Melo Out

2007-02-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

Did I say these teams were mirror images of each other? The Nuggets and Pacers both showed flashes of brilliance and disappointment much like they have throughout the year. The teams took turns going on scoring runs, but the Nuggs made their last run hold to leave town with a 102-95 win. The Pacers lost their cool and drew five technical fouls due to the nine foul and 30 free throw (30!) differential. Rick Carlisle and Darrell Armstrong were both tossed after snapping and picking up double-techs. Jeff Foster had the other technical for complaining about a foul.

The way the game played out, the Pacers would've been in much better shape had they kept their cool. The Nuggs appeared poised to run the Pacers out of the gym two or three times and during those runs the T's made it worse. But these are the Nuggets and they kept allowing the Pacers back in the game. A little poise may have made the difference in the end.
Carmelo Anthony made 12-13 free throws and finished the game with 34 points to carry the Nuggs.
Making the loss more shameful for the Pacers is the fact that Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby did not play for Denver. Another golden opportunity the Pacers failed to seize when given the chance.
What looked like a favorable home schedule that could catapult the Pacers to the upper echelon of the East has become a nightmare. Three straight home losses with the LA Clippers coming to town is frustrating to take. Despite the Clippers recent road woes, they remain a dangerous team.
Darrell Armstrong went overboard when he was tossed. He had to be physically restrained and then as he stormed off the court he showed his field goal kicking form by booting one of the chairs near the Pacers' bench. It doesn't appear he hurt his foot but he could've which would've further killed the Pacers. Seemed quite out of character for DA this year since he's rarely seen without a smile and has given the team a level-headed veteran presencce.
Mike Dunleavy was a bright spot for the Pacers. He scored 23 points with 11 rebounds and more importantly the points came from a solid shooting night. Mike D. made 9-15 field goal attempts including 3-7 from 3 land.
Jamaal Tinsley carried over his poor shooting from Wednesday night ending the game tonight making 3-16 FGAs.

(Photo: AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Line of the Night 2/8/07

2007-02-09T06:18:00.000-05:00

David West had a chunky double-double, but the LoNny nod goes to 'Sheed for filling up all the stat buckets with treats for the kids as the Pistons rolled the Lakers.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Rasheed Wallace	18	10	2	3	3	3

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Nuggets

2007-02-08T22:37:00.001-05:00

The Pacers play the Western Conference version of themselves on Friday night when the Denver Nuggets come to the Fieldhouse. I'm not saying they have equal talent, but stacked up against the talent within their respective conferences they are comparable. How do they compare?

Both teams may not be championship caliber but they can beat any team in the league on a given night.
Both teams made a complete make-over trade that should improve their playoff positioning.
Both teams have All-Star leaders that often straddle the line between intense and combustible.
Both teams can look fabulous for a couple of games and then look clueless the next.
Both teams have great players dealing with nagging injuries that have kept the team from firing on all cylinders long enough to develop a winning rhythm.
Both teams have had high profile incidents shine a negative light on key players.

Man, these teams are more alike than I thought when I began this post. Needless to say, it's anyone's guess what will happen during Friday night's game. Here is Bruno's preview with comments about Troy Murphy getting comfortable with his role. Hey, there's some good news.

Jermaine O'Neal appears set to return after missing Wednesday night's game a bum knee. The Pacers catch a break knowing that Allen Iverson did not travel with the Nuggs so he can tend to an injured ankle. A.I. has had some memorable nights in the Fieldhouse so I'm sure no one in the Pacers' backcourt is upset that they won't have to chase Iverson around all night. For more info on the Nuggets, check out the Nugg Doctor. He's got the cure for what ails all Nugg fans.

Talk of the Town

2007-02-08T06:30:00.000-05:00

Here is the Indy Star story from this morning's paper on the 8 Seconds Saloon situation. The disgusted fan reaction is covered. We also learn that the bar manager invovled, Mark Nicholson, is described by a colleague as an "easy, quiet guy -- not one of those guys who goes looking for a fight." Of course, the 8 Seconds/Tremors combo has had about 40 police calls in the past 12 months. Who would ever think that a combo country bar/hip hop club could create problems?Other items:

The bar doesn't have video of the incident. Seems strange that a big club like that wouldn't have video covering the whole patron area.
The whole thing started with a guy trying to steal fur coats from the coat check room which, by the way, creates comical visuals. Somehow this guy wasn't caught. Anyway, this is how the Pacers' are described to have become involved.
"Some words were exchanged" between bar management and the Pacers, Scheffel said. Nicholson told police that "Mr. Tinsley, with a closed fist, struck him on the left side of the head, knocking him to his knees. He stated at that time Mr. Daniels and Mr. King also began to use closed fists, striking him in the face. He stated he was unable to defend himself."
Two unidentified witnesses "felt that (Nicholson's) life was in danger," according to the police report, and they helped pull Tinsley and Daniels from him. The report noted that the manager "had a severed earlobe and that his jaw appeared to be fractured."
The Marion County prosecutor's investigations is in full swing.
The investigation, originally assigned to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives, was joined late Wednesday by the Marion County grand jury, a division of the Marion County prosecutor's office. Citing grand jury secrecy laws, Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi would not say why the grand jury was involved. He noted that unlike police investigators, "the grand jury has the ability to issue subpoenas and compel sworn testimony from all of the witnesses."
Keith McCleod's cousin Jeremy King lost a tooth so at least one person in the Pacers' group was involved in a physical altercation. King is alleged to have joined Tinsley and Daniels in pounding on Nicholson.
With the grand jury involved this story will have plenty of legs and more updates to come.

Line of the Night 2/7/07

2007-02-08T06:21:00.000-05:00

Dirk filled all the stat buckets with crooked numbers as the Mavs ran past the Grizzlies.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Dirk Nowitzki	38	10	6	4	3	2

The More Things Change...Jack and Artest Find Off-Court Headlines Too

2007-02-07T23:14:00.000-05:00

No matter how hard the Pacers try to move forward and change the image attached with the team, they can't seem to shake their past problems. Whether it is current players repeating stupid mistakes or former players in the new with legal issues, the Pacers name remains attached. Over the past couple of days three incidents have reopened old wounds. Here's a recap:

On Tuesday, Ron Artest was accused of animal cruelty. He's done what he does best when backed into a corner, come out talking and talking and talking some more until you end up completely confused or feeling sorry for the guy. I give the news report credit for not mentioning the Palace Brawl. It isn't fair to associate Ronnie with the Pacers anymore but he is only one calendar year removed from being a Pacer, so even if it's a relief that he's not in Indy anymore, the Pacers are still close to any story on Artest.
Jamaal Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Keith McCleod ran into trouble at a west side bar in the early morning hours. Opened up old wounds from the Club Rio Trio since the remaining two Pacers from the CRT were involved (allegedly).
Ironically, as the 8 Seconds Saloon story broke, Stephen Jackson was having a pre-trial hearing for the charges against him from the Club Rio melee. Jack was not actually in court but his trial date was set for a Golden State off day on April 12th. The trial for Deon "Dino" Williams will begin next Monday. Williams waived his right for a jury trial and will be tried by a judge instead.

Supersonics 103, Pacers 102: 8 Seconds To Lose

2007-02-07T22:42:00.000-05:00

There was a bit of poetic justice to the finish of the Pacers' 103-102 loss to the Supersonics on Wednesday night. Earlier in the day, Jamaal Tinsley helped bring the 8 Seconds Saloon to the nation's sporting conscience with accusations that he pummeled a bar manager. With the Pacers down one late in the fourth quarter, Jamaal Tinsley began his drive for the game winner with 8 seconds left on the clock. He was able to work his way into the lane for an open leaner with 5 seconds to go, but the shot was long. Three put backs couldn't find their way in the hoop and the Pacers were left with a horrible loss to match their equally horrible day. Other thoughts:

Jermaine O'Neal did not play when he showed up with swelling in his left knee. His absence can't be discounted with the loss since it required his teammates come up with the 20 points JO usually brings. But, against a Supersonics team that had lost 15 in a row on the road and was missing Rashard Lewis, there is no viable excuse for the loss.
Tinsley played pretty well for much of the game, especially in the first quarter. His decision making (insert obvious joke here) continues to confound at times, though. Let's say he has five great possesions leading to good shots for himself or a teammate but then comes down and just throws the ball away or forces a shot in the lane that isn't there. Over the course of a games five or six of those horrible possessions add up and wipe out a lot of the good he does. The fact that JT shot 26 shots tonight is stunning. Way too many for the type of game he plays. On the plus side, I don't see any damage to the knuckles that were alledged to have hit a bar manager.
The Pacers played their best ball in the third quarter stretching a lead to eleven points. Troy Murphy came out and hit three 3-balls in a row and ended the night with five from behind the arc. With 22 points, Murph did his part to make up for JO's absence.
Danny Granger had another tough night despite finishing with 18 points. His offensive game seems a little disjointed. He's not scoring in the flow of the game like he was a couple of weeks ago.
Ray Allen was incredible. He just kept them around the whole second half. I'm still trying to figure out why Dunleavy spent so much time guarding him.
Prior to the game Buckner and Denari were discussing Mike D's shooting slump. They gave the normal line about a shooter finding his stroke and having to shoot his way out of it. I'm wondering if it is a slump. I've seen plenty of anecdotal evidence that Dunleavy hasn't shot well for quite some time. With my own eyes I've seen him shoot 3-balls that curve like he has the yips or something. It was interesting that down the stretch tonight, Darrell Armstrong played with Tinsley whle Mike D sat.
The Pacers Pregame show stayed away from the 8 Seconds Saloon fracas which I understand since the team came out and said that they couldn't discuss the topic until they knew more about the incident. Fine, no problem. But if that's the case, why does Stacy Paetz begin her pre-game interview with Rick Carlisle by asking about the injury status of Marquis Daniels? You could see RC kind of cringe when she asked about his status and how he was doing. For the record he said they didn't have a time table for his return. Next time I suggest skipping the 'Quis update and mention in passing that he would not play.
The Pacers aren't going anywhere for awhile so they'll have to stew in their own mess while waiting to play again. Next up is a visit from the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

(Photo: AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Pacer Players Feeling the Heat, AGAIN!!!

2007-02-07T17:56:00.000-05:00

I was wondering why Jamaal Tinsley's name popped up with Marquis Daniels as day-to-day on the injury report yesterday. Now we know why. Both guys are accused of beating down a bar manager at the 8 Seconds Saloon (the self-described "Largest Country Bar in the Midwest"). Now if you're wondering why these guys were at a country bar, the place is like a high school fieldhouse and includes Tremors Nightclub in the back. Occasionally they expand Tremors to take over the whole 8 Seconds bar. The stories are flying fast and furious right now and everything alleged is pretty ugly. Here are the local stories from Indy Star, WISH-TV, WTHR-TV, WRTV-TV.

The player reaction and murmurs from JMV's radio show that there's a lot of overreaction going on make the whole thing a mess. Here are the players' comments.
Jamaal Tinsley:

"I had nothing to do with this. I'm extremely upset that my name has been associated with this," said Jamaal Tinsley.

Marquis Daniels:

"I am emphatic, 100 percent, that I had nothing to do with this. We were attending a celebration party for the Colts with some of the Colts players. For my name to be included is very disappointing. I am totally innocent. Hopefully, the truth will come out," said Marquis Daniels.

Keith McCleod:

"We were all trying to get out of there. I did not see Jamaal or Marquis hit anybody. There was a scuffle going on and when we saw what was happening, we were getting out. I don't know where this other stuff came from," said Keith McLeod.

My initial reaction is that the stories on both sides are so different that this thing will have to play out a little further before passing judgement on the legal issues. If the manager has a broken jaw and a torn ear lobe then something happened. He's pointing to JT and 'Quis so something's gotta give. I'm just aggravated by these guys getting caught up in this mess. At what point do you stop staying out to the early morning hours? Obviously you can't handle it. If you can't bring yourself to stay home then mix in some security with orders to cover you up and move you out of any dicey situation. How about frequenting a place that caters to a more upscale clientele.

Enjoy the player introductions tonight, JT because the damage is done from a PR stand point. Public perception already accepts that this probably happened as the police described and Tinsley's involvement proves again he shouldn't be on the team and that LJL and Donnie Walsh should just let him go for nothing. The current reaction on the radio and message boards around town includes a lot more apathy than outrage, jokes than disgust. That type of reaction indicates more empty seats at the Fieldhouse. Hopefully the truth is on the Pacers side because they'll need a whole lot of it to come out in their favor to reverse the damage done today.

Much more to come as the story evolves.

Line of the Night 2/6/07

2007-02-07T06:37:00.000-05:00

Ruben Patterson left plenty of goodies in his line while helping the Bucks make the Magic go poof.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Ruben Patterson	27	7	6	0	3	1

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Supersonics

2007-02-06T21:55:00.000-05:00

The Supes come to town having lost their last 15 road games, so with the Pacers' loss on Monday this shapes up as a not just a must win but also a should win game for the Pacers. In the recent past, losing a "should win" game has been a problem for the Pacers that halts any progress or momentum that seems to be building. For instance, in November, the Pacers followed up a tough loss to Chicago with a blow out loss at Boston. In late December, with a little momentum building after wins against Houston and Detroit, they lose their next game to Charlotte at home. Two steps forward one step back, never able to build up a head of steam.

Now in February, with some new faces and confidence building, they throw up a clunker against Golden State. Fine. I can live with that if they get back on track with a solid effort against a team they should beat at home. But a loss against the Supes and the team is right back where it was on day one after the trade.

Many around town are still basking in the glow of the Colts' success. The Pacers have a chance to catch the eye of a lot of fans that haven't focused on the team for a month or so. With five winnable home games over the next couple of weeks, it's now or never. The team has played at a better level over the past few weeks so now is the time to show off that progress give a attentive fan base a reason to get fired up about basketball again.

Bruno's preview has a nice look at Jermaine O'Neal's defensive prowess so far this year. As I mentioned in this post, JO's defensive credentials can't be ignored. Remarkably, he is closing in on the franchise record for blocks currently held by Rik Smits. It doesn't seem like JO has been here long enough to start rattling off franchise records. But, in his seventh season he has set two in one week when you include the number of All-Star appearances by a Pacer. JO is happy that his defensive effort if producing results.

"To me, (taking a charge) is just as good as a blocked shot because it gives us an extra possession and takes a possession away from the other guys," he said. "You've got to be able to do whatever's necessary to get the ball back. You pay for it the next day when you wake up but all in all it gives you the opportunity to take control of a game, to slow a run down, to pick up your team's run.

"It's something I think about going into every game – taking charges, blocking shots and rebounding the basketball. Scoring, I don't really think about as much and that's been the difference in my defensive play this year."

JO is playing like the franchise player he is by putting forth an effort at both ends of the court that sets a standard for the rest of his teammates to match.

Jamaal Tinsley's ankle is bothering him so he joins Marquis Daniels with a status of day-to-day. With JT's focus on games played, I plan to see him give it a go on Wednesday night.

Warriors Leave Town with W and Stories

2007-02-06T21:03:00.000-05:00

Couple of interesting items from the Pacers Notebook after Monday night's game. Stephen Jackson hasn't sold his house yet but plans to put it on the market this summer. The resale value rose late Sunday evening when his neighbor, Tony Dungy, hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

"It's going to be easy to sell, now," he said before scoring a season-high 36 points against the Pacers. "I'm going to use that all day."

Also, the Colts celebration festivities and parade were late starting, leading to some confusion on the streets of Indy. When the Warriors' bus and a police escort drove through downtown to the Fieldhouse, the Colts' fans thought it might be their heroes and cheered accordingly. Amongst the chaos, one of the Warriors' buses was involved in a fender bender. When an IPD officer boarded the bus, Dubs' coach Don Nelson smashed a soft ball joke out of the park with a little dig at Stephen Jackson's familiarity with IPD.

"I told Jackson to get down and keep quiet," Nelson said.

Line of the Night 2/5/07

2007-02-06T06:31:00.000-05:00

The LoNny could go several different ways for Monday night's games, but Caron Butler gets the nod for a combination of scoring and defense in the Wizards win over the Supersonics.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Caron Butler	38	3	5	1	4	1

Warriors 113, Pacers 98: Drubbed by the Dubs

2007-02-05T22:29:00.000-05:00

While most of Indianapolis was a few blocks away celebrating the Colts Super Bowl win, the Pacers were getting run out of the Fieldhouse by Golden State. By the time the Colts' party ended, the Pacers were down big and could never get back in the game, losing 113-98. You'd think the Warriors were playing at home or something. Al and Jack certainly know their way around the Fieldhouse and quickly reminded their fans and detractors alike, what the good times used to feel like. Other thoughts:

Jack came up with his game of the year, scoring 36. Inside, outside, right side, left side, Jack had it going all over the Fieldhouse.
Jack was also in on one of the few Pacer highlights when he was cruising in for an open layup and Darrell Armstrong (yes, DA) came from behind and swatted the ball just as it left Jack's hand. Try as he might, DA's spark didn't ignite a comeback tonight.
Mike Dunleavy had another poor shooting night. He seemed to come out aggressive, trying to put on a good performance against his former team. In the end his effort validated the Warriors move, at least on this night.
So, Al Harrington hosted a Super Bowl party at his house last night. Hmm. From the looks of things, I'd say Al took one for the team and made sure his old teammates had plenty of fun last night. The way the Pacers came out in the first half, I have to figure that was one good party.
Maybe like the rest of the town, the Pacers were emotionally spent today after making it through four do-or-die playoff games with the Colts. I know, they're professionals and they have a job to do. They're also human.
Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Jermaine O'Neal shook off his knee bruise to play and play well tonight. He finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Baron Davis DID sit out with a bruised knee but the Warriors got along without him just fine.
The Pacers will look to bounce back when they welcome the Seattle Supersonics to town on Wednesday.

(Photo: AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Jermaine O'Neal Doubtful for the Dubs

2007-02-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

Just when we thought everyone was healthy, it appears that the Pacers might be heavily short-handed against Golden State tonight. According to this report, Jermaine O'Neal is doubtful for Monday night's game with a bruised knee. That must be one nasty bruise.

Line of the Night 2/4/07

2007-02-05T12:13:00.000-05:00

Joe Johnson outscored the Colts on Super Bowl Sunday in Atlanta's OT win over the Nets. Oh, by the way, the COLTS WON THE SUPER BOWL, in case you hadn't heard.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Joe Johnson	37	5	8	1	0	4

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Warriors

2007-02-05T06:35:00.000-05:00

Al, Jack, and Saras come to town with the Golden State Warriors a mere three weeks since being traded by the Pacers. By all accounts, the former Pacers are real happy with their new team and the style of play. Although the results haven't been there for the Warriors going 3-5 since the deal. In anticipation of the former Pacers' return, Mark Montieth has an article regarding the complaint most ex-Pacers share, Rick Carlisle's offensive system. We've heard the complaint from the players who left town, so this article balances the story with comments from Walsh, Carlisle, Darrell Armstrong, and Jermaine O'Neal that bring forth a view of players who wanted to run but weren't willing to do the hard work that comes along with a running offense.

Carlisle still wants his players to run off opponents' missed shots, and he still devotes time to it in practice. But players must get defensive stops, rebound and sprint down court if they want easy points.
Walsh said that wasn't happening. "I went to practices," Walsh said. "I thought we wanted to run, but I didn't see our players running. It wasn't like I didn't see Rick trying to push it forward. I know there's some idea we should blame it on the coach, but I watched it. I didn't see the players getting out and running."

Darrell Armstrong's take on the situation:

The Pacers' most energetic player, veteran guard Darrell Armstrong, has played on up-tempo teams and knows the sacrifices that have to be made. He wasn't seeing them, either. Running isn't easy," he said. "Running is a lot of discipline. You have to be willing to hit that sideline (and rest) sometimes. It's one thing to do it in practice, but can you do it when the lights come on?"

Carlisle also mentions the need to run the ball through the Pacers' franchise player:

The other half of the offensive equation is Carlisle's desire to run the offense through his leading scorer and only All-Star, O'Neal. When the Pacers run, O'Neal tends to get left behind, something he and Carlisle object to strenuously.
"We have a responsibility to play through our franchise player," Carlisle said. "If we're running up and down the court shooting jump shots, Jermaine O'Neal doesn't touch the ball as much."

JO seems to understand the method to Carlisle's madness now:

That's why O'Neal is on board with Carlisle's system, and with the trade. Harrington and Jackson were close friends, but O'Neal is happier with the revised roster.
"The trade is going to benefit me a lot," O'Neal said. "I guess sometimes you have to sacrifice friendships to gain in other areas. (The new players) do a lot of different things we didn't have before."

Obviously, Rick Carlisle can coach in this league but no one can have success unless the whole team buys into what the coach is selling. There's no doubt Carlisle lost several players earlier in the year, including a few still on the roster. His words were falling on deaf ears and it was time to change either the players or the coach. Larry Joe Legend and Walsh stuck with the coach and the trade shook up the roster enough to get everybody back on the same page.

Other notes: Check out Golden State of Mind for everything you need to know about the Warriors...The Pacer Notebook mentions that the Pacers should everyone on the roster available for Monday's game against Golden State. David Harrison and Keith McLeod returned on Saturday night and Troy Murphy (with mask) and Marquis Daniels plan to be back against the Warriors. This is the first time in a long time that everyone has been available. It will be interesting to see who is inactive for the game. I imagine Oriene Greene, Maceo Baston, and probably Shawne Williams will stay out of uni...The Fieldhouse should be buzzing since the game will follow the downtown victory celebration for the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts!

Line of the Night 2/3/07

2007-02-04T07:25:00.000-05:00

Kobe Bryant bounced back from a subpar game against the Pacers to lead the Lakers over the Wizards. Kobe also had the upper hand in a stylish duel with Gilbert Arenas.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Kobe Bryant	39	6	6	0	2	2

Pacers 116, Grizzlies 110: I Like Ike

2007-02-03T23:11:00.000-05:00

Ike Diogu came up huge playing a key role in the Pacers' second half comeback win over the Grizzlies, 116-110. On a night when it appeared the Grizzlies just weren't going to miss, the Pacers hung around and tighten up on the defensive end to put the game away in the fourth quarter. More thoughts:

The Grizz were rested and ready for the Pacers to arrive. After beating the Lakers last night, the Pacers came out sluggish on the defensive end and gave up 62 first half points. They were lucky to only trail by six.
Memphis is second in the league in 3-ball percentage to Phoenix and they proved why tonight. Mike Miller and Chucky Atkins threw up some daggers from behind the arc keeping the Grizz going.
Midway through the third, Chris Denari mentioned that the 3-ball and free throw differential at the time was 27 points, but the Pacers only trailed by six at the time.
The play that really pushed the Pacers to another level was compliments of Danny Granger at the end of the third quarter. Trailing by two, Granger grabbed a rebound with eight seconds to go. He headed up court dribbling through three defenders hell bent on getting an easy shot before the buzzer. He did make an easy shot and drew the foul with 3.5 to go. Danny missed the free throw, but Ike Diogu fought for the rebound and his put back was goal tended, giving the Pacers a 91-89 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Resolve.
Once again, the Darrell Armstrong led unit to start the fourth quarter dialed up the defense and set the tone for taking control of the game. If not for some timely Grizz 3s the Pacers would've run and hid in the first four minutes.
Diogu really went to work in the fourth quarter and saw some extended minutes with JO as the game was decided. Ike scored a season-high 19 points with 9 boards. His interior moves with the ball were sweet and he made defenders pay for fouling him by making all seven of his free throws. Troy Murphy is out indefinitely with his broken nose, so Ike's minutes should rise and he looks ready to embrace the opportunity.
Diogu's effort earned him the Player of the Game honor from the broadcast team. Ike was huge, but it tells you what a great year Jermaine O'Neal is having when he scores 25 with 17 rebs and a couple of blocks and isn't considered the PoG.
Jamaal Tinsley had another nice night with 25 points and 9 assists. He unloaded a couple of annoying turnovers in the second half, but was able to make up for them in other ways. Still, if he could tighten up the loose turnovers his level of play would be remarkable right now.
Tins had a sweet drive in the first half, splitting a double team by dribbling the ball through Pau Gasol's legs allowing him to cruise in for an uncontested layup.
Pau Gasol had a nice game scoring 30 and displaying a nice array of offensive shots, but when it came to crunch time Gasol shriveled to the challenge of the Pacers defense. Trade suitors beware.
David Harrison suited up and played a few minutes in the first half, scoring four points. Nice return for the big fella. Keith McCleod also suited up but did not play. Along with Murphy, Marquis Daniels sat out the game again due to his knee.
Golden State will be in town Monday on what is expected to be the coldest day of the Winter season so far. There should be plenty of buzz inside the Fieldhouse with Al, Jack, and Saras returning with the Warriors. The TV ad pumping the game said to come see Baron Davis and Al Harrington. Jack's picture was included with a few other players but he was absent from the sales pitch. Pacer fans certainly can't complain about the team since the trade, so hopefully the former Pacers warm reception for the time in Indy. I said, hopefully.
Of course, if the Colts lose on Sunday everyone in town will still be shocked and unable to function properly on Monday, so the Fieldhouse could be pretty quiet.

(Photo: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Line of the Night 2/2/07

2007-02-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

Elton Brand found no one who could handle him in Boston and took full advantage in the Clippers win over the Celtics.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Elton Brand	26	19	2	4	1	0

Pacers 95, Lakers 84: Super Win

2007-02-02T23:28:00.000-05:00

After being fully immersed in Super Bowl hype week, the Pacers came out as pumped up as the rest of the city, combining a rare energetic start with a strong finish to beat the Lakers, 95-84. The Pacers have been in town all week and there's no avoiding the hype and buzz around town for the Colts' Super Bowl appearance. Souvenir stands are popping up like fireworks booths before the 4th of July. Step inside a clothing or grocery store and you're amazed at how many items they can slap a horseshoe on and deliver in blue and white. TV, radio, newspapers, Internet, there's no avoiding the hype and the city's buzz has been building and building throughout the week. Everyone in town is ready to bust through the wedge on a kickoff right now. The Pacers seemed to come out with that mentality, too. JO busted the wedge by scoring the first 13 Pacer points and sending two Laker bigs to the bench early with 2 fouls. That initial burst of energy faded but in the end the Pacers were able to dig deep and grind out a nice win in the fourth quarter. Other thoughts:

Kobe Bryant got to know Danny Granger quite well tonight. Granger was hounding Mamba all night, especially keeping tabs on him in the first half. In the end Kobe had 22 points on 7-25 shooting. Six of those 22 came real late in the game when Bryant was trying to produce a miracle and hit back-to-back 28 foot 3-balls. The chance for three 3s in a row ended up as a turnover and that ended the comeback dream.
Jamaal Tinsley and Darrell Armstrong didn't play as a tandem, but covered all of the PG minutes. They combined for a nice line with 30 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 3-balls.
After the Pacers' strong first quarter, the Lakers dominated the 2nd and 3rd, running at least two guys at JO every time he touched the ball. No one in purple could handle JO to that point, so this move slowed him down. After other players missed a few easy buckets in the 3rd quarter, the Pacers offense ground to a halt and the Lakers went on a run to take the lead.
Danny Granger finally answered the Lakers with a 3-ball. The Pacers had missed 15 3s in a row over the past two games. Mike Dunleavy followed shortly with a 3 of his own after having a few go in and out earlier in the game.
Every once in awhile I blurt out, "So glorious! Victorious!" Nike wins, again.
Lakers went on a 9-0 run late in the 3rd quarter to take a 70-63 lead into the 4th quarter.
The Pacers started the 4th with DA running the show while both teams' rested their stars. Army brought his trademark spark, leading a solid team defensive effort that quickly erased the Lakers' lead. The signature play was when little DA perfectly timed a block of an easy layup by Sasha Vujacic.
JT and JO returned to the floor with 6:40 left and the Pacers up one. Tins hit a 3-ball on the first trip down and the Pacers never looked back.
At 2:12 Granger hit a 3-ball that put the Pacers up 11 and then after a Tins steal, Granger finished a break opportunity for a 13 point lead with 1:30 to go. Game over...well, Kobe did rise up briefly like a horror movie villain everyone thought was dead. His two bombs from 3-land gave everyone a brief scare, but it was too little too late.
Troy Murphy broke his nose in the first quarter and did not return.
Murphy's schnoz gave Jeff Foster extended minutes and he was quite productive. Yes, he grabbed his 12 rebounds but Foster deserves special mention for his straight up defense of Lamar Odom. A few times in the fourth, Odom was isolated on Foster and ended up not getting off a good shot or turning it over outright. Odom seemed determined to prove he could take Foster to the hole but it never happened and he ended up with six turnovers.
David Harrison was cleared to play prior to the game but was inactive. Marquis Daniels joined DH sitting out his third game with knee tendinitis.
The Pacers kept pace with the Central Division leaders and now sit four games over .500 and 2.5 games out of the Central Division lead.
The Pacers go to Memphis Saturday night for one of only two road games in February. The Grizzlies are struggling but have had a couple of days off at home, so the Pacers will need to bring a strong effort to take home a W.

(Photo: AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Lakers

2007-02-02T06:27:00.000-05:00

The Kobe Show is in town as the Los Angeles Lakers arrive for their annual game against the Pacers Friday night. Here is the preview from Pacers.com. The Pacers should be fresh and ready for the Lakers, having just played one game in the past five days. Other thoughts:

Since the trade, the Pacers have relied on their depth to win games with various player combinations coming up big at different times. The depth may get an additional boost with the return of David Harrison and the debut of Keith McCloud. With Murphy and Foster helping JO up front, Harrison's inconsistent play shouldn't be an issue. If he can give some good minutes great, if not, try again next game.
Keith McCloud should find it hard to carve out many minutes. The way Darrell Armstrong has played lately, I can't imagine McCloud taking much if any of DA's time.
DA and Jamaal Tinsley have been playing at the same time occasionally in recent games. They seem to have developed a nice chemistry between them whether their on the court at the same time or not. In fact, in the post-game interview after the Celtics' game, Tins was gushing about DA's presence on the team and how helpful he's been to JT's game.
Marquis Daniels remains day-to-day but after over a week off he should be ready to go. UPDATE: Bruno updated the game preview and 'Quis is out tonight. Hmm, something more than tindinitis...
The Lakers handled the Pacers in their LA meeting back in December, 101-87.
Bruno has more on JO's All-Star selection. Surprisingly, this All-Star appearance puts JO at the top of the list for the number of All-Star appearances by a Pacer. He sounded surprised by that news, but stayed humble and said all the right things.

"Is that right?" O'Neal said when so informed. "You know what? This team has been good to me. The staff has been good to me. Obviously, you can't play this game without having good players around you or having a good system built for you. (Making the All-Star team) is strictly a sign of my teammates putting me in a good position to excel and a lot of it is coming from my summer workouts with the coaching staff, the training staff, the strength and conditioning staff. There's a lot of different things that go into a player making the All-Star team. You've got to do a lot of things right but you've got to have a lot of help from your teammates and coaching staff."

The Chair Thrower from the Palace Brawl spends a little time in the hooscow. Apparently genius missed a probation hearing and the judge was having none of it.

Line of the Night 2/1/07

2007-02-02T06:22:00.000-05:00

Amare Stoudemire played his part well as the Suns ran away from the Spurs.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Amare Stoudemire	24	23	0	0	1	0

J.O. Earns All-Star Nod

2007-02-01T21:33:00.000-05:00

Jermaine O'Neal took his rightful place on the Eastern Conference All-Star team when he was named as a reserve Thursday night. JO's 19.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, and 3 blkspg provide the statistical backing for his All-Star inclusion. But the numbers don't tell the whole story. JO has been a rock for this team, consistently stepping up to bring whatever the Pacers need. With the recent trade upsetting the roster, JO quickly gave the new faces his blessing and helped work them into the playing rotation. Prior to the trade he played for two weeks on a bum ankle but fought through the pain to play each game which made other teams account for him on the floor. JO has raised his defensive presence quite a bit this year. He currently leads the league in blocks, even ahead of block specialists like Marcus Camby and Emeka Okafor. Along with the blocks, JO is quick to jump in front of anyone driving the lane to pick up a charge which he seems to do two or three times a night. In short, JO is playing a complete game and playing it well which now is officially acknowledged as playing at an All-Star level.

Here are the 2007 NBA All-Star rosters:

EASTERN CONFERNCE	WESTERN CONFERENCE
F – LeBron James, Cleveland	F – Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
F – Chris Bosh, Toronto	F – Tim Duncan, San Antonio
C – Shaquille O’Neal, Miami	C – Yao Ming, Houston
G – Dwyane Wade, Miami	G – Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
G – Gilbert Arenas, Washington	G – Tracy McGrady, Houston
R – Chauncey Billups, Detroit	R – Carlos Boozer, Utah
R – Caron Butler, Washington	R – Allen Iverson, Denver
R – Vince Carter, New Jersey	R – Shawn Marion, Phoenix
R – Richard Hamilton, Detroit	R – Steve Nash, Phoenix
R – Dwight Howard, Orlando	R – Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
R – Jason Kidd, New Jersey	R – Tony Parker, San Antonio
R – Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana	R – Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix

Line of the Night 1/31/07

2007-02-01T06:25:00.000-05:00

Kobe Bryant said, 'hi' to the Commish with a big night as the Lakers handed Boston their 13th straight loss. It is so bad in Boston that Kobe heard MVP chant at the end of the night...FROM BOSTON FANS!

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Kobe Bryant	43	8	8	2	0	7

Granger Heading to Vegas

2007-01-31T20:55:00.000-05:00

Danny Granger was selected to play for the Sophomore team in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam next Friday in Vegas. Hard to believe this is the eighth year of this sideshow event. Nice recognition for Granger and the progress he's made this year. Jermaine O'Neal should get his flight voucher for Vegas tomorrow as the East and West All-Star reserves are announced.

Line of the Night 1/30/07

2007-01-31T06:16:00.000-05:00

Austin Croshere took advantage of his playing time with an offensive outburst as the Mavs ran away from the Supes. Good night for a good guy as Cro poured in 34 points in 23 minutes with 7 luscious 3-balls that no fantasy owner will ever claim.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Austin Croshere	34	7	3	0	0	7

Pacers 103, Celtics 96: Smothered Chicken

2007-01-30T22:33:00.001-05:00

The Pacers came out of the blocks slowly and fell behind early to a scrappy Celtics squad. Scrappy alone doesn't get it done, though, and this injury-riddled Celtics team just isn't very good right now. The Pacers managed to stay out of the C's way as they self-destructed with travelling calls, offensive fouls, and poor offense in general. The Pacers took a 20 point lead into the fourth and held off the C's through a strange finish for the 103-96 win. In the end, a W and two days off should leave smiles all around. More thoughts:

Marquis Daniels was inactive tonight, resting his knee. Never thought the Pacers would miss his offense, but they could've used a few of those little runners tonight.
Between Daniels' injury and Dunleavy's foul trouble, Rawle Marshall saw plenty of burn. The kid is a little out of sync on offense but he can flat out defend. His six missed free throws contributed to the score being closer than the game played.
Rawle served up the defensive play of the night with the help of Pacers' commentator, Quinn Buckner. Szczerbiak made a baseline move and went up for a runner only to have Marshall recover and stuff Wally's shot attempt. That brought QB to the edge of his seat as he exclaimed, "Oooooooooo, smothered chicken!" Kind of captured the essence of this game.
Jamaal Tinsley led the Pacers with 28 points on a variety of pull up jumpers. It was another day at the office for JO, finishing with 25 points and 8 rebounds.
Dunleavy and Murphy struggled again, although Murphy did get it going a little in the second half. Dunleavy had two fouls, 20 seconds into the game and never really factored in the rest of the night.
The Celtics point guard situation drastically changed since the last meeting. Bassy Telfair was third off the bench and only saw extended minutes because starter, Delonte West couldn't go in the second half due to sickness. Rajon Rondo is freaky quick with the ball but still remains benign from 18 feet and out.
The Celtics ended the game with 40 fouls which ended up being a decent game plan since the Pacers missed 17 free throws.
The missed free throws combined with a few bad turnovers and a defensive effort that was more interested in keeping the clock running, allowed the Celtics to sneak back into the game late. The C's ended the fourth quarter with 40 points but couldn't get enough breaks to catch the Pacers. Strange game.
Speaking of strange, seeing Rupert from Survivor behind the Pacers bench qualified. I'm surprised he's not down in Miami working an angle with CBS and the Colts. I guess it's still early in the week.
The Pacers have two days off before the Kobe and the Lakers come to town on Friday night.

(Photo: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Line of the Night 1/29/07

2007-01-30T06:27:00.000-05:00

Kevin Garnett flashed his greatness in leading Minny past the streaking Suns. Somewhere Dwane Casey sighs.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Kevin Garnett	44	11	2	0	3	0

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Celtics

2007-01-29T22:54:00.000-05:00

The Pacers have to pick themselves up off the canvas after getting reality checked by the Pistons on Sunday night. The team's positive momentum came to a screeching halt as fast as you can say "'Sheed and Chief-Webb." What better tonic for what ails you than a visit from the Celtics? After all, the C's have lost eleven in a row and the focus around North Station has drifted to day dreaming about players named Oden and Durant.

So why would I never consider putting a penny or two on the Pacers tomorrow? Well, first of all you never say never with the '06-'07 Pacers. Secondly, the Celtics have played the Pacers tough, in fact the C's probably turned in their best performance of the year in November when they absolutely pounded the Pacers at the uh, Financial Institution of the Month Center. Of course, this isn't the same Celtics team. Paul Pierce has been out over a month and Wally Szczerbiak just returned. We all remember Tony Allen leaving the floor a few weeks ago which helped the Pacers escape Boston with a win in their last meeting. Notice I said escape, because the C's were coming up big again. Maybe it's the Larry Joe Legend factor with Boston, I don't know, but strange things seem to happen when these teams meet.

For all of my paranoia, the Pacers should take care of business on Tuesday night. If they want to play any factor in the Eastern Conference a game like this is a must win and should simply require a professional, workman-like effort to secure the W. Here's Bruno's preview:

Ahem, Bruno mentions how the trade with the Warriors was more like bringing in six new players instead of four because of the emergence of Granger and Marquis. Man, that sounds familiar. Great minds think alike.
Marquis Daniels remains day-to-day with knee tendinitis. Hopefully a couple of days off will have him ready to play.
Bruno has some more interesting information his Caught in the Web piece. Bob Chaikin, a statistician with raw DBA skills and the premier NBA game simulator around, has determined that the Pacers' recent trade should be worth five extra Ws this year. Sounds good to me. I'd say the Pacers are about one up so far, so four more to go.
Chaikin took each personnel group, ran the numbers through 100 season simulations and came up with the average results. The old Pacers projected to an average finish of 40-42. The new Pacers, on the other hand, project to 45-37. By Chaikin's purely scientific calculations, then, the trade will be worth five more victories this season.
Have you checked out Chaikin's bballsports.com site? Holy smokes! From Alaa Abdelnaby to Matthew Zunic (literally) he has all the numbers on all the teams and players, and I do mean all. Zunic, by the way, apparently averaged 5.8 points/game for Flint during the 1947-48 season. I mean, come on! Chaikin's gotta be making up some of these numbers! I've seen his work on 82games.com before so I know he's legit. Good luck dragging yourself aways from his site.
Finally, some good is coming out of the Palace Brawl. JO's community service sentence has developed into a long term project with JO giving his time and effort to help out kids he worked with in East Lansing, MI.
"Fans sometimes think certain players do the community service just for the media coverage, but that's not me," O'Neal said. "We snuck in and snuck out when we did our community service last summer. I kind of grew a bond with some of the kids that were there. I just want to be a mentor."

About.com Division Reports

2007-01-29T21:23:00.000-05:00

The fresh Weekly NBA Division Reports are up at About.com's basketball site. Here's the lineup for the weekly reports:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division - Dennis Velasco fills in for Ryan McNeill from HoopsAddict.com
Central Division - Me, myself and I from Cornrows
Southeast Division - Mike Prada from Bullets Forever

Western Conference

Northwest Division - Dave from Blazers Edge
Pacific Division - The crew at Golden State of Mind
Southwest Division - Ron Hitley from Hornets247

Line of the Night 1/28/07

2007-01-29T06:22:00.000-05:00

Antawn Jamison continued his outstanding play of late by leading the Wizards to a win over the Boston Celtics.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Antawn Jamison	34	7	7	0	3	4

Pistons 95, Pacers 87: Simply Outplayed

2007-01-28T21:52:00.001-05:00

The Pacers left the Palace Sunday night with an eight point loss, 95-87, although it felt like it should've been a 15 point differential. The Detroit Pistons played at a high level most of the night which the Pacers could not match. The Pistons stuck to their game plan of attacking the soft underbelly of the Pacers' interior defense and made most of the game look easy. The Pacers get a little credit for continuing to hang around and making a couple of runs when Detroit stepped off the gas. Other than that, take the loss and learn from what the Pistons exposed then get ready for the next game. Other thoughts:

The Pistons exposed a match up problem for the Pacers by working Rasheed, C-Webb, and McDyess on the low block. They attacked Troy Murphy, normally with Rasheed, and found little resistance. The Pacers had to go zone and really were smoked throughout the game when both teams had their first units on the floor.
Marquis Daniels sat out the game to rest his knee. Rawle Marshall stepped up and played 'Quis' minutes, doing a nice job on Rip Hamilton. Rip used all of his veteran savvy and veteran pull with the refs to maintain an advantage over Rawle, but he had to work for it.
Again, the Pacers reserves were involved in the best basketball of the night for the blue and gold.
JO got it rolling in the fourth as the Pacers tied the game up. Everything ground to a halt after JO picked up his fifth foul. Around the same time Murphy and Dunleavy re-entered the game and you could see the Pistons' energy change. They were licking their chops to get the ball on offense.
JO was forced to return with four minutes left but couldn't be as aggressive on defense and the Pacers couldn't get closer than four points.
Chief Webber had a real nice game just filling the cracks in the paint with put backs and nice ball handling. With the Pacers and JO in particular forced to help on interior defense, Chief rarely had a body on him. He took advantage with seven offensive rebounds.
Jamaal Tinsley played pretty well most of the game, but again, had some head-scratching possessions down the stretch the resulted in turnovers and no points.
ESPN showed a picture of Colts' coach, Tony Dungy from his playing days at the University of Minnesota. He played basketball for one year and was a Freshman roommate of Pitsons' coach Flip Saunders. Tony was rockin' the 'fro back in the day!
The Pacers return home to play the Celtics on Tuesday.

(Photo: D. Lippitt/Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Line of the Night 1/27/07

2007-01-28T14:26:00.000-05:00

Zach Randolph littered the stat sheet with goodies in the Blazers 2OT win over the Grizzlies.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Zach Randolph	42	12	2	0	2	1

Pacers 102, Raptors 84: Second Half Run Away

2007-01-28T14:09:00.000-05:00

The Pacers used a tried and true formula for their third win in a row Saturday night. After falling behind in the first half, the Pacers rallied to dominate the second half and cruise to a 102-84 victory over Toronto. I'm looking forward to watching a replay of the game, well, at least the second half. Mike Wells' recap describes a game similar to the comeback victory over Miami last Wednesday. With Darrell Armstrong and Danny Granger coming alive after the half, the Pacers had more than enough fire power to wear out the Raptors, who were playing the back half of back-to-back games.

Rick Carlisle enjoyed the second half:

"In the second half, I thought we got tougher defensively, more tough-minded," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We got to a lot of loose balls that we didn't get to in the first half. We picked it up in the second half; that was the difference in the game."

Jermaine O'Neal continues to enjoy the new look roster and team's ability to spread the wealth as displayed last night with five players in double figures:

"We're starting to get it together," O'Neal said. "We've got a lot of offensive threats out there. We have a fine mix of everything. We don't have too much of anything, which is very beneficial to us."

The trade's feel-good momentum will be tested Sunday night with a trip to the Palace to take on the Central Division leading Pistons.

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Raptors

2007-01-27T07:20:00.000-05:00

The Pacers welcome the Toronto Raptors who arrive in Indy after beating Boston Friday night in Toronto. The Raptors come to town has one of the hottest teams in the league having won five of their last six games to reach .500 and surge ahead in the not so stellar Atlantic Division. Since returning from injury Chris Bosh has played at a high level and was voted as a starting forward for the East in the All-Star Game. Bruno's preview discusses the fact that Bosh beat out Jermaine O'Neal who many (me, me, me!) think deserved the start if based strictly on merit. JO isn't quite as upset as I am:

"He's a young, upcoming guy; he's the future of our league," O'Neal said. "I take my hat off to Chris. I'm proud of him. I know him and his family very well. I have no problem coming off the bench behind Chris Bosh."

The Indy Star has a similar article with more Bosh/JO mutual adoration. Bosh's take on his All-Star selection over JO:

"With all respect to Jermaine, he's a good player, he's been in this league 10-plus years and he's really proved himself to be a bonafide All-Star and a superstar in this league and for fans to notice me, it's kind of mixed emotions," Bosh told Toronto reporters. "I kind of ask why, but at the same time, I appreciate it."

Despite the kind words from JO and Bosh, I'm sure they'll be amped up to take on each other Saturday night. Both players really went at each other in the first meeting. Unfortunately, they were a little too focused on the one on one battle and ended up playing out of sync, missing shots and turning the ball over. Hopefully we'll see the same effort with a higher level of play this time around.
The Raptors ran the Pacers out of the gym in their first meeting at Toronto. That game is a distant memory since the Pacers have a drastically different team now.
Freddie Jones returns to the Fieldhouse. Much like Austin Croshere, Freddie should get a warm welcome. Unfortunately, also like Cro, Freddie may not see the floor much. He's really fallen out of the rotation as several young Raptors have begun to flourish ahead of him.
Cornrows is heading down to the Bloomington, IN area this afternoon for the night so post game reaction will be delayed until Sunday.

Line of the Night 1/26/07

2007-01-27T06:50:00.000-05:00

Ice, my brother from another mother, was chastising me for handing out two LoNnys in a row to guys with no treys. I am, after all, a sucker for the 3-ball and it often is the deciding factor. Well, thanks to Jamal Crawford I can make up for the past two picks in one night. Crawford scored nearly half of his 52 from behind the arc and led the Knicks to a shocking drubbing of the Heat.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Jamal Crawford	52	3	1	0	2	8

Jack's Legal Issues Resurface in Michigan

2007-01-26T22:23:00.000-05:00

When I saw the headline, Judge rules Stephen Jackson violated probation, an uneasy feeling developed in the pit of my stomach. Call it a reflex. Then I had my first true, thank-God-the-Pacers-don't-have-to-deal-with-Jack's-issues-anymore sense of relief hit me. Funny though, it didn't relieve the disappointment like I thought it would. Yes, I'm viewing this one from the cheap seats since Jack's day-to-day issues no longer impact Ws and Ls for the Pacers. But I guess my rooting interest in the guy hasn't fully evaporated since the trade.

What? Why should I care? He's not the Pacers' problem any more? You want me to be outraged by Jack's behavior and dance around because his legal issues are no longer tied to the Pacers. Sorry, it's not that easy. I love basketball and enjoy the unique talents different players bring to the game. With my own life and issues to deal with, I have no interest in weighing the social ramifications of a two guard's behavior. Besides, what if he's not as bad as you think he is.

You may call it a con, but several months ago I saw genuine remorse in the guy's eyes. I decided to judge him only by his actions from that day forward. No, he hasn't been perfect but you notice effort and change. You know what a guy can bring to the court and you invest some emotion in pulling for him to turn the corner, keep the craziness in the past. He's doing what he does within the context of the NBA game, gets a fresh start in a better situation with a chance to really expose his sweat-earned and God-given hoop gifts. Be all he can be. The big picture is nearly in focus. Then, bam! Here comes the Judge! Here comes the Judge! Roll the Palace Brawl footage. Don't forget the Club Rio disaster, rehash it point by point. Broaden the impact to add Jack to the list of problems chipping away at the moral fiber of society, whatever that means. We've been through this drill before.

That what makes today's ruling tough. Yes, Jack should be held to the letter of the law and take responsibility for his actions. You just hope he can deal with this without wiping out all of the strides he's made in the past couple of months. I certainly don't want him to get any special treatment. I just don't have the desire to revel in the sorry situation.

Line of the Night 1/25/07

2007-01-26T06:20:00.000-05:00

Ben Gordon led the way to nice Bulls' win over the sizzling Dallas Mavericks.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Ben Gordon	30	6	5	2	0	0

Trade Impact Felt By Players Who Did Not Move

2007-01-25T22:09:00.001-05:00

A week ago, the Pacers-Warriors trade analysis was in full swing. Some felt on raw talent alone, the Pacers were robbed. Others felt that adding outside-shooting role players and losing players with some drama baggage gave the Pacers a better deal. After a week and three games, there's no complaints on either side of the deal as both teams see a brighter future ahead.

The key to the Pacers' positive outlook is the impact felt by the remaining players on the roster. By moving Al, Jack, and Runi, the Pacers were able to unleash Danny Granger and to a certain extent Marquis Daniels. So in essence, the trade gave the Pacers Murph, Mike D, and Granger as starters along with solid bench contributors in Diogu and Daniels.

For the season, Marquis Daniels is averaging almost 17 minutes/game and 5.8 points/game, but since the trade his minutes have jumped to 28 per game with 14 points/game. Prior to the trade 'Quis' minutes were sporadic since he had to scrounge for time off the bench with Granger and Saras. Early in the season he was also adjusting to a new coach and team, so often looked out of sync with his teammates. With the logjam cleared, Daniels is first off the bench behind Dunleavy and Granger. He's taking advantage of the opportunity by playing much more aggressive and making his unorthodox mid-range game work.

Danny Granger has been the real beneficiary of the trade. Jermaine O'Neal is having a great season, but with his bud Al grumbling and Jack's dominating personality dictating the mood of the team, there seemed to be a constant simmering tension that occasionally bubbled up in some corner of the locker room. Al didn't want to be option #2, he wanted to be #1b with JO being #1a. Granger's growth in his second year was being stunted by sitting behind, and at times deferring to, Al and Jack. Now the lid has popped open on his opportunity and he is flourishing as a bona fide #2 scoring option to compliment JO.

So with 'Quis and Granger stepping up, the new faces are allowed to blend in and develop their role on the team without feeling pressure to fill the exact void left by Jack and Al. Thus far, Dunleavy and Murphy appear to enjoy the team game and moving the ball without regard to their stat line. Neither seem like they'll go "Artest" and create shots without regard to the offense. Looking at the absolute talent-for-talent aspect of the trade, Golden State certainly did well. But so far, the current Pacer team's value is larger than the sum of its parts which is evident by the style of play and the buzz of the crowd returning to the Fieldhouse.

(Photo DG/JO: Victor Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

(Photo MD: AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Line of the Night 1/24/07

2007-01-25T06:26:00.000-05:00

Plenty of big numbers thrown up around the Association last night. Multi-tasking gets the nod as Pau Gasol displayed all of his tradeable assets with a triple-double in the Grizzlies' OT win over the Jazz.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Pau Gasol	17	13	12	2	1	0

Pacers 96, Heat 94: Now We're Talkin'

2007-01-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

After falling behind by 20 to the Heat, the Pacers dug deep to come up with a bench-infused comeback and a fourth quarter lead. Dwyane Wade wasn't done and hit a contested 3-ball to tie the game late. But with a chance for the win, D-Wade missed a Granger-harassed game winner, sending the game to OT. In the extra time, Granger and Murphy took care of the scoring and Jason Kapono's 3-ball at the buzzer thought about going in but then squirted out of the hoop to give the Pacers the win, 96-94. Plenty of observations from this one:

I don't see the Pacers winning this one two weeks ago. Down 20 late in the third, with JO having an off night (4-20 FGA)? I don't think so.
JO wasn't the only one missing shots. Through the first two and a half quarters it seemed like everyone was missing. Dunleavy finished 1-7, Granger was off in the first half. They were getting good looks, it just seemed like one of those nights.
Darrell Armstrong continued to impose his will on the game and was heavily involved in the fourth quarter comeback. In fact, DA played the whole fourth quarter before having Tinsley take over in OT.
Along with DA, the comeback lineup included Jeff Foster, Marquis Daniels, Ike Diogu, and Danny Granger. They started the fourth quarter with three straight 3-balls (Granger 2, DA 1) to which cut the lead to four in a blink of an eye. From there this group was just vicious on defense and aggressive on offense. They took what was theirs.
A key player in the comeback lineup was Diogu. He held down the paint and had a couple of nice interior scores. Apparently he won't get the benefit of any calls down low. Didn't seem to bother him as he just kept going at it until he scored.
Yes, D-Wade had 32, but Army hounded him in the fourth and really disrupted anything Wade was trying to do. Until his late three pointer, Wade only had four points in the deciding quarter.
D-Wade did show off his sick skills earlier in the game. With his ankle healthy and legs fresh he flashed the burst that separates him from mere mortal pro basketball players. On one beautiful play, Gary Payton threw a long pass to a streaking Wade who had two Pacers right with him. Instead of catching the ball and then going up, Wade started leaping just as the ball arrived and floated the rest of the way in the air for a layup. The startled Pacers who were preparing to block a shot after he gathered the pass were left on the ground staring in awe.
Oh yeah, Shaq played a little.
Shaq provided a funny moment after he plowed over Dunleavy and was called for a foul. After Mike D made sure all of his limbs were intact, he reached for a hand up and Shaq left him hanging. DA was quick to grab the hand and get him up.
Murphy had a nice 17 and 12 including a couple of key jumpers in OT. He had a couple of nice pick 'n pop plays with Tinsley, hitting open 17 footers.
The point guard situation remains interesting with DA getting the bulk of the key minutes. Tinsley had his good but DA seemed to have the game flowing at a nice pace when he played.
'Quis Daniels needs mention here too. He was a big part of the defensive effort in the fourth quarter. He also hit some of his patented garbage runners in the lane.
Tough night for JO. Shots weren't falling and he didn't seem to have any lift. He had several shots around the rim that he couldn't get over the rim. Alonzo Mourning was credited with several blocks on JO's shots. Can't wait until JO gets calls like other All-Star caliber players.
OK, I'm rambling but this game was big. Quinn Buckner mentioned a developing resolve building up with the Pacers and I sense the same thing. On a night when players 6 thru 9 on your bench flat out earn the W, it really builds up the confidence of the team as a whole. With new faces trying to mesh, an effort like tonight goes a long way to players trusting each other.
During the third quarter we learned that Mike Dunleavy is an avid Scrabble player and he offered to take on all challengers. He claims to have posted 100-plus point words in past games.
The Colts' Reggie Wayne was courtside with a few of his boys. His presence was acknowledged with a standing O just prior to the start of the fourth quarter.
The Pacers have a couple of days off at home before Toronto visits the Fieldhouse on Saturday night.

(Photos: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Line of the Night 1/23/07

2007-01-24T06:11:00.000-05:00

The Sonics didn't have enough for the Nuggets, but Ray Allen did what he could. 6-17 from 3-land? Gotta applaud the effort.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Ray Allen	44	3	5	0	3	6

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Heat

2007-01-23T21:16:00.000-05:00

Once again, the Pacers' are expecting Shaquille O'Neal's return when they play the Heat. Last Thursday in Miami there was noise about Shaq's return. With the Pacers broken up by the trade it made sense for Shaq to skip the game. A few days later and Shaq still has not played, plus Dwyane Wade missed the Heat-Knicks game on Monday. Wade is expected back while Shaq's return is a mystery. After so much time off, maybe it wouldn't hurt the Pacers if Shaq played. The rest of the Heat would have to get used to having the big fella on the court again which could disrupt the style they've been playing without him. Call me Mr. Positive. Here is Bruno's preview.

Jermaine O'Neal seems happy with his new running mates. Like everyone who watched the Pacers beat the Bulls, JO realizes Dunleavy and Murphy are a nice fit for the Pacers' offensive system and could really make it hum with more familiarity. He does his best to avoid disrespecting his ol' pal Al while complimenting Mike D and Murph. Don't worry JO, we know what you mean.
"What’s most important to us right now is to get everybody comfortable, get everybody on the same page, and really get geared up for the second half of the season, because that’s what really counts," said Jermaine O'Neal. "You have to be willing to believe with the guys that we have. These guys are really built for a system, Troy Murphy, Ike (Diogu), and Mike Dunleavy, all those guys are doing very well in our system.

"We all seem to play well off of each other, not that Al (Harrington) and those guys, we didn’t mesh -- it wasn’t like that -- but considering I didn’t know much about the guys, they’re perfect for the system that we have. If we were going to trade guys like we traded, those would be the perfect guys to trade for."

Darrell Armstrong was fabulous against the Bulls. His 38-year-old legs can't do it every night, but when he's up for the effort he's straight relentless. Carlisle enjoyed watching his mini-KG from the bench.
"I've been around the NBA for a long time and Darrell Armstrong is Kevin Garnett in a 5-10 body," Carlisle said. "He gives that kind of energy. He has that kind of unbridled enthusiasm for the game and for his teammates. He's a guy that was written off so many times before he got to this league. He's got a heart as big as Conseco Fieldhouse."

Jamaal Tinsley's status for Wednesday night is day-to-day. On the telecast of the Bulls game, Chris Denari mentioned that Tins wanted to go on Monday night but the training staff wouldn't let him.

Line of the Night 1/22/07

2007-01-23T06:15:00.000-05:00

Kobe Bryant carried the Lakers to a fourth quarter comeback over Golden State.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Kobe Bryant	42	8	1	1	2	4

Pacers 98, Bulls 91: DA Runs the Show

2007-01-22T23:30:00.000-05:00

The Pacers finished the first half of the season by holding off a late charge from the Bulls to win, 98-91. Darrell Armstrong stepped in for an ailing Jamaal Tinsley to lead the Pacers to a desperately needed W. Fresh and familiar faces alike, came together for a second quarter outburst that put the Pacers up by 17 at the half. From there, the Pacers had to fight off Ben Gordon and well, pretty much just Ben Gordon, but he was playing like there were two of him on the floor. In the end, the Bulls could get no closer than four points. Here's a full recap of the game. Other game thoughts:

Tins missed his first game of the year. Hopefully the flow of the offense was due to the new faces fitting in with the team and not just because Tins was out.
With the score tied 30-30, JO hit a jumper with 7:50 left in the half. From there (including JO's bucket) the Pacers outscored the Bulls 30-13. Thirty points in less than eight minutes? Not bad for a slow, grinding, controlled offense.
Marquis Daniels provided several nice buckets in the Pacers' second quarter run. He has a real knack of getting the ball within 15 feet of the bucket and creating nice little shots for himself.
Troy Murphy joined Dunleavy in the starting lineup moving Jeff Foster to a reserve role. Murph's offensive presence puts more pressure on opposing defenses.
Mike D played some point in the second quarter to give DA a breather. He does a nice job in the half court sets. Can you say post entry pass?
JO was JO with 22 and 10. After a bucket and a foul sent JO near the baseline seats, a few beer toting suits enticed JO into some celebratory high fives and he obliged. I feel sorry for all of the employees in the area tomorrow who will have to listen to how their boss gave JO a high five.
Darrell Armstrong finished 16 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds and 3 steals.
DA played a huge role in closing out the Bulls late in the fourth quarter. First, on consecutive Bulls' possessions DA drew an offensive foul on Hinrich (fouled him out) and then Gordon.
With 35 seconds left and a five point lead, DA missed a 3-ball. Nocioni grabbed the rebound and threw the outlet pass but Armstrong snuck in and stole the ball. Foul. Free throws. Ball game.
The Pacers will have the full attention of the Miami Heat when they visit Conseco Fieldhouse on Wednesday.

Links of Note

2007-01-22T21:52:00.000-05:00

The Carnival of the NBA #40 - The Bill Laimbeer Edition is up at, where else, Detroit Bad Boys.

Also, don't forget to check out the Weekly NBA Division Reports on About.com's basketball site. Here's the lineup for the weekly reports:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division - Ryan McNeill from HoopsAddict.com
Central Division - Me, myself and I from Cornrows
Southeast Division - Mike Prada from Bullets Forever

Western Conference

Northwest Division - Dave from Blazers Edge
Pacific Division - The crew at Golden State of Mind
Southwest Division - Ron Hitley from Hornets247

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Bulls

2007-01-22T18:20:00.000-05:00

Jamaal Tinsley's dream of playing all 82 may end tonight.

For a Bulls' point of view, check out Blog-A-Bull.

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Troy Murphy is ready to feast on the Eastern Conference and start rockin' the double-double art form he has displayed in the past. Murphy drives home his intentions with a quote Ahnuld Schwarzenegger would envy.

"I like to do it," he said. "I'm going to do it here."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mitch Lawrence digs into the trade ramifications and suggests this may be the biggest trade in Pacers' history. His sources indicate that Stephen Jackson's impact on the the off court decisions of his teammates was pointing some young Pacers in the wrong direction, namely Danny Granger, and a team culture change was necessary by any means possible.

...Jackson had been among a group of players who were seemingly more interested in enjoying the nightlife in various NBA cities on a regular basis than they were in trying to get the Pacers into the playoffs.

Hmm, I wonder who else was in that group? Certainly helps explain the erratic backcourt production.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bethlehem Shoals had an interesting Pacer post at the NBA Fanhouse the other day regarding Larry Joe Legend and Rick Carlisle not seeing eye to eye on the Pacers' talent and how to use it. I think it's a bit of a jump to say Carlisle and LJL aren't on the same page based on disgruntled player comments. I have a hard time believing LJL would've done much different with Saras or Jack. Plus, Jonathon Bender's career flame out had nothing to do with Carlisle and more to do with the fact that JB was rarely, if ever, 100% healthy when he suited up. But, having said that, Carlisle should be on his last chance to lead a change in direction.

I recall Bird discussing his vision shortly after joining the front office. He indicated he'd like to put together a team that could put five versatile players on the floor at once. Artest, Harrington, Jackson, Bender, Granger, even Shawne Williams all fit the description of athletic, multi-faceted players Bird envisioned. For several reasons, they haven't worked out. Artest went Artest. Harrington and Jackson have their limitations. Bender had bad knees. So, when those pieces aren't the right fit to run and create mismatches, Carlisle is stuck trying to make something else work. Fair or unfair, Carlisle is starting a new plan again, but if the team remains stagnant LJL needs to try a new sideline leader.

One More Win to Go!!!

2007-01-22T00:15:00.000-05:00

(Photo Addai: Doug Benc/Getty Images)

(Photo Jackson: Indystar.com)

Line of the Night 1/21/07

2007-01-22T00:06:00.000-05:00

Hmm, pick a Sun any Sun. Shawn Marion hasn't been considered for many LoNny's this year, but gets the nod since he dabbled in all of the key stats on the line, including grabbing 20 caroms.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Shawn Marion	17	20	3	2	1	1

Line of the Night 1/20/2007

2007-01-21T07:01:00.000-05:00

Just another huge game for Allen Iverson, as the Nuggets take care of the Rockets in OT.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Allen Iverson	36	3	10	0	4	2

Knicks 108, Pacers 106: Discombobulated

2007-01-20T22:10:00.000-05:00

The Knicks had a couple of chances to bury the Pacers, but the blue and gold kept coming back only to fall short in the end as the Knicks held on to win, 108-106. This games felt like it was part NBA regular season, part NBA preseason, and part meet 'n greet. Unfortunately, the 'L' is 100% NBA regular season. While the Pacers can be excused for not playing well, this is a bottom line league and they've still lost three in a row and are back at .500. Here are some random thoughts on an odd game:

The first half was like a preseason tryout with everybody playing at least a few minutes. Several offensive possessions saw guys running into each other or playing a little tentative not knowing where a teammate might end up.
Mike Dunleavy started at SG which was a bit of a surprise. I guess they had to split up the new guys a little bit in the rotation. MD's 14 third quarter points and nice work on the high screen/roll may keep him starting as the Pacers move forward.
Dunleavy found plenty of open looks and created a few of his own. I really like what he can bring to this offense.
As advertised, Dunleavy leaves little to be desired on the defensive end. He actually had nice position for an offensive rebound and was getting pulled on as he went up to snare the board. The ref must've figured there was no way he could pull that off and promptly nailed him with a foul.
Murphy played about as advertised with a double-double in 23 minutes. It was really nice to see someone other than Jeff Foster grab an offensive rebound and put it back for two. Murph looked like he hadn't shot a free throw in months. The stroke was more of a yip.
Ike Diogu played a few minutes in the first half and looked good in the post, but had a couple of turnovers trying to do a little too much.
At halftime we learned that the best player Jamaal Tinsley has ever faced is Ed Smith, NYC playground legend.
Stephon Marbury played a real nice brand of point guard and the Knicks as a whole looked much improved. Zeke has to get a little credit for making an impact on the team in general, and Marbury in particular. Marbury went down real late in regulation, hope he's not hurt too badly.
Eddie Curry is a beast.
David Lee is a menace.
Jermaine O'Neal and Danny Granger continued to play strong, with 25 and 19 points, respectively. JO had a hand in fouling out both Channing Frye and Eddie Curry.
Knicks donated 20 turnovers to keep the not-firing-on-all-cylinders Pacers within striking distance.
Jamaal Tinsley did a nice job getting the Pacers back near the lead late in the game. As often happens, he got into a one-on-one duel with the opposing PG (Marbury) and ended up forcing a couple too many drives in the lane.
Ron Ron finally made his way back to Detroit. Knowing the national spotlight would be on, Ronnie didn't disappoint coming out in a Tru Warrier mohawk. Oh, and the Kings were blown out by the Pistons. Distraction?
The Pacers stay at home this week but with the Bulls, Heat, and Raptors coming to town it won't be easy. At least they'll have time to practice.

(Photo: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Meet the New Pacers

2007-01-20T14:25:00.000-05:00

Pacers.com has an introductory video greeting from all of the new Pacers. Obviously they didn't prepare a script for these things.

Meet Troy Murphy
Meet Mike Dunleavy
Meet Ike Diogu
Meet Keith McCloud

Atma Brother ONE is at is again for Golden State of Mind getting hyped for the analysis to cease and the play to begin for the Pacers and Warriors. AB 1's giddiness over losing Murphy and Dunleavy continues to give me pause, since he's probably seen them play more than anyone else I've heard comment on the players.

As always, I'll wait to review an on court sample of data before I get too excited or down on the deal. Finally, the time is here.

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Knicks

2007-01-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Jack and Saras took their shots at Carlisle's coaching yesterday. I've seen these guys bounce pass the ball directly to the other team enough to know it wasn't all the coaches fault.

The new Pacers joined their teammates for practice yesterday. Keith McCloud will start his Pacer career in street clothes on the inactive list, but Murphy, Dunleavy, and Diogu are expected to play against the Knicks on Saturday night.

Jermaine O'Neal is rumored to be on the trading block despite zero indications from the Pacers that this is anything more than a rumor. Seems bogus since the pieces they recently added appear to be a good fit to surround JO in the post.

Blowing Up The Pacers: Informed sources near the Pacers situation suggest that Jermaine O’Neal may be a lot closer to being dealt than even he will admit. A few weeks ago he announced to the press that if he could not get the Pacers turned around and winning, maybe it was time for him to go. That seems very likely to happen this summer, although a handful of GM’s and scouts say it could happen before the trade deadline. One informed source hinted that Marcus Camby or even Brad Miller could be parts of a J-O package deal, as the Pacers have at times expressed interest in both players – Camby likely as bait for a third team, and Brad Miller as a solid dependable foundation piece. With marquee talents like Vince Carter, Jason Kidd and even Pau Gasol possibly available now, don’t be surprised to see Jermaine’s name surface as the deadline approaches. If the Pacers could return Brad Miller and Vince Carter for Jermaine, or Brad Miller and Kevin Martin for a Jermaine package – that might be just enough to jump start Indiana, or at least give Pacers fans players they can cheer for.

At least give Pacers fans players they can cheer for? What? With the way JO is playing this year, how can you not cheer for him? Remember the Montieth mantra -- Rumored trades rarely happen and the trades that happen are rarely rumored.

The Knicks come to town after tough, one point losses to the Wizards and Nets. The Pacers beat the Knicks in their previous two meetings.

Line of the Night 1/19/07

2007-01-20T07:20:00.001-05:00

Marcus Camby came up big last night at the Nuggets rolled against Cleveland despite a tidy triple-double from LeBron.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Marcus Camby	26	17	2	2	1	0

JO Takes the Lead

2007-01-19T21:52:00.000-05:00

JO is getting the hang of this leadership thing. A couple of weeks ago he said what everyone was thinking -- this ain't working. He was criticized here and elsewhere for using the media for in-house complaining, but the team did win three straight games following the comments.

A huge change was made and JO is now left standing as the unquestioned leader of the team and focal point of the offense. It's tough to see friends move on to other teams, but changing the makeup of the team makes it easier for JO to assert his presence as a leader on the team. Al Harrington joined the Pacers in the offseason with plans to be an equal partner with his buddy, whereas Murphy and Dunleavy arrive knowing full well that their role is to compliment JO. The dynamic is completely different. Now is the time to build up his supporting cast with confidence to leave it all out on the court with him. These quotes after the Heat game do just that:

(On the end of the game) “Guys made big plays. Jeff Foster carried us for the last two minutes. Marquis Daniels, Danny Granger, and Jeff Foster carried us all night; especially Jeff Foster. He had three consecutive three-point-plays which is big considering they were nine to 10 points ahead. We have to feel good about the effort considering we came back against a really good Miami HEAT team.”
(On Danny Granger) “In order to be a real good team you have to have one, two, or maybe a three good [players] to excel. I think Danny Granger did a really good job preparing himself for tonight. He looked tremendous on both ends of the floor. I think he is up for the challenge. When opportunity calls you have to answer the door and I think he is doing that right now.”

JO has left it out on the court too, playing through an aggravating ankle injury. He appeared to be moving around better on Thursday nigh, so hopefully the worst is behind him.
------------------------
Dunleavy for Magette rumors were rampant after the initial trade went through, forcing the parties involved to set the record straight.

"Absolutely untrue," Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said Thursday.
"I talked to Indiana today for 45 minutes and there was no talk of any kind of deal," the elder Dunleavy told Los Angeles-area reporters. "He's there because they want him there."

Walsh denied the rumor and more on Chad Ford's Daily Dish podcast. Great discussion of how the trade came about and stayed a secret. Plus, the plans for the new look roster. Great stuff, give it a listen.

DA Ready to Help Colts Beat Patriots

2007-01-19T21:13:00.000-05:00

Darrell Armstrong concedes he's not the best field goal kicker in town (no, not shooter, kicker). Second best? Definitely. DA knows he's good from 50 yards out and plans to go to the AFC Championship game. If Adam Vinatieri is kidnapped by some overzealous Pats' fans before Sunday's Colts-Pats games, then DA will be ready to kick.

Just another reason why it's great to have DA (or as Slick calls him 'Army') on the roster.

Line of the Night 1/18/07

2007-01-19T06:21:00.000-05:00

The Mavs made sure the Lakers don't get too excited about their standing in the Western Conference. Josh Howard did the damage along with some help from Dirk.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Josh Howard	29	11	5	1	2	2

Heat 104, Pacers 101: New Options Emerge

2007-01-18T22:57:00.000-05:00

The Pacers looked like they were out of gas and options in the second half as the Heat built a solid double-digit lead. Just as the Heat were powering down for the night, the Pacers showed a little heart and made it a tight finish. But Danny Granger's 3-ball at the buzzer came up short leaving the Pacers with a loss, 101-104. Here's the game recap.

This was a strange game with the Heat coming off a 4-2 West Coast roadie and playing their best ball of the year. Shaq did not play but with Mourning in the middle the Heat have everything covered. So we had the surging Heat playing a Pacers team in transition minus the ex-Warriors added to the roster yesterday. Under these circumstances a Pacers' loss was expected. Fortunately, they didn't play that way and revealed some positive items of interest:

Danny Granger and Marquis Daniels played like they were unshackled and new they had to step up to fill the scoring void left by Jack and Al. Both players were assertive and not deferring to anyone. Granger finished with a career-high 28 points on 9-15 shooting, including 3 from 3-land. 'Quis used his crafty, mid-range game to pour in 23 points on 10-18 from the floor. The time is now for both of these guys and at least tonight they embraced the opportunity.
Marquis Daniels went with a new look 'do, pulling his braids back with a head band. Whatever it takes, 'Quis.
Foster actually made some bunnies tonight fueling the fourth quarter comeback with some nice garbage buckets. He scored 12 points in the fourth to finish with 14 on 6-7 from the field.
Dwyane Wade didn't disappoint with some spectacular plays including throwing in a no-look-behind-the-head, left-handed shot off the glass after being fouled on a drive. The guy gets his share of superstar calls. That's a nice card to have in your pocket, one the Pacers don't possess. JO's getting there but he still has a way to go.
Surprisingly, Maceo Baston only played two minutes. With the extra minutes available, I figured he'd play quite a bit. He did have a nice jam in his brief stint on the floor.
Charles Barkley kept talking up the Pacers at the half. He made a prediction that the Pacers would end up with a better record than the Cavs. With LeBron and Co. struggling on the West Coast it's easy to anticipate a decline by the Cavs, so Barkley certainly wasn't suggesting the Pacers would top a Cavs team that maintained their current pace. His main point is that he thinks the Pistons and Heat are the only true contenders in the East so if the Pacers play improves, they could move up to at least a four seed.
The Pacers have a day off to get acquainted with their new teammates before playing the Knicks at home on Saturday. The Knicks game is the first of four home games in eight days.

(Photo: Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

More Pacers/Warriors Trade Fodder

2007-01-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

Man, after listening to Charles Barkley's TNT takes I sure feel better about Pacers' end of yesterday's trade. TNT also had the first comments I've heard from Jermaine O'Neal. He's in a tough spot because if he complains about the trade, which would pile on his previous complaints, he's seen as a malcontent. If he expresses excitement and renewed enthusiasm he ends up slamming his buddy Al. In essence, he said that the trade hurt him personally because of losing Al, but he completely understands from a professional standpoint.

Golden State of Mind continues to follow up with plenty of trade talk. This Winners and Losers post has some quality pictures of Dunleavy. More "Funleavy" pics here. Maybe this guy should wear a bike helmet when he's on the floor.

Al Harrington took time out on his way to the Bay Area to fire a shot at Carlisle's coaching style and his displeasure with the Pacers' offense. Stay classy, Al. I missed the part where Baby Al took any responsibility for his erratic level of effort and production. Yes, Carlisle planned to play an uptempo brand of ball this year mainly because he thought the players could handle it. Unfortunately, pulling the ball out of the net slows the tempo. Coughing up ugly turnovers and not being able to finish fast break opportunities also slows the tempo. Al had plenty of minutes and was second in FGAs to JO, so maybe it wasn't the system but the players in the system. Al should enjoy the run at all cost style of Nellie so why not keep his yap shut on the way out of town. Al claims the only upsetting part of the trade is that he just finished fully furnishing a new house and now has to move again. I wonder if Al had any mirrors in that house because it sounds like he hasn't looked in one lately.

Pacers Insider has some great trade thoughts from Mark Montieth and Mike Wells, including a not-so-Internet friendly mantra about trade information, especially when Donnie Walsh and the Pacers are involved.

Rumored trades rarely happen and the trades that happen are rarely rumored.

Finally, for a little fun, Miss Gossip at the NBA Funhouse breaks down the Jermaine O'Neal for the NBA hair watch. Braids or no braids? Not hard to figure out my preference. Plus, the Caesar cut combined with his boyish face make JO look 18 again.

A Few Pacers Play the Heat Tonight - More on New Pacers

2007-01-18T06:45:00.000-05:00

The Pacers have an important game tonight at Miami, but will be shorthanded as the ex-Warriors make their way to Indy. Not worried about Shaq returning anymore since it probably won't matter. All focus is on the Pacers trade now anyway. Actually, in Indy all of the focus is on the Colts and Patriots. Whenever the Colts' run ends there will be a lot of casual Pacer fans tuning in and asking, "Where is Al Harrington and who is that skinny, shaggy-haired kid?" Here is Bruno's preview that is actually trade talk. Here is more on the former Pacers.

Larry Joe Legend is actually starting to take some heat for his moves over the past couple of years. You have to at least give him and Donnie Walsh credit for cutting their losses and admitting when they’re wrong. Well, they don't come out and say it but their actions speak for them. LJL/DW didn’t waste any time with James White when they realized he wouldn’t work out. To be fair, Artest wasn't brought in by LJL but he certainly had to deal with the him. The guy wasn't easy to move so he tried to put the best public face forward. Eventually Artest burned him for good. Now, they admit Al doesn’t work well with JO and Saras didn’t offer what they expected. They just didn't have the right pieces and wanted to make a change.

While admitting mistakes is admirable, it sure would be nice to hit a home run one of these times. Finding a late first round or second round pick that becomes a big time contributor ain't easy but I'd say the Pacers are due. My confidence level in a rejuvenated Mike Dunleavy or Troy Murphy is non-existent. I'd like to know what kind of health assurances they received with regard to Murphy. He misses games and still doesn't appear 100%. Let's say there are no more trades this year, if Murphy misses 15-20 games due to injury it could be ugly at the Fieldhouse.

The salaries per year for Murphy and Dunleavy are roughly the same as Harrington and Jack, with the big exception that they both last one year longer. I still don't think it is that big a deal (especially since I'm not cutting the checks). The keys to the deal for the Pacers are getting something from Ike Diogu and getting some consistent outside shooting from Dunleavy and Murphy. Al and Jack could score but they weren't reliable night in and night out and certainly didn't compliment JO's game. If Murph and Dunleavy can provide a consistent inside/outside compliment to JO then we're on to something.

As for Diogu, his game was not built for Nellie Ball so it's not hard to see how he was lost in the shuffle in Golden State. With all of the bunnies the Pacers have missed around the hoop this year, I'll be stoked if Diogu can come in an grab a couple of boards and put the ball back in the basket. Is that too much to ask?

Line of the Night 1/17/07

2007-01-18T06:38:00.000-05:00

There were better lines last night but nothing spectacular, so I'm going with Brandon Roy as he mounts a charge for the R.O.Y. BRoy got it done on both ends of the floor to help sink LeBron and the Cavs.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Brandon Roy	19	10	4	0	6	1

He Who Laughs Last...

2007-01-17T12:04:00.000-05:00

First of all, now that the unexpected shock of this trade has receded, I’m still not excited about the players coming in but I can’t get myself riled up about any perceived imbalance with the deal either. Let’s face it, looking at the black and white numbers of a stat sheet, Golden State should feel very good about this trade and it appears their fans do. You have to check out the greatest trade analysis post in the history of the NBA blogosphere by Atma Brother #1 over at Golden State of Mind.

After reading AB #1’s hyped analysis, I had to go back and check the trade details. (Using Allen Iverson “Practice” tone of voice) We’re talking about Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson, man. We’re talking about Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson. I mean, I’ve seen about 35 Pacer games this year and I have no idea who they think they’re getting. Ironically, Al had one of his best performances at Golden State in a game the Pacers stole on a buzzer beating 3-ball by Stephen Jackson. Maybe they think that’s how those guys bring it every night.

I was planning to do a pro and con look at the players leaving, but GSOM covered all of the pros (and don’t get me wrong, these guys have value) I was thinking about and a few others even Al and Jack don’t realize they have. So to provide a little reality check for the Warrior faithful, I thought I’d point out a few areas of concern that may have led to Larry Joe Legend and Donnie Walsh saying, “Deal!”:

Josh Powell is a nice player to have on the bench. He played his way onto the roster in preseason with plenty of praise and comparison to Udonis Haslem of the Heat. Powell was a non-factor in the regular season, so there's nothing negative to say other than he's all potential at this point.

Saras (a bonus for me is not having to write around the word Jasikevicius) never seemed like the player we saw running around in the 2004 Olympics draining unconscious 3-balls. One problem that was exposed this year is that Cabages is more comfortable shooting from inside the arc in the NBA. He's only shooting .372 from 3-land this year (which is an improvment over last year). Another problem area is a serious lack of quickness. He is a well known defensive liability, which actually may not be a problem with Nellie Ball. Saras loves to dazzle with the pass and can on occasion. He also burps up turnovers that look pretty silly with the attempted dazzle. So you have a slow, two guard in a PG body who doesn't light it up from behind the arc. The freedom of Nellie Ball may just save his career, we'll see...

Al "The Big Thirst" Harrington served two tours of duty in Indy. He intitially arrived on a veteran team and was dubbed Baby Al. He even lived with Antonio Davis' family and had AD's wife pinning reminders to his shirt like her other kids. All that was expected of Al in his first few years was to work on his game and be the face of the future for the Pacers. Well, with all of that work and no play, Baby Al was a little too excited when he got his chance. He had so much to prove, his mind would race ahead of his body. He wanted (actuall still wants) to be an All-Star level player but just couldn't put it all together and with Artest in the lineup, Al's chance to start wasn't going to happen.

Al went to Atlanta and played well, which I think was due to the fact that all of those people back in Indy that he wanted to impress weren't around. He had a fresh start and was able to show what he could do. Then he returns to Indy with the confidence from his play in Atlanta. Now he can prove he's the player everyone expected to eventually develop. The problem is, he's not quite as good as he thinks he is. Al's shooting an incredible percentage from behind the arc this year, but he still gets ahead of himself and out of control when he's trying to finish. His overall FG% matches his 3 pt% and I guarantee you most of the misses inside the arc are on bunnies within 3-4 feet of the bucket.

So, there is a lot to like about Al's game but he's inconsistent. Some nights he plays like the Big Thirst and other nights he plays like Baby Al. Obviously, the change of scenery will help him the most, but don't expect him to accept a straight play defense and rebound role. He wants to be the man and will go into a funk when he's not getting his touches. We just went through this act a couple of weeks ago when he told us he'd go "Artest" which, in the context he was using it, meant to force the action when the had the ball in order to get off some shots. Great smile, great guy and for that will be missed.

Stephen Jackson, like Al, is high maintenance. He plays on an emotional edge which is anything but steady. This also leads to inconsistent production when you sometimes have to ask, "What is Jack doing out there?" He has been on his best behavior this year, so the stop in his tracks complaining has been minimized (which is tough because the guy gets absolutely no calls). But with the new emphasis on complaining and the little issue of TWO PENDING COURT DATES, you can tell he's making an effort to project a positive image. Give him credit, he's done pretty well, only getting suspended once for insubordination. Not bad. The off the court image issue with the Pacers and fans is blatant so there's not much else to say. One final point of concern is that there are far more opportunities for trouble in Oaktown than in Indy.

On the court, Jack is a 6'8" shooting guard but he rarely plays that big. In fact, Carlisle recently lamented the fact that Al and Jack don't impose the physical size mismatch against their opponents often enough. Post play just is not their forte. Jack is a classic streaky shooter which works if you can get him to stop shooting when he's cold, although that's not an easy task.

Bottom line with Jack is, his play couldn't make up for the poor light he cast on the franchise during training camp. I see negotiations playing out like this:

Mully said, "OK, how about Powell, Saras, Harrington and...Stephen Jackson."

Bird replied, "Excuse me, did you say Jackson?"

Mully, "Yes."

Bird, "Deal! Now who are we getting?"

Good luck to all of the former Pacers and good luck to all Warrior fans. I hope you make the playoffs.

Change is a Good Thing

2007-01-17T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Pacers and Warriors have reportedly agreed to an eight player trade. Plenty of analysis left on this one, but my initial reaction (after WOW!!!) is that this trade shakes the team to the core and that's a good thing. Trading two starters and another heavy contributor off the bench is HUGE. Add to the fact that Stephen Jackson was part of the deal which will help from a PR stand point. Can't say I'm real excited about the players heading to Indy but it should immediately help offensively. The defense wasn't exactly stellar prior to the trade, so if the Pacers have a few more consistent scoring options it can't hurt.

OK, that's enough, plenty of time to review contract baggage and what each player can bring to the table. For now, time to embrace the change.

Line of the Night 1/16/07

2007-01-17T06:20:00.000-05:00

Tracy McGrady did everything he could but the Mavs were still able to add another second-half, beat-down victim to their list.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Tracy McGrady	45	5	7	1	1	4

Another Change in the Lineup?

2007-01-16T21:33:00.000-05:00

In the Indy Star's Pacers Notebook today, Mike Wells discusses Marquis Daniels starting the second half against the Nets in place of Al Harrington. The Big Thirst has been a little frustrated lately as it is since he can't seem to sync up with JO to become a devastating front court duo. So the initial thought is -- uh, oh, more drama ahead. Ironically, in the preview for the Nets game, Carlisle discussed his starting lineup needing to exploit their physical size advantage on smaller lineups. Oops, I guess quick can beat big also. Mike seemed content with the explanation that this was a one time switch in order to put a quicker defender on Richard Jefferson. Carlisle wanted to downplay any speculation of a starting lineup change:

"I was just trying to match up with their quickness," Carlisle said. "I thought (Daniels) did a good job defensively and offensively in the third quarter."

After reading the latest Pacers Insider post, it appears after further consideration Mike isn't so sure about Carlisle's explanation. Mike's thought process mirrors mine -- Harrington is the best candidate to sit but that seems like change for the sake of change. Bringing Granger and Daniels off the bench for a change of pace works much better plus all of the players have settled into these roles. Let's not forget, the Pacers were playing some decent ball until they failed to show up in Jersey. There's no reason to panic and make changes over that mess.

Line of the Night 1/15/07

2007-01-16T06:15:00.000-05:00

Gilbert Arenas was grilling some lunch time treats on his famous mini-grill. 51 points with 7 3-balls including the game winner? Now that's my kind of line!

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Gilbert Arenas	51	3	5	0	1	7

Nets 105, Pacers 95: There's Always Slick

2007-01-15T21:38:00.000-05:00

Since today's Pacers-Nets was not televised locally, I listened to the radio call of Mark Boyle and Bobby 'Slick' Leonard. Slick is a local legend to all generations in Indiana because he played on the 1953 IU championship team, coached the Pacers to three ABA titles, and has been a long time color commentator with a style that easily entertains the listener. While he's past his prime, the down home twang in his voice combined with a unique analysis often ends up producing gems like his signature call for a three pointer, "Boom baby!" He often just delivers simple phrases reacting to the action or talks as if he's speaking to a player right in front of him. His twangy voice rises easily and his rhythmic laugh just makes you laugh.

You no doubt, have read various live blogging accounts of sporting events by bloggers watching the game and commenting on the action and the announcers. But how about blogging a radio call? While listening to the first half, I decided I needed to share the wisdom of Slick, so I started blogging the second half as described on the radio with Mark and Slick. Unless otherwise noted, all of the quotes are attributed to Slick. Oh, and the Pacers stunk all day, losing 105-95 but it wasn't nearly that close. Slick was the only thing that kept me listening and he didn't have much material to work with today.

- Before I get started, here is a link the Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech. Offers a little perspective on where we were, where we are today, and where we want to go. Also, helps dull the pain caused by a certain underperforming NBA team.

- Now that you're inspired you might as well laugh. Here is an interview with Elie...Seckback on The Basketball Jones podcast. If you don't know who Elie Seckback is just go to youtube.com and search for "Elie Seckbach NBA" then enjoy the show.

BEGIN THIRD QUARTER: NJ 63 - IND 42
- First "Boom, baby!" for a Tinsley 3-ball. "We're trying to make an effort." Always an optimist, even with the lead only cut to 18. Tinsley quickly whistled for a foul. Oh, well.
- "Get in! Mmmph." Slick on a missed 3-ball by Jack.
- Boyle: "Kidd is WIDE OPEN for a three." Slick: "Jamaal is guilty out there, he's guilty." 68-47
- Richard Jefferson picked up three fouls in less than a minute. Must be thinking about his post game plans.
- Slick describes a Foster foul on Vince Carter: "See, Jeff doesn't block shots but he still sticks his hands in there and when he sticks his hands in there, it's a foul." 70-48
- Slick on JO missed FT: "JO, you're banging 'em out there today, baby."
- Marquis Daniels makes a slashing layup: "OOhhh! Way to go Marqy."
- Mikki Moore answers with a jumper: "Ahh, this guy..."
- "Absolutely no excuse for us coming in here and being down 25." Preach it, Slick! Preach it! 79-54.
- Mark Boyle mentions a "noticeable lethargy" at the start of this game in response to Slick. Fabulous.
- JO and Mikki Moore assessed double-Ts just prior to a timeout. A little jawing from a couple of emotional bigs.
- Al Harrington 3-ball: "Boom, baby! He got one!"
- Vince Carter 3-ball puts Nets up by 27 at 86-59. The Pacers' improved defensive effort of late seems to have taken a step or ten backwards today.
- Boyle mentions this one is slowly but surely getting away. You think?
- "I'm glad to see Marquis Daniels getting some playing time today. If this kid, if this kid could get, I mean a really good 16-18 foot jumper, he'd be really good." Yep, really good shooting guards can actually shoot the ball in the NBA.
- With full dauber down, Slick laments: "Danny doesn't have his jumper today."

BEGIN FOURTH QUARTER: NJ 88 - IND 63
- If Hibachi boy hadn't put up 51 earlier today, Vince Carter and Jason Kidd would be dueling it out for LoNny honors. Of course, they're probably done for the day so it shouldn't be an issue.
- "There it is, baby." Baston finishes off a break opportunity.
- Pacers get it down to 18 after a Granger three. Trying to remain positive.
- "Ahhh...oh, boy. That's a soft rim isn't it?" After Marcus Williams coaxes a 3-ball in.
- "Got 'em. That's it, Al." Apparently Al Harrington made a shot. 93-74.
- Saras shoots a 40 footer as the shot clock winds down, "Ooomph."
- "Six and a half minutes to play...Come on, Danny. I could take about a six point run." I could take about a 16 point run myself.
- "Boom, baby! He'll come with 'em now." Saras hits a 3-ball to cut the lead to 15.
- TO Nets, time to wake up Kidd and Carter on the bench and get them back in there. Three seconds into their return the Nets score.
- Mikki Moore follows up a Carter miss for another score. "Who's got him? Who's got him? You better find him and block him off the board."
- Silver lining of this nightmare is that JO has been able to rest his ankle for the bulk of the second half. 100-83.
- Boyle mentions it must annoy Lawrence Frank to be forced to put the starters back in the game. Slick: "Well it doesn't annoy the coach as much as it annoys the players."
- "Runi made one there. That was big time, Run (pronounced Roon)." Saras makes a 3-ball.
- Orien Greene makes a layup. "Ooo, baby, he took that baby in there flying. Man, I wish he had a jump shot." So, that's two guards who need to grow a jump shot.

FINAL SCORE: NJ 105 - IND 95
Slick sums it up: "We weren't up on people, we weren't aggressive and then it was just coasting." Couldn't have said it better myself.

(Photo: Ray Amati/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBA Division Reports are Up at About.com

2007-01-15T18:55:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to check out the Weekly NBA Division Reports on About.com's basketball section. Here's the lineup for the weekly reports:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division - Ryan McNeill from HoopsAddict.com
Central Division - Me, myself and I from Cornrows
Southeast Division - Mike Prada from Bullets Forever

Western Conference

Northwest Division - Dave from Blazers Edge
Pacific Division - The crew at Golden State of Mind
Southwest Division - Ron Hitley from Hornets247

Line of the Night 1/14/07

2007-01-15T08:41:00.000-05:00

The Mavericks continue to perfect the art of the second half comeback, driving everyone they play nuts. Dirk did his part in the Mavs win over the Raptors.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Dirk Nowitzki	38	11	5	3	2	3

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Nets

2007-01-14T22:36:00.000-05:00

The Pacers celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a matinee at New Jersey Monday afternoon. Despite the gut wrenching loss to Dallas on Friday, the Pacers level of play has risen lately so this game against the Nets offers another chance to take a step forward. Here is Bruno's game preview. The preview raises a couple of points:

Rick Carlisle feels his starting line up should take advantage of the size advantage they often have in the individual match ups. I think the Nets pose a different challenge since the match ups are pretty even from a straight physical stand point. Of course, Jason Kidd has the size and quickness advantage going for him which always makes the Nets a tough win for the Pacers.
Carlisle often gets criticized for his reluctance to let his team loosen the reins on offense and though he talks about wanting the team to run in reality prefers to call plays for the half court set. Well, this quote kind of ruins the basis for those criticisms.

"We went to a lineup which is, in my opinion, is as physical a lineup as there is in this league," Carlisle said. "If you look at it man-for-man, Jackson is bigger than his man most nights, Al is always bigger than his guy, Jermaine is almost always taller and stronger than his guy and Jeff is equal usually in size and has a quickness advantage a lot of nights. And (Jamaal) Tinsley is above-average in size. We have to take advantage of that aspect.

"We have the ability to go smaller and player faster but it's important when we have that group in there that we're playing a physical game at both ends, getting to the free-throw line, and with no diminished emphasis on stops and running. You've got to run to get easy baskets. I have been a staunch believer in that and it's no less an emphasis for us. But our lineup situation has changed our overall outlook just a little bit. We've got to play to our strengths."

The point about easy baskets from the above quote is just plain common sense. If the Pacers had a couple of bread and butter half court plays (like say, Dallas does with their two man pick and roll/pop) it might be different. But, often getting a solid look and completing the play out of the half court set is like pulling teeth. They've improved lately because the defense has stepped up which leads to more easy baskets on the other end.
Jason Kidd has been on fire lately. Last week he followed up a 23 point, 11 assist, 14 rebound game against Chicago with a 24 point, 13 assist, 6 rebound game against Minnesota.

Looking Back on 40 Years with the Pacers

2007-01-14T08:12:00.000-05:00

The Pacers are celebrating their 40th season as a franchise. Mark Montieth looks at 40 significant moments in the Pacers history, from their roots in the ABA through the modern day NBA. There are several interesting tidbits from the past, including the fact that no one knows who scored the first basket in franchise history.

Bob Netolicky, Roger Brown, Oliver Darden, Freddie Lewis and Jim Dawson were the starters when the Pacers first took the court against the Kentucky Colonels on Oct. 14, 1967. All but Dawson have been asked, but none remembered. The statistical crew did not keep detailed play-by-play records at the time, and the newspaper accounts did not mention it.
If you can help us solve the mystery, let us know.

Looking the the event timeline, it's obvious what a different world the NBA was during the pre-Bird, Magic 1970's. After joining the NBA in 1976, the Pacers would do about anything for publicity to keep the franchise afloat.

July 3, 1977
WTTV-4 conducts a telethon in the 500 Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center to "save" the franchise, which is struggling on the court and at the gate. The event helps sell 8,000 season tickets.
Sept. 12, 1979
The Pacers release Ann Meyers, who still ranks as the only woman to try out for an NBA team. Meyers, one of the greatest women players of her era, was brought in on orders from owner Sam Nassi, who believed she had a chance to make the team.

Can you imagine today's Pacers holding a benefit telethon FOR THEMSELVES? With a $70 million payroll, I don't think they'd get too many calls.

Line of the Night 1/13/07

2007-01-14T07:38:00.000-05:00

Plenty of LoNny-worthy lines on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade gets the nod for leading the Heat to a road win at Utah.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Dwyane Wade	31	1	10	2	6	1

Mavs 115, Pacers 113: Pacers Whistled for a Loss

2007-01-13T09:40:00.000-05:00

The Pacers needed one more shot to fall to take down the NBA’s top team but couldn’t get it done, eventually falling to the Mavs in OT, 115-113. The Pacers led throughout the game and seemed poised to finish off the Mavs unlike a week ago when they completely folded in the fourth quarter. This time the Pacers waited until the final two minutes before coughing up the lead. Here is the Indy Star version of events. Other items of interest:

Mark Cuban won't be filing a complaint about the refs from this game. It was breathe on Dirk and get a foul night at the Fieldhouse. The superstar treatment let Dirk do his thing and don't get me wrong, he was incredible. But the disparity in calls was glaring.
The key no call against the Pacers was on a rebound put back attempt by Danny Granger with about five seconds left and a tie score. Granger was hit on each arm by two different Mavs and the refs swallowed their whistle. After all of the touch (and some no touch) fouls offered at the other end it was tough to take.
This has been the trend all year. In the officials ridiculous hierarchy of respect based on talent track record, the Pacers get none. JO vented a little post game steam while discussing a supposed foul he had on Dirk.
An incensed O'Neal screamed, "I'm not a rookie!" at one of the referees after the call. He was still frustrated in the locker room afterward.
"I didn't touch him; didn't even touch him," O'Neal said. "It just kind of looked like (the referees) wanted them to win. I'd just appreciate it if they'd look at it both ways. We play hard, too. That's the most frustrating thing about it. We don't get any calls.
"Sometimes we get treated like we're not even a basketball team," he said. "It's absolutely ridiculous. We're basketball players, too."
As much as I just complained about the refs I can't pin the loss them. Sure they were a factor, but the game was still there for the Pacers to win despite the refs impact. Tins missed a couple of free throws. Al and Tins both missed decent looks inside five feet in the final few possessions. They weren't easy shots but the kind you need to make to win. Jason Terry made an equally challenging runner off the glass as the Mavs were again impressive making winning plays down the stretch. Dirk and Jason Terry made tough shots and the Pacers couldn't match them, bottom line.
The Pacers have a day off before going to New Jersey for a MLK Day matinee with the Nets. JO will need every minute to tend to his ankle. Hopefully he'll be ready to go Monday. He's been playing through some serious pain but his presence on the court alters the game even if he isn't 100%. With no back-to-back games for a couple of weeks maybe he can make some progress with the ankle and keep giving some valuable minutes.

(Photo: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Line of the Night 1/12/07

2007-01-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

Ray Allen appears to be back to full health after a monster game in the Supes OT win over the Jazz.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Ray Allen	54	10	5	0	1	8

Line of the Night 1/11/07

2007-01-12T06:10:00.000-05:00

Jason Kidd left his personal baggage at home and led the Nets to a nice comeback win on the road against the Bulls. Have to mention Steve Nash's 21 dimes in the Suns' dismantling of the Cavs.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Jason Kidd	23	14	11	0	2	3

Waiting on the Mavericks vs. Pacers

2007-01-11T23:07:00.000-05:00

Remember when the Mavs lost their first four games of the season and everyone thought there was trouble in Big D? Avery Johnson calmly endured the early losses realizing he let his key contributors rest throughout the preseason so they needed a few games to get up to regular season speed. Now I'm thinking Avery and the Mavs were just spotting the league a few games to make it interesting. Since that fourth early loss the Mavs have rattled off a 29-4 record to stand atop the NBA and seem to be developing a killer instinct.

In three of their last five games, the Mavs have trailed at the end of the third quarter only to win the deciding twelve minutes of play and earn the W. Of course, one of those games was against the Pacers last Thursday. The Mavs made winning down the stretch look easy and it obviously wasn't an aberration. So there should be no excuses for the Pacers effort on Friday night. Their loss in Dallas is still fresh in their minds so they should know exactly what it will take to come away with a win this time. Other items of interest:

Check out Mavs Moneyball for the latest Mavs chatter. Former Pacer Anthony Johnson has been a frequent topic of trade rumors but it seems like the rumors have died down for now.
Mark Cuban's blog is always entertaining. A congratulatory post on the occasion of Bob Knight becoming the winningest D1 coach also includes a public thank you to Knight for words of advice through the years.

You said, and I'm paraphrasing: "Everyone has got the will to win, its only those with the will to prepare that do win"

Words for every athlete and those of us who partake in the Sport of Business to live by

Thanks Coach.

The Pacers moved into third place in the Central Division on their night off as the Bulls blew an 18-point third quarter lead to lose 86-83 to the Nets.
Chris Webber is shopping for a team after Philly bought out his contract to let him go. He's trying to pick a contender that is willing to take him, which might not be so easy. Obvious speculation has revolved around his hometown team in Detroit. After seeing him play earlier in the year and move around like an aging Robert Parish, CWebb may do more harm than good to a contender.
Austin Croshere and Anthony Johnson make their first visit to Conseco Fieldhouse since summer trade sent them to Dallas. Cro should enjoy a warm welcome from Pacer fans as a thank you to all of the classy years he spent in Indy. He was a solid player for several years but his contributions to the community and the time he invested in various causes were far more valuable in retrospect.

Line of the Night 1/10/07

2007-01-11T06:19:00.000-05:00

Dwight Howard saved the LoNny on a night when there were plenty of decent, but not stunning lines throughout the Association. The monster young buck led the Magic to a road W over the Warriors by dominating play around the basket.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Dwight Howard	30	25	0	2	1	0

Pacers 97, Celtics 84: Three in a Row, Finally

2007-01-10T23:12:00.000-05:00

The Pacers won their third game in a row for the first time in eight tries, as they outlasted a depleted Celtics team, 97-84. Much like last night's game against the Hawks, the Pacers traded blows with the Celtics in the first half before starting to take control of the game in the third quarter. At least I thought they took control when the Pacer lead hit 18 at the start of the fourth quarter. However, the Celts would not go away and when the Pacers appeared to take their foot off the gas and couldn't buy a bucket, the C's were suddenly within four points. The foul stench of disaster was in the air, but Danny Granger came up with a three pointer to end the run, followed by a nice and 1 three pointer from JO which turned out to be the death blow to Boston's comeback bid. Items of interest:

The Celtics were one hurtin' unit tonight. Paul Pierce, Wally Sczcerbiak, and Delonte West were all out of action and then Tony Allen was carried off the floor in the third quarter after hurting his knee.
Speaking of Tony Allen, where was I when this guy became a factor. Prior to the injury, he had to be accounted for and was taking it at anyone who tried to check him. The new Garden might want to mix in a stretcher or wheel chair of some type so the next time a guy blows a knee they don't have to rely on three guys grabbing a limb and trying to haul him to the locker room without dropping him.
Jamaal Tinsley played much of the first quarter like a second string, JV PG with no regard for the value of the ball in his hands. As the game progressed he turned it around to finish with 17 points and 13 assists. Once Tins started dueling Bassy in the second quarter it lit a fire under him. He loves to take on the NYC guards.
Jermaine O'Neal played on his tender ankle again and struggled early, not getting up on his jumper while favoring the ankle. He seemed to get comfortable in the second half and asserted himself to end with 23 points and 15 rebounds.
JO was on the bench when the Pacers lead began dwindling. A big reason for the lost lead was Al Harrington trying to get his, or "go Artest" as he would put it. With JO on the bench and a big fourth quarter lead, Al turned into a black hole on offense and had three or four terrible possessions in a row that ended in badly missed shots. In a blink of an eye, the lead was under ten.
The Celts have some nice young talent with Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Rajon Rondo, and Al Jefferson. Intelligent pro players? Not exactly. The third quarter was a comedy of errors for the C's as they seemed to turn it over on every other possession. If these guys can apply some hoops smarts to that talent, they'll be onto something.
Clark Kellogg had a nice line about Gerald Green after he elevated to an eye popping level for a miss-timed alley oop. Special K said something to the effect that, "The youngster has yeast in his shoes. He will rise on you in a hurry."
This win was quite valuable for the Pacers with the Bulls, Pistons, and Bucks all losing Wednesday night. The Pacers are now tied with Chicago and 1.5 games behind the Pistons.
The Pacers get another crack at Dallas when the Mavs visit Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday night.

(Photo: Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Line of the Night 1/9/07

2007-01-10T06:01:00.000-05:00

Nick Collison came out of nowhere last night to fill up his stat line in the Supes loss to Phoenix.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Nick Collison	29	21	4	1	3	0

Pacers 91, Hawks 72: Pacers Muscle Past Hawks

2007-01-09T23:20:00.000-05:00

The Pacers eventually overwhelmed an ailing Hawks team to record an easy, drama-free W, 91-72. There haven't been many nights like this for the Pacers this season and it came at an opportune time. Jermaine O'Neal was carted off the practice court Monday but unless he couldn't stand upright, JO had to play Tuesday night after complaining about the lack of consistent play from the rest of the team. To his credit, he showed up at less than 100% and made an impact. He only had ten points but made his presence felt on defense with four blocks. Other items of interest:

The first half was nothing short of ugly. Neither team shot the ball well and it wasn't necessarily due to strong defense. Missed bunnies right around the hoop continue to come in bunches for the Pacers. Jeff Foster was keeping track and mentioned he alone left ten points on the court with easy misses.
The Hawks were indeed ailing with Josh Smith sidelined by a back injury. Also, Joe Johnson was sick and only able to play 24 minutes and certainly didn't play his normal game.
While Foster had trouble scoring, he had no problem tracking down the ball. He had 7 offensive rebounds and 17 overall boards for the game. Plus, he kept plenty of loose balls alive and rounded up three steals.
Al Harrington "went Artest" like he promised, getting off 16 shots. After clanking his first seven shots he found the range to finish the game with 18 points and a couple of 3-balls.
With a comfortable 4th quarter lead, JO was able to head to the locker room to start treating his ankle before the team's flight to Boston.
The Pacers have a tough back-to-back game tomorrow against Boston since the Celts were resting at home while the Pacers were playing.
The Celts pounded the Pacers, 114-88 on Nov. 15th as the Pacers folded in the second half.

(Photo: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Marc Stein Offers More Info on JO Comments

2007-01-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

Chad Ford's Daily Dish podcast on ESPN.com on Monday had an interview with fellow ESPN.com hoops writer, Marc Stein. Stein was in the locker room with Mike Wells when JO was venting his frustrations over the Pacers' inconsistent play and mentioned being traded. He (Stein) seemed to have a different take and felt that what was lost in the story was that JO wants to finish the season and then work with the front office to deal with the team's issues.

Stein also mentioned that after talking with management (no names offered), JO is the last player they would offer in a trade. They are more interested in improving the floor leadership in the backcourt. Obviously that points right to Jamaal Tinsley which shouldn't be a shock to anyone. Tinsley has lead this team to a several wins this year but he has been far from reliable every night out. The up and down play is more maddening since you never know what you're going to get from Tins.

Chad Ford also agreed with Stein's assessment that JO wouldn't and shouldn't be traded. It definitely shed a different light on JO's words and hopefully can bring the mini-drama to a close.

NBA Division Reports at About.com

2007-01-09T06:23:00.000-05:00

Cornrows joins a staggering list of NBA blogosphere talent to provide Weekly NBA Division Reports for About.com's basketball section. Dennis Velasco of Dropping Dimes fame, has taken over the hoops content for About.com, so much love to Dennis for noticing the Cornrows blip on the blogging radar and tapping me to write the Central Division report. Here's the lineup for the weekly reports:

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division - Ryan McNeill from HoopsAddict.com
Central Division - Me, myself and I from Cornrows
Southeast Division - Mike Prada from Bullets Forever

Western Conference

Northwest Division - Dave from Blazers Edge
Pacific Division - The crew at Golden State of Mind
Southwest Division - Ron Hitley from Hornets247

Line of the Night 1/8/07

2007-01-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

A quick, little guard helped propel the Nuggets to a much needed win over the Bucks. Of course, I'm talking about Earl Boykins.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Earl Boykins	26	4	11	0	1	2

Waiting on the Pacers vs. Hawks

2007-01-08T23:10:00.001-05:00

The Pacers take on the Hawks at Conseco Fieldhouse Tuesday night. Here is Bruno's preview. Frustration is the theme of the day as Jermaine Oneal's trade comments have made their way through the NBA chattering classes and Al Harrington is expressing his concerns over a lack of plays called his way. Then to top it off JO tweaked his bum ankle during practice on Monday and is questionable for Tuesday's game. Items of interest:

Harrington Goes Artest on Pacers - The Indy Star headline writers sent a shockwave through me with that headline. Turns out "going Artest" in this case just means being aggressive on offense and making plays when calls aren't run through you.
Jermaine O'Neal's comment are all over the NBA media and blogosphere. Seems there are plenty of teams, or fans of teams, that would welcome JO to their city. Mike Wells explained the comments he reported over at Pacer Insider. Explains why the story came out a day later.
At the Fanhouse, J.E. Skeets agrees with JO's assessment of the Pacers and offers to shave his head if the Pacers don't win 40-45 games and lose in the first round. Actually, he said shave his hair but after mentioning his ugly head I assume he didn't mean full body. Either way, what better motivation could the Pacers ask for than to win for a bald Skeets?
Marcel Mutoni at SLAM Online also wonders why JO is surprised by the Pacers' results so far. Makes a good point about JO's option to opt out after next year, leaving the Pacers with nothing in return.
Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune excoriates O'Neal's trade talk as a max contract player running from responsibility of leading a team to wins, thus proving he's not max worthy. Since he's in Chicago, Smith dips into his MJ collection for a perspective from winners past and makes a quick incision to the heart of the matter.
I remember Michael Jordan being asked frequently early in his career about playing for a poor team. Though repeatedly frustrated by losing to Boston and Detroit, he said he wanted to be around when the Bulls got better.

Players ask for long, generous financial commitments from teams. But don't they owe what they can provide? Not only talent and effort, but dedication? It's one big reason I'm always pushing for a trade for Kevin Garnett. He doesn't want the easy way out. That's why you want players like him.

And why you don't want someone like Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal.
Ouch, that hurts. Wait a minute, doesn't the truth hurt?

Indy Company Selling Tickets for Griz

2007-01-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

The Memphis Grizzlies are using Indianapolis-based Vontoo to send recorded phone messages to fans trying to drum up ticket sales. Apparently Rudy Gay has the power of persuasion in his voice:

In one recent promotion, Vontoo says, the team used the voice of rookie Rudy Gay to sell 1,500 tickets, resulting in $33,000 in sales with one call that cost just $650.

Line of the Night 1/7/07

2007-01-08T06:03:00.000-05:00

A couple of LoNny newcomers deserve the nod from Sunday's action. Shawn Marion stuffed the sheet quite well, but I'm partial to 3-ball excellence so Manu Ginobili is the man of the night.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Manu Ginobili	34	4	3	0	5	6

Lazy Sunday Thoughts

2007-01-07T21:35:00.000-05:00

Here are a few things rattling around in my dome after the Pacers' road win last night:

The day after reporting Jermaine O'Neal's improve or trade me comments, Mike Wells followed up today with quotes from Donnie Walsh on the inconsistent play of the Pacers. Sounds like Walsh shares the frustration with JO and the fans.

"I expected the first part of the season to be up and down because of the schedule and because of the fact that we had a lot of new players on the team," said Walsh, who attended road games in Dallas and Oklahoma City this week.
"The thing I wanted to see is, are we going to keep improving and have there been games where I have thought we are improving. And there have been games where I think we have not improved. I can't tell right now where we are, but I'm not discouraged by the record at this point."

Speaking of frustrated fans, the actual number of frustrated fans following the Pacers is certainly dwindling. You have to care to be frustrated and there seems to be plenty of apathy about the Pacers as the past few years with no progress but plenty of craziness has pushed a lot of hard core fans away. Especially this week, nothing the Pacers do will shift the common fan's attention from the Colts. JO's words came nowhere near a PR disaster because they had no impact on the public since they came out several hours before kickoff at the RCA Dome. But I truly believe that the Colts remain a guilty pleasure -- this is still a basketball state. Many fans have turned off the Pacers because they care so much and can't take it. They would love to have their Pacer passion stoked again, but it will probably take some time and certainly better play.
JO seemed soothed by the win but certainly not excited. He just wants to win a few in a row to see if the team can raise its level of play.

"It's too early," O'Neal said. "We've had situations where we've looked extremely good and then we come back the next night and we look extremely bad. It's too early to say we're making huge steps. It was a baby step."

A side benefit of playing the Hornets is spending a little extra time over at Hornet247.com. The guy writes some great stuff, although he insists that he sucks. He did some thorough research to evaluate the All-Star NBA cheerleader candidates and appears to be on the right track. Feel free to do your own research and challenge his rankings.
So let's say things fall apart and JO is shopped. Thinking about where he might end up brought Chicago to mind. Tough to send your best player to a division rival, but they seem to have players and picks that would make sense coming back. JO couldn't complain about joining the Bulls as his low post scoring would work well with Big Ben doing the dirty work. I jumped over to Blog-A-Bull and sure enough there was a discussion on the same topic. They're even warm to the idea of taking Stephen Jackson or Jamaal Tinsley. With the Knicks #1 possibly coming back with a couple of players, it is intriguing to think about.

Line of the Night 1/6/07

2007-01-07T11:46:00.000-05:00

Deron Williams and the Jazz improved their first place lead in the Northwest Division and kept the Nuggets reeling at the same time.

	PTS	REB	ASST	BLK	STL	3-PT
Deron Williams	28	3	12	2	4	4