The Pacers trailed for the first 3 minutes of the game, but then led for the last 45 minutes.  Washington made two small runs, but nothing that was sustained.

Positives:

• Roy Hibbert has his third straight double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.  He also had 5 blocks for the game.
• Hansbrough had a solid debut with 13 points and 5 rebounds.  The biggest impression on me was the fact that he got to the line 10 times in 14 minutes.  He was very good at getting to the line in college, so I hope this is a sign that he will continue to do that.
• TJ Ford had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
• Dahntay Jones continues to impress me with his all around game.  18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block on the night.  He is taking smart shots within the offense and being aggressive when he has a mismatch.
• The Pacers attempted 10 more free throws than Washington and made 12 more.
• 12 steals, 10 blocks, and only 11 turnovers for the team on the night.

Negatives:

• Brandon Rush hurt his ankle and was labeled as a sprain, but still waiting on how bad it is.  Rush only played 15 minutes before the injury.
• TJ Ford is only averaging 2.2 assists per game so far.  The Pacers will need more than that from him to continue to be successful this season.
• Brendan Haywood grabbed 19 rebounds on the night, including 8 on the offensive glass.  That can't happen in too many games or you will be looking at a loss.
• Pacers continue to shoot poorly from three point distance.  Only 7-for-23 in this one.

POG:  Going to have to go with Hibbert again.  He is on a nice streak right now.  Hope to see him keep it going.

Record:  2-3

Next Game:  Wednesday vs Golden State (1-4) - should be a shootout in this one.  Look for Hansbrough to get more playing time.

• I was encouraged by the hustle to the boards.  Three Pacer players contributed double-digit rebounds with Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster out of the lineup.
• Roy Hibbert had his second outstanding performance in as many games.  He finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks.  I saw a lot of confidence in him and he has more hustle plays than most everyone else on the team.  Diving after loose balls, keeping balls alive for his teammates, and getting on the offensive glass.  That is pretty impressive to see a 7 footer do that...at least to me it is!
  
• Dahntay Jones continues to impress me with his play so far this season.  He recorded his first career double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
• Brandon Rush finally had a breakout game!  He threw down 12 points and 10 rebounds, along with 2 steals and 1 block.  I hope this game with serve as a confidence booster for him, because the Pacers will need him this season.
• Keeping the Knicks off the free throw line.  Only 18 attempts to the Pacers 28 attempts.
  

• The team shot poorly from three point range again.  Only 5-for-21 shooting from downtown in this one.  In the last three games, the Pacers have hit 12-of-66 from three point range.  That is a clammy 18% from beyond the arc.
• Al Harrington was able to get to the free throw line 13 times last night.  Too many for one player to be attempting.
• David Lee grabbed 19 rebounds, playing center in this Knicks lineup.

Positives:

Roy Hibbert had a double-double for the night with 14 points and 12 boards.  He also contributed 4 blocks on the night.  Those are the types of numbers I would really like to see Roy consistently put up.  14 and 12 are very respectable numbers and would help add a much needed inside presence for the Pacers.

Carmelo was held below 30 points for the first time this year!  He only shot 6-of-17 from the field, but he made it to the free throw line 14 times, so he was given plenty of extra opportunities to score.  He finished the game with 25 points.

Dahntay Jones scored 20 points off the bench against his old team.  He was brought in to be a defensive stopper, but has been a nice surprise on the offensive end of the court, averaging just over 14 points a contest.

Negatives:

Troy Murphy hurt his back during the game is looking like he might miss a game or two because of it.

3-for-22 shooting from three point range.  That will get you beat very quickly.

Only 4 assists from Pacer point guards on the game. 

POG: Roy Hibbert - 14 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks

Record:  0-3

Next Game:  Wednesday @ New York Knicks (1-3)

Let's take a look at the three games I am talking about:

September 26th @ Michigan (L, 36-33)

Why IU should have won:  They had the ball in the Red Zone FIVE times and only came up with one TD and four field goals.  Three of those field goals were in the third quarter.  A touchdown in that quarter puts the game on ice for IU.

Why IU didn't win:  They didn't convert those RZ opportunities into TDs and three Michigan TDs were from 25 yards and out, so they gave up some pretty big scoring plays.  Also, the double possession rule!

A win in this game puts IU at 4-0 heading back home to face Ohio State the following weekend.

October 24th @ Northwestern (L, 29-28)

Why IU should have won:  They led 28-3 with 7:32 left in the first half!

Why IU didn't win:  They gave up two TDs in the last 7:32 in the first half.  They became stagnant on offense in the second half and scored 0 points.  Oh and then there was the game winning 19 yard field goal with 21 seconds to play.

A win here, moves IU to 6-2 with their only losses coming by the hands of Ohio State and Virginia

October 31st @ Iowa (L, 42-24)

Why IU should have won:  The Hoosiers picked Ricky Stanzi off FIVE times in this one, including four in the third quarter.  IU also had one TD taken away on a replay challenge and one TD not given to them on another challenge.  Both clearly were touchdowns.  Those two plays and a freak INT runback by Tyler Sash were the momentum changers for this game.

Why IU didn't win:  See above about the three big scoring plays.  Also, IU could not stop the stupid play action bootleg pass for the life of me.  They failed to score a TD in the second half for the second straight week.

This win, not only moves IU to 7-2, but it also drops Iowa out of the National Championship race.  Here are some highlights from that game.

With these three games, if a play or two goes IU's way then they are looking at being a possible top 25 team and getting a very nice pay day in a bowl game.  Since those plays haven't gone their way (a lot of them due to the officiating) they are looking like a team that might be missing out on a bowl.  They need to keep carrying over the momentum of their successes and learn from their losses.

The Hoosiers' football coaching staff has to be excited to see where this thing could lead, but they also have to get better as a staff.  Some of the play calling and thought processing has been off too.  The great teams win those close games.  Coach Hep laid the foundation and got the state excited about football in Bloomington again.  The players he brought in and the coaching staff all have to work extra hard to keep that flame of excitment going.

Kelper probably could have put this a little better than I since he is the ultimate IU football fan.  He is literally out there putting in 12 hour days when the Hoosiers have a home game.  I know the pain he feels when they lose a close game, because I am an Indiana Pacers fan.

Things are looking brighter and brighter in Bloomington, but it is crazy to think that is because of the football program!  It's not as far off as you think.

The Pacers came out and shot a chilly 5-of-24 in first quarter and found themselves down by 12 at the end of the opening 12 minutes.  They were able to fight their way back into the game in the second quarter and were only down by two at the break. 

By game's end, neither team was shooting particularly well, but two things were slowly getting out of control for the Pacers.  The first thing was the amount of fouls Indiana was committing and the second thing was the amount of three pointers they were missing.

The Pacers ended up with six guys over four fouls each.  The 31 total Pacer fouls turned into 46 free throw attempts for the Heat, in which they 35.  Indiana shot a total of 26 free throws, while making 21.  Here is a HUGE key in the victory for Miami.  They outscored the Pacers by 14 points from the free throw line.  When fouls are committed, it slows the game down, when the game is slowed down for a running team....

Indiana shot 4-of-23 from three point range.  That is just over 17% for the game.  The 23 attempts were more than 25% of their 79 attempts.  Actually that accounts for just over 29% of the total shots for the Pacers.  Combine this cold shooting with the sizable margin from the free throw line and that spells a loss.

POG:  I have to give it to Luther Head - 12 points, 3 assists in 23 minutes off the bench

Record:  0 - 2

Next Game:  Tuesday vs Denver Nuggets

Field Goal %

Indiana - 53.4%
Atlanta - 52.9%

Three Point %

Indiana - 55.6%
Atlanta - 58.3%

Free Throws

Indiana - 21 of 25
Atlanta - 21 of 29

Rebounds

Indiana - 40 (6 offensive)
Atlanta - 35 (8 offensive)

After looking at those stats, I am left scratching my head at HOW a team can lose by 11 points when the numbers are so close.  And then I come to these numbers:

Turnovers/Points off Turnovers

Indiana - 25 turnovers - 35 points scored by Atlanta
Atlanta - 11 turnovers - 13 points scored by Indiana

With a -14 difference in turnovers and a -22 difference in points scored off turnovers, it is easy to see why Indiana lost this game.  The game came down to who was protecting the ball on their possessions and Indiana clearly did not do a good enough job in this area.

There were plenty of positives though for this game.  I am pleased with how the backups played.  Earl Watson, Dahntay Jones, Luther Head, Solomon Jones, and Jeff Foster all played good minutes off the bench.  Jones, however, did throw in 6 of the team's 25 turnovers for the game. 

Roy Hibbert looked good in the first quarter when he grabbed 7 rebounds, but only ended up with 9 for the game.  He is a work in progress, but I really see his potential.  If he can get to where he shows his game every play, every game, then he will be a very good player.  If not, then we are looking at another David Harrison.

CO-POG:  Troy Murphy - 14 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists.  Danny Granger scored 31 points, including 5 three pointers.

Record: 0-1

Next Game:  Friday vs Miami Heat - Home Opener

Eastern Conference Playoff Teams

1. Boston
2. Cleveland
3. Orlando
4. Philadelphia
5. Miami
6. Chicago
7. Washington
8. Indiana

Western Conference Playoff Teams

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. San Antonio
3. Portland
4. Denver
5. Dallas
6. Utah
7. New Orleans
8. Phoenix

Rookie of the Year

Jonny Flynn - PG - Minnesota - Flynn will have the ball in his hands a lot this season and he will either sink or swim.  I think he will swim and help the Timberwolves' fans get over not having Ricky Rubio this season...or perhaps ever.

MVP

It is really going to come down to Kobe and LeBron...and DWade...and KG...and maybe CP3, but I'm putting my stock in King James.

NBA Finals Showdown

It looks like the Celtics and Lakers again.  KG is back and healthy, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce haven't dropped off any, and Rajon Rondo is playing for big money next season. 

The Lakers brought in Ron Artest while only losing Trevor Ariza.  Andrew Bynum had all Summer to get healthy and Lamar Odom is in love.  So, you tell me who is gonna beat that in the West?

My Top Five Rookies to Watch

• Jonny Flynn
• Brandon Jennings
• Jordan Hill
• Stephen Curry
• Jrue Holiday

Gary Brackett, Bob Sanders, and Kelvin Hayden all sat out the Arizona game with their various injuries.  Those injuries gave guys like Jordan Senn, Jerraud Powers, Tim Jennings, and Melvin Bullitt more opportunities to play this young season.  All four played very well and helped maintain coverage so the D-Line could get to Kurt Warner on numerous occassions. 

Most Colts' fans know of Jennings and Bullitt and their talents, but Powers is just a rookie, while Senn is just in his second season.  I can only help but feel that the experience right now will only help out this team for later in the season.  Teams are strongest when they are deep and the depth for this team in transition is getting stronger every day and every play.

The latest injury to Dwight Freeney will keep him out for two or three weeks, so it is going to be up to guys like Keyunta Dawson, Eric Foster, and Raheem Brock to maintain the pressure from the end.  Are they going to be as successful as Freeney?  No, probably not, but if they aren't getting blown up on every play, then they should be just fine. 

Well, now is his chance to prove his worth.  PG85 has all the skills needed to succeed at the NFL level and he now has his opportunity to shine.  With Peyton Manning as his QB, he will get the ball put into the places they need to be, Pierre just needs to make sure he is getting to those passes.

I have full confidence that the injury to Anthony Gonzalez will only make the Colts a stronger team after his return.  While Gonzo is out of the lineup, guys like PG85, Austin Collie, and newly signed Hank Baskett will have to step up their games and develop the attitude of being a big-time producer.

The first test for Garcon will be against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, in Miami.  Millions of viewers will be watching.  What a great way to break onto the scene!

Good Luck Pierre!

Thursday

#14 Georgia Tech @ #20 Miami (FL) - Gonna go with Miami at home and after GaTech almost let Clemson take the game from them last week.

Friday

#10 Boise State @ Fresno State - Pat Hill is one of the best coaches in college football and should have his guys focused to upset the Broncos.  I am going to go ahead and go with Boise State though.  They look tough right now.

The Pacers are now packing 15 inches players on their roster and that should be all the moves they make before camp starts.

I'll have the roster breakdowns starting next week.  Until then....

Picks - 18-5 in the first week of the season. Missed out on BYU, Cal, Miami (FL), Cincinnati, and Notre Dame.  However, you can bank on me missing any/all of Notre Dame's wins, because I won't pick them all season.

Sam Bradford is tabbed to play Nick Nolte's character in the "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" remake now that he is out 2-4 weeks with a smashed up shoulder.  I think that pretty much takes him out of the running for the Heisman.

Miami (FL)/FSU - what a game!  I don't even like either of those programs and they managed to keep my interest all the way through it.  Oh wait, I watched the Band of Brothers marathon on Spike instead...ooooppps!  Short Round might have a post for this game...or might not, but he is a Miami fan.

BYU managed to jump up from 20th to 9th in the rankings this week.  I like BYU, but I think too much stock was put into this win.  Oklahoma did play without last year's Heisman winner, Sam Bradford for the second half.  The Sooners also were missing Jermaine Gresham. 

Heisman Favorite - I am sticking with Colt McCoy.  Tim Tebow can do what he wants in the SEC, but I think McCoy wins it this year.

Dexter Watch:  6 receptions, 65yards, 1TD - 9 carries, 50yards, 1TD (W 45-14 @ Memphis)

Everyone is really downing Blount for his actions, but I think that if the Boise State player doesn't bother him as he is walking back to his sideline/locker room, then this incident doesn't happen.  The kid that got KNOCKED OUT is as much to blame as Blount.  Now, Blount's actions toward the fans, I'm not so sure about.

Either way, Blount forgot one rule - NO FACE SHOTS!