Last night's game had a crazy finish. With 50 seconds left in the game, the Pacers led 107 - 98. Game's in the bag right? Apparently not. Someone forgot to send that memo to the Nuggets. Allen Iverson and JR Smith hit three, closely defended three pointers to scare the Pacers. Then, with 2.7 seconds left, Mike Dunleavy got called for a foul on a JR Smith three that resembled the phantom foul that Antonio Davis got called for on Larry Johnson in the Eastern Conference Finals a few years ago. After hitting the first two free throws, Smith missed the game tying free throw and Indiana escaped a last minute effort (literally).
*This is the foul that was in question at the end of the game. Photo from espn.com courtesy AP Wire
Mike Dunleavy led the Pacers in scoring with 30 points on 12 of 19 shooting. Shawne Williams got his first start of the season and contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds. He was very impressive and it looks like he has going to have a solid sophomore year. I just hope that he keeps his head clean and clear, because he has shown his potential and he could become a nice compliment to Danny Granger for the future. Jamal Tinsley had another nice performance, finishing with 15 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals. BUT, he also had 6 more turnovers.
Play of the Game: David Harrison's Shaq-esque dunk on Eduardo Najera, followed with a foot to the face. Indiana was down by 6 at the time and that dunk sparked a run to trim the lead to 1 at the end of the quarter and they continued that run into the fourth quarter to take a 9 point lead, which they kept until the last minute of the game.
Player of the game: Shawne Williams - double double in his first start
Fun Fact: Indiana has scored 100+ points in seven straight games
Fun Fact - part 2: Indiana is 4 - 1 without Jermaine O'Neal in the lineup. JO sat out his fourth straight last night with swelling in his knee.
Record: 7 - 8 (8th in the Eastern Conference)
Next Game: Tonight, 10PM @ Portland (5 - 9) TV: Fox Sports Indiana / NBA League Pass
|
