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Pacers Overcome 17-Point Deficit In a 115-108 Win Over Bucks
16 04 2009
Danny Granger was amazing today with 35 points.
Even though I am a huge Pacers fan, this is the second ever Pacers game I have ever been to. Yep, I know. The first one was against the Hornets in 2006 when the Pacers lost, 100-91. But when I was at the game, it was really fun.
At the game
We saw Miss America, got autographs from the mascots whose names are Boomer and Bowser, and then there was some other people. It was just me and my Dad there. I got free tickets!
How? That question can be answered, easily. There is this thing called the Pacers Kids Club I signed up for a year ago and I get free tickets to games. I was going to the Cavaliers game, the one that happened on Monday in a loss, but I had no time.
At the game
We started out in the very top section of the game. Then somehow we just cheated our way down and we were now in the seats that were about 30 or 40 feet away from the court-side seats. It was so awesome!
Now even though the Pacers have finished the year with a 36-46 record like last year, it was truly a fun year. Now the Pacers will make the playoffs next year. And this recap was surely fun also:
It was halftime and Indiana was winning, 57-49. Then the disaster struck when at the end of the third quarter, the score was 88-73 with the Bucks leading. It was truly horrible but the Pacers came back strong with Danny Granger leading the way in a 115-108 win.
“We’ve had a crazy, crazy season,” Indiana point guard Jarrett Jack said. “Games that we thought we had control over, we ended up losing them in the end, and I thought we were kind of headed down that same road. But the guys showed a lot of fight, we were able to pull ourselves out of that bad situation and end our season right with a big ‘W.”’
Thanks god they did! Or else out of the two Pacers games I have been to, the Pacers have been 0-2. Now it’s 1-1.
Danny Granger’s 35 points helped him gain more in the rankings of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. 16 of his 35 points came in the fourth quarter. It was a exciting thing to see because Brandon Rush, who had 25 points (15 in fourth quarter) and Danny Granger just kept drilling three-pointers.
Bowser giving me autograph
Jarrett Jack, who had eight points and 10 assists. was just running around and juking people. Then there was T.J. Ford who was just made himself look blazing fast! This also marked Granger’s 23rd game of the season with 30 points or more scored.
Even though the Bucks lost and finished the season with a 34-48 record, which is last in the Central Conference, the Bucks had their ways with Indy, too. I thought it was over when I was looking at the scoreboard in Conseco Fieldhouse.
It showed the Bucks winning, 93-78. They also lead by more than 17 points and the Pacers overcame the deficit. The Bucks also had a 20-0 run but the Pacers still won. I remember a play when Danny Granger stole the ball and while he was running down the court, he made a shot right from downtown. Nothing but net!
The Pacers outscored the Bucks big time in the fourth quarter by a score of 43-20. They made seven shots from behind-the-arc and brought huge payback after being outscored by Milwaukee in the third quarter by a score of 39-16.
What a bizarre game! Isn’t that right Jim?
Me with Bowser. He's cool.
“A bizarro game,” Jim O’Brien said.
The Pacers played most of the fourth quarter with a unit most Indiana fans aren’t familiar with: Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts, and Travis Diener.
O’Brien credited and was proud of the effort McRoberts and Diener put into the process. Now they don’t have to show this picture from Pacers Digest, the profile picture of Infinite MAN Force.
“I would say they provided a tremendous spark,” O’Brien said. “If it wasn’t for the guys we had in the whole fourth quarter, we don’t win this basketball game.”
Me at the game
Troy Murphy had a hell of a game. He also set a team record. He had 12 rebounds of the day and has had 861 rebounds of the season! A Pacers record! He broke the record of Clark Kellog’s for most rebounds in a season by a Pacers player. Congratulations Troy!
“It means a lot,” Murphy said. “I’m very proud to be associated with this franchise, and any kind of success with a franchise that has this kind of history is a great honor.” Thanks for saying that about the best team in the NBA!
But besides setting a team record, he also set a league record. He set the NBA record with finishing the Top Five in these two categories: Three-point percentage and rebounds. Congrats, again, Troy!
Buck’s Coach wasn’t happy but the Bucks put in some great effort:
“We built a nice lead and we were playing very well and playing really hard and playing good defense. And, as has happened to us so many times this year, we had a hard time sustaining that effort, concentration. We started jogging back in transition, gave up some threes. They got that working for them. That’s their game.”
-Scott Skiles, Bucks Coach
It was the Pacers game. It was a very fun year for them and I was happy. They were three games behind the Pistons, who had the eighth seed. If the Pacers won at least three or four more games that they should have won, they would have had a playoff spot.
But you can’t do anything about it. But it was their game and next year, it will be their year!
So they brought there passion, pride, and that is why we call them the Pacers!
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Goin’ To Pacers Game Today!
15 04 2009Hey everybody! I’ll be going to the last Pacers game of the season as they take on the Bucks. Let’s hope Indy wins! GO INDY!
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Pacers Kill Raptors, 130-101
9 04 2009
Pacers brought it on as they won by 29 points.
The Pacers really showed what they got. Even though they are still in the playoff hunt, according to the standings, it will be hard to make the playoffs, even if they tried. With the Pistons on a two-game win streak, and having a 38-40 record with the Bulls, they both or one of them have to lose every game.
It will be so hard, though.
If the Bulls or Pistons win one more game, the Pacers are out. The Pacers best record they can get this year is a 38-44 record.
Is it possbile that they can make it?
Even if they don’t, the playoff chances for them next year won’t be hard. Most NBA fans I ask say they have a great chance of making it next year but not this year. One more year, Indy fans! One more year.
Even though the Pacers have a 70 percent chance of making the playoffs next year, let’s start a recap for this year. On April 8, 2009, when the Pacers destroyed the Raptors, by 29 points:
You know when some team is winning by 20 or 30 points and you know they are going to win so you leave early in the last quarter? Well, that is what Pacers fans did yesterday, but not in a bad way. Pacers were blown out a couple of times this year, but this time it was their turn, as they beat the Raptors, 130-101.
Danny Granger, looking to be the Most Improved Player, had 29 points as he is becoming a star for not just the Pacers, but now the NBA. The Pacers finally needed an easy win and they got it.
Pacers, who are number one in wins decided by three points or less, reached up to more than 41 points in their lead against the Raptors. Have they shown they are capable of winning? Fans think so. So leading by 41 points made it official: a win.
“It was great, honestly,” Granger said. “You never want to see the fans leave, but it’s great to blow a team out. I think a bunch of us didn’t even play in the fourth quarter.”
Besides Granger’s 29 points, other Pacers performed well also. Jarrett Jack came along with 23 points, followed by Roy Hibbert’s 17. Troy Murphy also helped out with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Then came Josh McRoberts, who had his first career double-double. He had a career-high game with 12 points and 11 rebounds, all that happened in 21 minutes. McRoberts, Sir, you could be a great Pacer for next year.
“It’s good to get the opportunity to get out there and play and be involved in a win,” McRoberts said. “Obviously, you can’t do that from where I sit at the end of the bench. And when the opportunity presents itself, I want to get out there and do the best I can and help out.” And he did.
The Pacers playoff hopes are very slim, but they have shown they can play. They have been doing well. They have shot 50 percent or better in their last five games played. They are also have won six of their last eight games, a 6-2 record.
“I think we have a proud bunch of guys,” Jack said. “Regardless of what the situation is, whether we’re in contention or not in contention, we’ve got guys who each time they step on the floor, they want to represent the organization really well.”
The Pacers have played hard that day and they look to show more in the next game. Let’s see how they do.
You never know, they could make it, but let’s just stick with them for next year.
Passion. Pride. Pacers.
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Danny Granger: Best Indy Player Since Reggie Miller
7 04 2009Danny Granger, 25, is developing into a huge superstar. He has made the All-Star team in what is arguably his best year.
The 6-foot-8-inch Granger will continue to be one of the bests for Indiana; this season, he is simply the MVP.
Granger was born April 20, 1983 in New Orleans. After graduating from Grace King High School, he played college basketball for Bradley and New Mexico, two years each.
In the 2004-05 season, Granger lead his New Mexico Lobos to a 26-7 record. He also lead them to a conference championship and the NCAA tournament, the first time New Mexico had made it in six years,
After accomplishing that, he was on the All-MWC first team and recognized as an All-American. Granger was the 17th pick in the 2005 NBA draft, going to Indiana and staying there.
Granger had a great rookie year, playing 78 games and averaging 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds. Those stats applied him to the All-NBA Rookie Team.
After Peja Stojakovic left and Al Harrington was acquired, Danny finally became a starter at position of small forward. There were three forwards that switched throughout the game (Granger, Harrington, and O’Neal), but Granger was benched after 15 games.
He came back in 2007-08, leading the Pacers in scoring with 19 ppg and starting 80 games. After a good year, the Pacers gave him a five-year, $60 million contract extension through 2013. He signed right before deadline.
It was a good thing the Pacers kept him because, in 2008, Granger scored 42 points against the Detroit Pistons and the Golden State Warriors. He made a game-winning buzzer-beater on Jan. 7 against the Phoenix Suns, shooting it over Sun star Steve Nash.
Granger has been averaging 25.8 points per game this season and is leading the Pacers to a solid record this season. His pick for the All-Star team is a good one; he is well on the way to becoming the best player the Pacers have seen since Reggie Miller.
Expect Granger to continue to shine and improve.
STATS (from Wikipedia):
Year  |
Team |
GP |
GS |
MPG |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
BPG |
PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Indiana | 78 | 17 | 22.6 | .462 | .323 | .777 | 4.9 | 1.2 | .7 | .8 | 7.5 |
| 2006–07 | Indiana | 82 | 57 | 34.0 | .459 | .382 | .803 | 4.6 | 1.4 | .8 | .7 | 13.9 |
| 2007–08 | Indiana | 80 | 80 | 36.0 | .446 | .404 | .852 | 6.1 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 19.6 |
| 2008–09 | Indiana | 42 | 42 | 36.8 | .441 | .399 | .875 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 25.8 |
| Career | 282 | 196 | 31.8 | .450 | .390 | .836 | 5.2 | 1.5 | .9 | .8 | 15.5 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 00.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 00.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 00.0 |
Article orginally posted on 2/2/09
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Remember the Name: The Brandon Rush Story
7 04 2009After reading the article by Sixty Feet, Six Inches, it inspired me to write this article.
The story is spectacular.
Brandon Rush came into the NBA as a nobody. Now, he is a somebody.
Rush’s story really speaks to me, and that is why I wrote it.
Remember this name. You will hear about it for years to come. It’s like Fort Minor’s “Remember the Name.”
Rush has a good story. His basketball skills have come from both of his siblings, Kareem and JaRon Rush.
The Draft Is Delayed
After averaging 13.8 points, five rebounds, and two assists per game, Brandon Rush declared for the 2007 NBA Draft. But in May 2007, Rush tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
It did stink.
But luckily, on June 1, 2007, Rush fixed it by surgery on his torn ACL. He returned to the Kansas Jayhawks for another year.
And it was good that Brandon did that.
The Miracle in Kansas
Rush had a solid year: 13.3 points per game, five rebounds, and two assists per game, again. Rush went into the NCAA tournament and was solid. He was the man of the starting line-up, along with Mario Chalmers.
In the surprising win over North Carolina, Brandon Rush was named the player of that game as he had 25 points and seven rebounds. After that game, Rush was rated the number-one small forward, according to Rivals.com.
Rush was also named the MVP of the Big 12 tournament. He was also averaging close to 16 points per game in the six NCAA tournament games. The Jayhawks won the NCAA tournament and Rush declared himself for the NBA draft after that.
Brandon Rush Joins Blazers
Brandon Rush was selected as the 13th-overall pick in the NBA draft. He was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers. Brandon Rush looked to be a great player with the Blazers. It looked to be a one-two-three punch of Jarrett Jack, Brandon Rush, and Brandon Roy.
It turned out, it didn’t happen. Not at all!
Brandon Rush Joins Pacers
Rush was involved in a trade with the Pacers. Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, and Josh McRoberts went to the Pacers for Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu.
It turned out that Rush would fit right in with the team.
Brandon Rush Becomes a Star
Embedded video from <a href=”http://www.nba.com/video” mce_href=”http://www.nba.com/video”>NBA Video</a>
Brandon Rush has been very successful with the Pacers. He has been involving greatly. As of now, he is averaging seven points, three rebounds, and close to one assist (0.9) per game.
He started evolving on March 28 against the Chicago Bulls. The most points he had scored in a single game was 22. But that day, he became amazing. He and Danny Granger became a one-two punch.
Rush had 29 points in the 112-106 loss to the Chicago Bulls. But the Pacers, 32-44, still have a chance of making the playoffs. Brandon Rush has just been amazing. But that wasn’t the end of it.
In the next game, resulting in a 124-115 win over the Wizards, Rush again 29 points. In two games, he had 58 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists. One heck of a two games Rush has had.
Even though he had only three very good games this year, he really is doing good, filling in for Mike Dunleavy Jr.
Now that Dunleavy is injured, Rush is the starting shooting guard. He is doing a great job at it.
I would really like to see Rush win the Sixth Man of the Year award. Can he? He could. I wouldn’t be that surprised if he won Rookie of the Year! But that might go to some other heavily-favored contestants.
Although this is his rookie year, he looks to become a favorable player for years to come. He can be a dominant player. Can Rush do it? Yes he can. Brandon Rush will be the name everyone will be talking about in the future. With his quickness and strength Rush can do it.
Brandon Rush. “Oh yeah, I remember that guy. He was a beast. That guy is, no doubt, a Hall-of-Famer. I always remember that guy.” And so will you.
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Pacers Destroy Thunder, 117-99, Slim Playoff Hopes Still Alive
6 04 2009
The standings are still clear.
Right now, four teams are battling for the playoff spot.
The Bucks just fell out of the playoff hunt because of a loss.
The four teams that are still in it are the Detroit Pistons (37-40), Indiana Pacers (33-44), Charlotte Bobcats (34-43), and the New Jersey Nets (32-45).
The Pistons’ playoff spot is secure. For the Pacers to make the eighth seed, the Pistons have to lose every game while the Pacers have to win every game.
It will be tough, but anything is possible, right? If they don’t make it, hope is on the way for next year.
But is hope on the way this year?
The game the Pacers played in showed that they have heart. They have the determination for the playoffs. They want it badly. Can they do it? Can they actually make it? They haven’t made it since the 2005-2006 season. Is the 2008-2009 season the one?
It is unlikely the Pacers will make the playoffs this year, but the Pacers are trying as hard as they can anyways. They can beat the Bobcats for the playoffs. Don’t need to worry about that. Right now, it is a battle between the Pistons and Pacers for the playoffs.
Danny Granger brought it on towards the Thunder with his 24 points. Troy Murphy slithered along with his 22 as the Pacers steam-rolled the Thunder by 18 points! Their slim playoff hopes are still alive.
With five suspense games to play, the Pacers are trailing four games behind the Pistons and Bulls, who are both, by the way, tied for the seventh place with a 37-40 record.
“As a collective unit, we didn’t want to finish the season on a sour note – regardless of whether we’re going to make the playoffs or we’re not,” Granger said. “We’ve still got to play every game.”
Again, the Pacers shot 50 percent or better. That was the seventh straight game they have done that! With that help, they literally outscored the Thunder by a score of 33-19 in the last quarter.
Four other Pacer players put on numbers, too. Roy Hibbert lead the pack of four with his 17 points. Jarrett Jack followed along with 14 and Brandon Rush went on with 13 points. Acquired from the Raptors, T.J. Ford piled on his points by putting on 12.
“We’re not going to make the playoffs,” Indiana coach Jim O’Brien said. “We could win every game and not make the playoffs. We’re too far behind.”
But don’t forget, Jim O’Brien: If the Pistons or Bulls lose every game, and the Pacers win every game, look what happens. Don’t be so….negative.
And the Pacers, like I said, certainly aren’t giving up at all! They have been averaging 110.4 points in their last seven games. Those points are higher than their average. The Pacers have also been 5-2 in the last seven games, also.
“We’ve just been putting it together lately,” Granger said. “We’ve been hitting on all cylinders on the offensive end.”
And with that saying, the Pacers can make the playoffs.
Hope is surely on the way, I guarantee. If they don’t make it this year, which it looks like they will, they surely will make it next year. This was probably a rebuilding year for the Pacers. I can see Indy making it next year. If the Pacers just won at least three or four games that they should have won this year, they were in the playoffs.
The luck was bad in those games.
But look where the Pacers have made it so far. They were just one team away from the playoffs. I believed in them the whole year.
If they bring their passion, their pride, they are the Pacers.
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Categories : Game Recap
