Indy Cornrows

Game Thread #53: Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers

2010-02-09T22:00:27Z

24-25		18-33
	@
February 9, 2010 - 7:00PM EST
Conseco Fieldhouse
Radio: 1070AM WFNI TV: Fox Sports Indiana
Probable starters:
Derrick Rose	PG	Earl Watson
Kirk Hinrich	SG	Brandon Rush
Luol Deng	SF	Danny Granger
Taj Gibson	PF	Troy Murphy
Brad Miller	C	Roy Hibbert

The Indiana Pacers complete their pre-All-Star break schedule tonight when they host the Chicago Bulls. This will be the first of three games between the two teams over the next 19 days. The Bulls are expected to be without Joakim Noah but do expect to have Luol Deng in the lineup and Tyrus Thomas available to play.

Thomas is at odds with the organization and was suspended one game for expressing his dissatisfaction, so his return tonight ought to bring a little edge to the Bulls and at least provide them with an energy boost. The Pacers will need to match that energy level which may be a struggle since they're 48 minutes from vacation.

For a Chicago perspective, check out Blog A Bull.

Leave your thoughts and observations in the comments. Also, pop open an extra browser and check out Bruno's Live Blog.

IC Cold Links: Pacers Ready For Bulls, Then Break

2010-02-09T11:30:18Z

Time to get back to basketball!

Sorry for dredging up some of the unsightly past yesterday, but the narrative on the brawl just started creating an itch I had to scratch. Plus, with the Colts' loss on Sunday it was going to be a depressing Monday regardless.

But tonight the focus shifts back to the action on the court when the Indiana Pacers host the Chicago Bulls. This will be the Pacers final game before the All-Star break so it will be interesting to see how the team plays.

With six whole days off after the final buzzer, will they spill their guts and push the limits of their effort to finish strong before the break or will the mind break free from the body and start wandering early to the ASB vacation destination?

I guess there's a greater likelihood of a combination of the two throughout the roster. Sad but true. Human nature is a challenging beast sometimes.

After the jump, a few links of interest on the game tonight, Brandon Rush and the point guard minutes for the Pacers.

PACERS: Scouting Report: Pacers vs. Bulls
Bruno's Scouting Report finds Jim O'Brien non-committal on how he'll handle the three point guards on the roster, all making a case for playing time.
Ford's play raises question for Pacers
Mike Wells wonders how Jim O'Brien will handle his point guards now that T.J. Ford has shown he can still impact the game.
Preparedness pays off for Ford
Bruno's Caught In The Web credits T.J. Ford for showing up ready to shine when his number was called after an extended layoff.
Pacers still mystified by Rush's inconsistency
Mike Wells reports on no one getting overly excited about Brandon Rush's recent stretch of solid play because it's so hard to make any assumptions about the second-year player. Jim O'Brien for one, appears resigned to dealing with Rush on a day-to-day basis. "I'm certainly hoping the production he has given us over the last 15 games or so is who he is because he's playing really well," O'Brien said. "He's shooting the ball at a very high clip with a lot of confidence. On-ball defense is good. We certainly need to continue to grow him off the ball because we think he can be a special defensive player. But I'm hoping and praying that this is who he is."
Foster to undergo back surgery, will be sidelined rest of season
Mike Wells reports on Jeff Foster shutting it down for the season.
Thomas returns to the Bulls
John Jackson updates the Bulls' latest drama centered around Tyrus Thomas. It appears Thomas will be welcomed back into the playing rotation against the Pacers tonight, along with previously injured forward, Luol Deng.
Rose taken aback by back-to-back
Mike McGraw reports on a Chicago Bulls team arriving at the Fieldhouse near the end of a tough schedule that saw them on the road for two weeks, then play four games in five nights before playing the first of back-to-back games tonight.
Indiana Pacers: Trade Deadline Options
Pace Miller tosses around some trade ideas with the trade deadline approaching.

Jeff Foster Scheduled For Season-Ending Back Surgery

2010-02-08T21:15:09Z

The Indiana Pacers announced today that center Jeff Foster will have season-ending back surgery after the All-Star break.

No, this does not mean Foster's career is over, in fact the release specifically mentions that Foster is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for training camp next season.

The Pacers could certainly use Foster on the court right now as a happy medium between Roy Hibbert and Troy Murphy at center, but by next year he may be more valuable for his expiring contract.

Pacers Current State Not Caused By The Brawl Alone

2010-02-08T11:30:12Z

A recent article by Michael Lee, delves into what may lie ahead for the Washington Wizards in the aftermath of the Gilbert Arenas/Javaris Crittenton...uh, situation (if only they were flashing their abs). Naturally, Lee looks to the Indiana Pacers for historical reference since the Palace Brawl brought about a comparable season-long suspension. Mere seconds before the brawl, the Pacers had just established themselves as a legit title-contender and certainly the lead dog in the Eastern Conference. Then in the blink of an eye, it was all gone and the Pacers haven't sniffed that lofty status since.

Now with the Wizards facing a similar season-disrupting nightmare, the comparisons to the brawl are flowing along with the warnings of how to avoid the extended nightmare the Pacers have lived through. Reggie Miller maintains that the brawl changed everything for the Pacers and they still haven't recovered. Shoals looks at the Pacers as a cautionary tale for the Wizards not to go overboard in their reaction to this incident and overturn the roster like the Pacers did.

So as a public service for Wizards' fans, I have to make sure they understand that the situation they find themselves in is not even close to what happened with the Pacers. Oh, and by the way, the current state of the Pacers is NOT a direct result of the brawl alone.

Allow me to explain and try to draw parallels to the Wizards.

There was plenty of fallout from the brawl obviously, but in general Pacer fans didn't turn their back on the team as a direct result of the brawl. In fact, there was a little bit of "us against the world" initially because of the perceived inequities in the punishment, considering the failure of security which forced the Pacers to ultimately and literally fight their way off the court to safety. I say perceived because obviously the NBA couldn't suspend anyone on the Pistons' roster because their fans went mob mad and the arena couldn't handle it. Plus, it was easy to look past the rough edges on the Pacers' roster at the time because winning smoothed everything out.

So if it was just the brawl and the Pacers took the hit in the 2006-07 season and then moved on with everything going according to plan, then the team would've survived just fine and maybe even thrived in the years since.

But we all know that's not what happened and so this is where I offer Wizards' fans some hope and explain just what else would have to happen for them to truly compare their situation with the Pacers.

For starters, the Wizards would have to realize that they can't really move Arenas so they might as well support him. The Pacers did just that with Ron Artest. Seemed worth the risk at the time since any sane person would think Ronnie would come back the next season primed and ready to reclaim his reputation as a top player in the league (at least in his eyes). Then with his teammates and organization fully backing him shortly after the start of the season, Arenas would have to flip the WTF switch and demand a trade and in the process muck up another season.

Since Arenas does indeed have a WTF switch ala Artest, the previous scenario isn't out of the realm of possibility, but relax Wizards fans because we're just warming up. There's still much more that would have to go haywire before you can truly compare to the Pacers. And as my comparison continues, I will invoke the names of innocent Wizards who play similar roles basketball-wise to the Pacers who were involved. Obviously, this is not meant to pass judgment on these players.

So, for the sake of comparison, let's say Arenas mucks up next season for the Wiz and ends up forcing a trade that lands a mercenary shooter (like say, Peja Stojakovic) for 40 games who leaves after the season leaving little value behind. So now, with Arenas out of the picture for what would now be the 2011-12 season, the Wizards would open training camp. On the night after the first day of camp, Mike Miller (Stephen Jackson), DeShawn Stevenson (Jamaal Tinsley) and Nick Young (Marquis Daniels) would have to get in a scrape at a strip club involving a disabled man and a couple of guys named Dino and Fingers. Miller would have to fire a few round from his gun to try to disperse the fracas outside before getting run into by Dino's car and flipping over the top. Oh, and Stevenson's buddy from out of town would need to cop to being the only person responsible for a small bag of weed in the glove box of the group's car.

Nothing here was caused by the Palace Brawl.

Now this is where the public perception began bottoming out as it appeared a third season in a row was about to go down the tube before it even started and Artest was no where to be found. Plus, this dredged up the brawl again because Jackson was on probation in Detroit because of his leading role in the brawl and the Club Rio incident violated Jackson's probation. He would have to serve community service and extend his probation. Just a series of lovely stories coming out day after day making more and more fans cringe and look away.

Pretty bad, right Wiz fans? Well, I hope you're comfy because the free fall has just begun. Good news, though! At this point, the Washington Redskins would have to rise up, go on a miraculous playoff run and win the Super Bowl. Such a huge event energizes a city and demands parties of all forms and fashion to properly pay homage to the newly crowned champions. Some of those parties may even take place at a huge country/hip hop bar (I know, but believe me, I'm not making this stuff up) named, oh, I dont know, the 8 Seconds Saloon (they appear to have dropped the hip hop nights since I last checked).

So this place like the 8 Seconds Saloon throws a big part for the loyal Redskins who just won the Super Bowl. The night ends with sirens after DeShawn Stevenson (Tinsley) and Nick Young (Quisy) create a fracas that ends with accusations that they assaulted the bar manager. The whole thing is dragged with charges of intimidation and disorderly conduct which the bar manager wants none of and eventually ends with probation and community service.

Again, this can't be blamed on the Palace and really became the tipping point in casual fans turning their backs on the Pacers. The fact that the Pacers' players disrupted a party for the Colts with their general knuckleheadedness while the "squeaky clean" Colts are nowhere near the problems created quite a contrast and continued feeding the public perception that the Colts were doing it the right way with quality players while the Pacers weren't.

For the beat-the-public-perception-while-it's-down portion of things, the Wizards have to fall prey to a series of minor transgressions by JaVale McGee (Shawne Williams) that become almost scary because of who else is involved. Now getting arrested and charged with operating a vehicle without ever having received a drivers license and two traffic citations -- driving with an expired license plate and failing to signal a lane change isn't necessarily minior but they are traffic violations. The juice in the story comes from those along for the ride who were arrested for marijuana and gun charges.

McGee would have to do his best impression of a young and dumb kid who barely even knew the other men he was driving around with that night. Just some friends of family. Oh, and then continue the young and dumb act by missing his court day for the charges.

McGee's next act to shine a poor light on the Wiz would again deal with the company he keeps. McGee's house would have to be the target of a stakeout by police in search of a murder suspect from Tennessee. Then, said murder suspect would have to get popped when leaving the house in one of McGee's cars and turn out to be one of those guys McGee barely knew a few months earlier.

Again, not caused by the the Palace Brawl.

Finally Wiz fans, I'll just subject you to one more little problem that wasn't caused by the Palace Brawl, but did help drag down the Pacers. The focus shifts back to DeShawn Stevenson (Tinsley) having trouble find him. After taking in a R Kelly concert and watching a Mayweather fight, Stevenson and friends would head out to a club in the Rolls-Royce.

There were already problems brewing at the club and Stevenson and crew attract some of that trouble after arriving like a glowing target in the Rolls. Before long, Stevenson and crew are fleeing the Rolls in a hail of gunfire outside a 5-star hotel downtown. While Stevenson didn't appear to do anything wrong, his past transgressions grant him little slack and the whole incident is yet another embarrassment for the organization.

Again, not caused by the Palace Brawl.

So, there you have it, Wiz fans. A high-level look at how far you have to go to have the current Arenas situation impact the Wizards in the same way the Palace Brawl hurt the Pacers. The key take away should be that the current situation, just like the brawl, has crumbled the foundation of the team. There's still a chance to fortify the foundation again and move on.

Just make sure there are no other transgressions thrown on top of the current weak foundation. It can't bear the weight of any further transgressions, let alone like the four or five (I try to lose count) letdowns the Pacers tried to pile on the rubble from the Detroit rumble.

IC Cold Links: Familiar Problems Surface For Pacers So...GO COLTS!

2010-02-07T16:59:45Z

More photos » Mark Duncan - AP

Go get 'em, Blue!

Browse more photos »

Finally, it's Super Bowl Sunday and the Colts vs. Saints will kickoff in mere hours, which isn't a bad antidote for the relapse we witnessed by the Pacers last night.

The Pacers are 2-8 when they have at least 20 turnovers, like they did last night. Now, I don't have the numbers to back up my claim, but I'm pretty sure they've never won a game when they combined the turnovers with a stagnant offensive flow with little to no ball and man movement.

See, when you run a motion offense you need some, umm...MOTION! We've seen it before and I imagine we'll see it again. And no, I don't blame it on T.J. Ford's return to the court. While he's not the best point guard for this particular offense, he was at least trying to make something happen last night.

Mike Dunleavy has become the quote machine during the Pacers' struggles, refusing to sugar coat the problems. According to Mike Wells, Dunleavy laid out the facts from last night succinctly and accurately.

"It's mind-boggling that guys just stand around," said Pacers swingman Mike Dunleavy, who was the only player not to commit a turnover. "Over the last couple of years when we move and create space, we've been so effective. I don't know if we're too lazy, but we just don't want to do it (anymore).
"Teams get up and pressure us and make us turn the ball over. It's just terrible to watch. We should know better because we've had success doing it before."

Well, that pretty much sums up the season right there.

After the jump, a few more links of interest from the game. But, real quick I need to send out an extra special THANK YOU to goodlucksaturday and Sean for helping me out the last two nights. I was hit hard by some form of evil flu on Friday night which then rendered me useless yesterday and these guys kept things flowing around here without a hitch.

Also, Stampede Blue is your one stop for all of the Colts-related coverage of the Super Bowl today.

NBA.com (recap, box score, highlihgts)
AP game report
PACERS: Inside the Game: Bucks 93, Pacers 81
Bucks feast on Pacers' turnovers
Mike Wells reports on the Pacers loss in Milwaukee.
Whole package - JSOnline
Charles F. Gardner reports on the Bucks win and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute's defensive effort to help shut down Danny Granger.
Pacers Notebook: Pacers' Price leaves with concussion
Mike Wells offers up more on the strange concussion A.J. Price suffered after being poked in the eye by Andre Bogut. Plus, a few takes on the Colts from inside the locker room.
Recap: Bucks 93, Pacers 81 - Brew Hoop
The Bucks raced past the Pacers and won for the seventh straight time at the Bradley Center thanks largely to Luc Mbah a Moute and Andrew Bogut.
Game #50 Recap – The Object Lesson
8.9 recaps the Pacers win on Friday night over the Detroit Pistons.
Once again, Stampede Blue for all of the Colts related Super Bowl coverage.

Bucks 93, Pacers 81: Indiana Loses A.J. Price, Game In Division Defeat

2010-02-07T05:14:36Z

More photos » Darren Hauck - AP

Brandon Rush skies for a block on the Bucks' Carlos Delfino during the Pacers loss on Saturday.

Browse more photos »

You know the story. The Indiana Pacers fell behind double-digits in the first half (18), had too many turnovers (19), and when the team mounted a comeback in the fourth, the opposition matched them for a check mate.

After the Pacers climbed back to within six points with 5:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bucks stopped the last-minute charge by rolling off seven unanswered points that put the game out of reach and handed the Pacers their 10th-straight loss on the second night of back-to-back sets. The Bucks downed Indiana 93-81 on Saturday.

The Bucks, which have won five of their last six games, found their offensive firepower in the paint instead of the perimeter as talk-of-the-town rookie Brandon Jennings had an awful night from the field (2-of-10 shooting). Andrew Bogut scored 21 points and Luc Mbah a Moute added 18 points as Milwaukee pounded the Pacers in the post, outscoring the blue and gold 36-16 down low.

Milwaukee even received a giant spark off the bench from aged veteran Jerry Stackhouse, who torched the Pacers for 14 points off wide-open jump shots. While Stackhouse provided a throwback night for a wild and rowdy crowd in Milwaukee, T.J. Ford offered some flashbacks as well in front of his former team. The recently benched point guard received extended playing time with the absence of Earl Watson and Luther Head, and Ford picked up crunchtime minutes after rookie A.J. Price, who started the game, had to leave with a concussion with 6:26 remaining in the third quarter. Ford finished with a season-high 20 points, while Danny Granger added 14 points. Ford had a great game. He was active on both ends of the court, displayed thoughtful precision with his passing and ran the offense with his scoring.

Ford's good game, which could help sell Ford in trade talks leading up to the trade deadline (fingers crossed), could present some lineup challenges after the All-Star break for coach Jim O'Brien. Mike Wells reported through Twitter immediately following the game that "O'Brien says after the game that there's no way he's playing three pt guards when Watson gets back. Stay tuned, things will get interesting." Interesting indeed.

Check out the jump for notes about tonight's loss.

Troy Murphy looked positively awful tonight as he was even more tentative than usual on offense and, of course, helped with the lack of inside intensity needed to stop Bogut and Mbah a Moute on the defensive end. Murphy missed his usual double-double by scoring only six points, but he did grab 11 boards.
Besides Granger scoring 14 points (on 5-of-14 shooting), he led the team with five assists. Granger led the Pacers comeback in the second quarter to keep things interesting by halftime. He hit two laser-guided 3-pointers that were reminiscent of a confident, 3-swishing Danny from last year. Unfortunately, his shooting never took off in this game.
The Pacers were outrebounded by 10 tonight, as well as allowing the Bucks to nab 10 offensive boards, compared to the Pacers only collecting four for extra possessions on offense.
Roy Hibbert didn't get too many opportunities to be the catalyst on offense as usual when JOB is on the sidelines, but when he did get to shoot, the center made the most of it. He made 5-of-7 shots for 10 points and four rebounds. Hibbert dug his own hole tonight with foul trouble issues yet again.
After Price left the game in the third quarter, O'Brien had to dig even deeper in the point guard pool. He found Travis Diener awaiting some playing time. Diener played three uneventful minutes in front of a hometown crowd.
Brandon Rush hit a sweet-looking bank shot early in the game and it looked like the start of a good offensive showing for the shooting guard. But Rush was soon invisible again as he quietly made only 2-of-8 shots for five points.

Game Thread #51: Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks

2010-02-07T01:17:09Z

18-32		22-26
	@
February 6, 2010 - 8:30PM EST
Bradley Center
Radio: 1070AM WFNI TV: Fox Sports Indiana
Probable starters:
A.J. Price	PG	Brandon Jennings
Brandon Rush	SG	Charlie Bell
Danny Granger	SF	Carlos Delfino
Troy Murphy	PF	Luc Mbah a Moute
Roy Hibbert	C	Andrew Bogut

The Pacers are visiting the Central Division foe Milwaukee Bucks tonight after a dominating performance against the hapless Pistons on Friday. The Bucks are in the middle of their own run, winning four of five and six of their last nine. The Pacers are looking for their third-straight victory.

Leave your thoughts and observations in the comments. Also, pop open an extra browser and check out Bruno's Live Blog.

IC Cold Links: Tyler Hansbrough Situation Continues To Get Worse

2010-02-06T14:56:23Z

It's the inner ear infection from Hell.

Indiana Pacers rookie Tyler Hansbrough is seeing his first season in the NBA flushed down the toilet thanks to an infection of which the Midwest has never seen before. It was announced on Friday that Hansbrough is no longer working out at all on the basketball court. He has been ordered by doctors to cease athletic activity for the time-being, effectively setting him back months in the midst of the season.

After coach Jim O'Brien originally said that he hoped that Hansbrough could return to action after the All-Star break, the Pacers coach rescinded those plans after the Pacers defeated the Pistons on Friday.

O'Brien told the Indianapolis Star the following:

"I do not know if we will have Tyler (after the All-Star break)," O'Brien said. "He's not working out at all. If he's able to come back and start working out, that's going to be important, because the fact that he's been told that he is not really allowed to move around, even one on none, is a real setback from the conditioning standpoint."

The ear infection has put up some pretty impressive numbers so far. It has caused Hansbrough to miss 17 of the past 21 games. Fun times for the Pacers first-round draft choice. For some happier news regarding the blue and gold, check out the links after the jump that cover last night's dominating performance against Detroit.

AP Story
Box Score
Recap
Postgame Quotes
PACERS: Inside the Game: Pacers 107, Pistons 83
Bruno's Inside the Game report has all of the numbers, notes, quotes and highlights.
Pacers cruise, say: Welcome back, T.J.
Mike Wells covers the resurrection of T.J. Ford in the Pacers' lineup last night. Ford, who had 11 points, five assists and three rebounds in the Indiana win, told Wells the following about his first game since being benched at the end of December. "It's just one game; I've got one more to go and then it's back to the bench," Ford said. "I'm not blaming anybody for the situation I'm in. I haven't made any excuses. I'm just taking it for what it's worth."
Rookie Hansbrough's health problem worsens
Wells empties the notebook on Hansbrough, attendance at Conseco "Reggie Miller" Fieldhouse, the All-Star break, and A.J. Price's emergence.
Pacers paste Pistons, 107-83
The Detroit Free Press offers a perspective for the Pistons' fans out there.
Pistons' big flaw exposed
The Free Press also notes that the Pacers exposed another giant flaw on the Pistons' roster.
Indiana is synonymous with basketball, but could it be turning into a football state?
Just in case you need another reminder that the Pacers (and Indiana basketball) isn't numero uno in the Hoosier State anymore, here's ESPN's take on the matter.
IndyStar.com | Pacers Insider
Wells blogs about how coach Jim O'Brien might handle his new point guard problem when Earl Watson returns next week.
Pacers-Bucks Preview
Preview of tonight's game.

Pacers 107, Pistons 83: T.J. Ford Paces Indiana to Easy Victory

2010-02-06T02:53:11Z

More photos » Michael Conroy - AP

T.J. Ford scored 11 points and was instrumental in Indiana's big win over the Detroit Pistons. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Browse more photos »

With a potential Friday night trip to Naptown sidelined by snow, what better way to soak up the opulence of the Circle City on television then by watching the Pacers distract the locals in Conseco Fieldhouse against the hated Pistons?

A.J. Price made his first NBA start tonight, Jim O'Brien returned to his normal spot on the sideline, and T.J. Ford made his triumphant return to the floor. The Pacers looked to ride the momentum wave, which peaked following a 130 point performance against the Raptors, but what about a lack of Earl Watson, out for personal reasons? Or Lester Conner back to being simply an assistant? Despite the performance on Tuesday, it's still hard to know what team would show up, just as it's become difficult to know exactly how many inches would fall outside of the stadium's doors.

Price was tested early by Rodney Stuckey, as Stuckey scored the first four points of the game. As Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush failed to convert easy buckets, Danny Granger himself scored the first five points for Indiana. Both teams struggled with turnovers early to create an ugly and disjointed game, the Pistons building a quick lead on better hustle. The Pacers responded with a 12-2 run to take the lead as the Pistons shooting dropped to freezing temps with Indiana holding the lead 24-20 after one.

Ford checked in to start the second, as Granger continued to carry the Pacers early in the second. The Pistons managed to stay in the game despite continuing their poor shooting by being active around the ball, forcing turnovers and grabbing rebounds from the hands of Pacers players. Jason Maxiell caused countless problems for Big Roy on both ends of the floor, taking Roy out of the gameplan. T.J. Ford came out smoking hot on the offensive end, guiding the Pacers to a double digit lead they would build to 15 by the half.

The Pacers picked right up out of the half, extending their 14-2 end of half run to score eight straight, pushing the game to 23. Smart plays by Price and good offensive possessions kept the Pacers lead at a comfortable margin as the third progressed, despite the Pistons continuing to play opportunistic on loose balls. Indiana benefited heavily as the Pistons offense simply couldn't get anything constant despite a strong quarter for Ben Gordon and Stuckey. The Pacers held the Pistons on runs, taking a 76-56 lead into the final quarter.

Indiana didn't let up the gas in the fourth, pushing the lead to 26 behind great play from Danny and T.J. Indiana continued to play tremendous ball in the fourth, continuing to get welcome contributions from Brandon Rush as well, leading the way to the cruise control victory, seeing some old rotation favorites with Solo, McBobs and his faux hawk, and the Dienermobile. No better way to end the night than to push the lead to 30 and have a Diener to McRoberts alley oop finish us off, as the snow continued to fall on the cold night, unaffected by the heat the Pacers unleashed in the Fieldhouse.

Some bullets on the team's second straight fun victory after the jump.

Indiana committed six first quarter turnovers and managed to push that number down to 9 for the rest of the game. It's no mistake the Pacers began taking control of the game once they got the turnovers under control.
Indiana held Detroit to 20 points or under for the first three quarters, the first time all season. The Pacers deserve credit for defense, but the Pistons did their fair share, shooting well under 40% for most of the game, and only getting reliable contributions from Ben Gordon, who finished with 26 points.
With plenty to take from A.J. Price's first start, it was T.J. Ford who stole the show, coming out on fire in the second quarter in his first floor action in over a month, going 4-4 with 9 points in playing all 12 minutes in the second, finished with 11 points, 3 boards, and 5 assists.
Even still, A.J. Price played the first quarter, coming away with three points and three assists in that quarter, finishing with eight and four. Some early struggles getting settled into the role were noticeable, but Price still had a serviceable effort on the floor. He wasn't allowed a lot of game changing opportunities with the lead and the hot hand in Ford, so it's hard to reach much of a conclusion on Price's overall experience, but it was an A.J. Price performance, something that is a positive until proven otherwise.
Danny Granger had an peculiar performance. When driving the line, he managed to get most of what he wanted down low, earning friendly rolls and numerous free throw trips, also making opportunistic defensive plays. But he countered it with a handful of turnovers and poor three point shots despite great looks. Granger still finished with a team high 25 and managed to find six rebounds.
Brandon Rush scored 16 points, his eighth straight double digit game, the second such streak in his young career. It's nice to see production from Rush, but it's even better to see him flow within the offense, as well as continuing his strong defensive play.
Roy Hibbert was never able to free himself from Jason Maxiell, but put together a respectable game, pulling down 5 offensive rebounds in a quiet double double and finished with a game high +29 in the +/-, if that is your kind of stat, showing his worth despite not having a loud game.
Pacers get a nice road test against Brandon Jennings and the Bucks tomorrow night, assuming they can get out of New York's snowstorm, a game T.J. Ford definitely deserves to see some burn in.

Game Thread #50: Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers

2010-02-05T21:30:14Z

16-31		17-32
	@	Indiana Pacers " height="60" title="Indiana Pacers" />
February 5, 2010 - 7:00PM EST
Conseco Fieldhouse
Radio: 1070AM WFNI TV: Fox Sports Indiana
Probable starters:
Rodney Stuckey	PG	A.J. Price
Richard Hamilton	SG	Brandon Rush
Tayshaun Prince	SF	Danny Granger
Jonas Jerebko	PF	Troy Murphy
Ben Wallace	C	Roy Hibbert

After a couple of full days off at home, the Indiana Pacers face the Detroit Pistons tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers will be without Earl Watson tonight, but after having some practice time this week it sets up well for A.J. Price to make his first career start.

Jim O'Brien returns to the sideline for the Pacers and thus deteriming the starting lineup is pure speculation. Roy Hibbert creates a nice mismatch in the post against the Pistons so I'm assuming the home team starts with their more traditional lineup which fared well against Toronto on Tuesday.

The Pistons arrive in pretty good shape, trying to get past a strange recent stretch where they opened a series of six-straight home games by beating the Boston Celtics and then went on to lose the remaining five home dates before winning their last game on the road at New Jersey. The home losing streak started two weeks ago when the Pacers put together one of their better outings of the year, especially on the road. But with the way both teams have played this year, two weeks ago is ancient history. The level of play for both remains a day-to-day.

Speaking of day-to-day, here is a quick update on Tyler Hansbrough with comments from the rookie on his frustrating inner ear situation. Doesn't sound like he'll be ready to play real soon but he did say, "I feel like I am making some progress, so now we'll just wait and see."

For a Detroit perspective, check out Detroit Bad Boys, Need4Sheed and Piston Powered.

Leave your thoughts and observations in the comments. Also, pop open an extra browser and check out Bruno's Live Blog.

IC Cold Links: T.J. Ford Ready To Play, Pistons Arrive In Good Shape

2010-02-05T11:34:49Z

More photos » Steve C Wilson - AP

T.J. Ford will be back in action tonight for the Pacers.

Browse more photos »

Earl Watson's absence opens up a spot in the playing rotation for T.J. Ford, the Pacers high-priced point guard who has struggled to find his way in Jim O'Brien's offense. Ford hasn't played in the past 18 games, since JOB decided to give rookie, A.J. Price some consistent minutes to see how he can play.

To his credit, Ford has put on a positive public face during the demotion, usually leading the team out when they take the court and doing his part from the bench to motivate teammates. Obviously, Ford would loved to be moved by the trade deadline but has refrained from any type of demands.

The Pacers would like to move Ford, as well, but his $8.5 million player option along with his struggles this year make it tough to find any takers. I do think Ford can help a team with a different system where he's not in a lead role. While he's been inconsistent for the Pacers, he had his moments with the Pacers where he's taken over parts of games and provided a spark to secure a win.

Maybe his play this weekend will spark some late interest, although NBA teams know players and just because Ford has been on the bench lately doesn't mean other teams that may have a need don't know his game and how he might fit with their team. Still, sometimes you're only as good as your last game and right now, for Ford that's a distant memory. Tonight he'll try to shake off a little rust and remind people that he can still play.

After the jump, a few links of interest including a special Super Crate episode with Dan Klores.

Watson's absence puts Ford back in rotation
Mike Wells reports on T.J. Ford prepping for some burn tonight after 18-straight DNPs.
PACERS: Scouting Report: Pacers vs. Pistons
Bruno's Scouting Report focuses on the consistent production from Brandon Rush over the past month.
Pistons expect to be at full strength in Friday's road game against Pacers
Detroit has suffered through injury woes just as the Pacers have this season, but it appears they will be close to full strength tonight at the Fieldhouse.
Watson's absence puts Ford back in rotation
Mike Wells reports on T.J. Ford prepping for some burn tonight after 18-straight DNPs.
Dunleavy out as Clipper coach, stays in as front-office boss
KD digs into Mike Dunleavy, Sr. leaving the sidelines for the Clippers but sticking around upstairs to manage the talent.

A.J. Price Ready For First Start For Pacers

2010-02-05T02:46:43Z

More photos » Darron Cummings - AP

A.J. Price has been a nice second-round surprise for the Pacers this season.

Browse more photos »

Condolences go out to Earl Watson and his family for the passing of his grandmother. Watson has left the team to be with his family this weekend, so he will miss both Friday's game against the Detroit Pistons and Saturdays road game at the Milwaukee Bucks.

As a result of Watson's absence, rookie point guard, A.J. Price will jump into the starting lineup this weekend for the Pacers. Price, a second round pick last summer, has been a pleasant story to follow all season amidst some not so pleasant games for the team.

Early in the season, Price saw spot duty at best along with plenty of DNP-CDs. As the unpleasant games mounted for the Pacers, Jim O'Brien decided to insert Earl Watson in the starting lineup and put T.J. Ford on ice in order to free up the backup minutes for Price.

Once he started getting some consistent minutes, Price proved he was a gamer and the bigger the situation the better. His calm demeanor and steady style of play seemed to step up a notch late in games. He single-handedly altered a game at Oklahoma City with 19 fourth quarter points, bringing the Pacers back from the dead after the team trailed by 13 points heading into the final quarter. After erasing the lead, the Pacers couldn't hang on to win, but Price revealed just what his game has to offer.

Price also came up big in another comeback against Toronto. This time the Pacers won and Price teamed up with Watson to fuel the late game heroics. While Price continues learning the NBA game and working through the normal rookie struggles, he remains well on his way to establishing himself as a bona fide NBA point guard.

Prior to the Toronto game on Tuesday, I checked in with Price to see where he felt his game was after 20 games of consistent minutes off the bench.

"I'm playing alright, playing decent," the soft-spoken rookie said. "Still learning and every game is a learning experience. I just trying to bring energy, try to keep the tempo going when I'm in there so there's no letdown."

Price plays such a steady, confident game, at times he seems like a veteran player on the court just by the way he carries himself and handles certain situations. But anything he makes look easy is merely an illusion, as Price continues to grind to keep up with the varying challenges he faces from game to game.

"The league is difficult and hard and that's what I expected coming in," Price admitted. "Like I said, I'm still learning on the fly basically. Every team, every game a different assignment with teams doing different things, so it's always a learning experience."

So Price just plays and absorbs the lessons from those learning experiences. He knows he's just scratching the surface and has a long way to go to make the type of impact he expects.

"Defensively I want to try to utilize my quickness and strength to be more aggressive on the defensive end, so figuring out what to do against certain players will help over time."

Until that time comes, Price will just take advantage of every opportunity to keep developing his game. On Friday night, his opportunity will expand with the starting nod. From what we've seen from Price so far this season, there's no reason to think he won't step up to the challenge and make the most of yet another rookie learning experience.

IC Cold Links: Pacers Enter Dealing Crunch Time As Trade Deadline Approaches

2010-02-04T11:31:49Z

As of 3:00PM today, the NBA trade deadline will be exactly two weeks away. While watching a screening of "Winning Time" yesterday at the Fieldhouse, I could't help but wonder if Larry Bird and/or David Morway were upstairs working on a deal that might refreshen the air in the current locker room.

There's no doubt that the Pacers front office is actively engaged in the current trading season. The great unknown though, is if they can find a palatable deal or two to make before the deadline hits.

Since we've moved to crunch time in the NBA trading season, I recommend checking out this excellent break down of the trading deadline by Mike Prada over at SB Nation. If you want to speculate on potential trading partners and options for moving current Pacers, Mike's piece offers a handy assessment of every team. Often speculation about potential trades ends with whether or not the deal works in a trade tracker. Now you can include the perspective from the other side to evaluate if a possible deal makes sense for all parteis involved.

After the jump, a few more links of interest.

"Winning Time" fresh, frank and fun
Bruno's latest Caught In The Webb offers his take on "Winning Time" from the perspective of someone who witnessed all of the events in person.
Film on Miller should comfort Pacers fans
Mike Wells thinks "Winning Time" will be a nice diversion to help Pacers fans make it through this season.
Morning Shootaround: It's Development, Stupid
The Detroit Pistson come to town on Friday in a similar staggering state as the Pacers. Matt Watson wonders if the current leadership of the organization can push them back to elite status in the East considering their poor track record in player development over the past few years.
Nets' immaturity wore on Harris
Adrian Wojnarowski reports on Del Harris leaving a poor situation in New Jersey. On paper, the Nets suffering through all of these losses while trying to develop their young talent makes it appear worth it. But it sounds like there is problems with some of that young talent which makes it a mess. Woj also touches on the Murphy to Cleveland asking price from the Fieldhouse.

"Winning Time" A Reminder Of How Fun A Heated Rivalry Can Be

2010-02-04T03:25:31Z

I was expecting lots of goose bumps, but I wasn't expecting to laugh so much.

Somehow Dan Klores delivers plenty of both in his documentary "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks," a film all Pacers fans should run to see when it premiers at Conseco Fielhouse on February 26th.

In a mere 68 minutes, Klores takes the viewer back in time to the heated Pacers and Knicks playoff games from 1993 to 1995, dredging up wonderful memories filled with emotions that continually bounced between pain, joy, anguish and jubilation. Interviews with all of the major players, often with differing recollections, provides plenty of laughs while the truth shown in the footage brings out the goose bumps.

The story is woven around four memorable moments in the playoff series beginning with the John Stark's head butt game in 1993, masterfully set to opera while drawing out the comedic elements of the game within the game Reggie played with words.

Then we move to Game 5 in 1994 and Reggie's 25-point fourth quarter in sparked by Spike Lee's - presence which would fuel the Knicks vs. Hicks theme and take the rivalry to another level. Spike Lee is wonderful in his interviews as the devious villain, taking pride in the hatred he engendered in Indiana.

The movie plays up the stereotypical view of Indiana, really all of middle America, from the perspective of a New Yorker. Spike throws in some hyperbole which may rub some the wrong way but they'd be completely missing the tone and humor behind the comments. We're talking Spike Lee and Reggie Miller talking about their talking. There's no punches pulled when they get the smack going, even today.

The key moments wrap up with the 1995 series starting with Reggie's improbable eight points in nine seconds which allowed the Pacers to steal Game 1 in Madison Square Garden.

Finally, the Pacers break through in Game 7 after Patrick Ewing misses a layup that would've pushed the game to overtime. Kloresdigs deep into the basketball soul of Ewing, who is wonderful in the film by the way, and finds a tragic hero who's learned to live with that miss despite the pain.

The whole film is seasoned with the subplots of Reggie Miller stepping out of his sister's shadow to seize the moment on the big stage in New York and the contrast in basketball and culture between New York and Indiana the latter drawn out in the Spike Lee discussions.

The development of Reggie and the sibling rivalry he felt growing up with his older sister, Cheryl was quite interesting. Finally, Reggie had made it to the big stage with the bright lights shining on him not his sister, but now the Knicks were playing the role of Cheryl, fueling his drive to continue exploring just how good he could become.

The passion for Pacers basketball shown in the delirious crowds at Market Square Arena and the greeting crowds at the airport are a nice reminder of how the Pacers can capture the hearts of the city and state. It also is a painful reminder of how long it's been since the city went crazy for the NBA.

But with the time past, and the wonderful light tone brought to this rough and tumble rivalry, it also reminds us that in the end it is all just game.`

Lester Conner Seizes The Day As Substitute Head Coach For Pacers

2010-02-03T11:00:36Z

More photos » Darron Cummings - AP

Earl Watson and the Pacers forced the action against Toronto last night.

Browse more photos »

Lester Conner appeared intent on making the most of his head coaching opportunity with the Pacers, even if it was just for one night while Jim O'Brien attended a funeral for his mother-in-law.

Conner oozes personality and a positive vibe and the coach had plenty to say before and after the game, in fact he may still be talking (I had to go home at some point). Of course, winning brings out the best in all of us, but no matter how much he tried to pawn it off as a substitute teaching gig, Conner made his point that he was in charge for the night and put his imprint on the game.

For one night anyway, everything Conner did worked. In fact, Pacers Sports and Entertainment President, Jim Morris made an appearance at Conner's post-game press conference, briefly interrupting near the end to offer his congratulations and a handshake to Conner. Funny, I don't go to every game, but I've never seen Morris fist-bump JOB after a W.

Prior to the game, Conner was surprisingly candid when discussing his coaching style and the one-night opportunity to be the head man.

"Anytime you can get experience being the head guy, it's always good for you," Conner explained an hour before the game. "One thing about coaching under Coach O'Brien is that he's always told me to prepare as if I was the head coach even though I was the assistant coach for him so when things like this come up it will all come natural so I'm pretty prepared for this so nothing that will happen will catch me off guard."

Conner has been a faithful assistant, coaching with JOB for about eight of the ten years that he's been an assistant coach in the NBA. He's always comported himself well on the sidelines and nothing in his attitude or effort would suggest otherwise. But when given the opportunity, Conner jumped at the chance to emphasize that he is not a JOB clone.

With an eye toward a head coaching job at some point in his career, Conner was asked how much Jim O'Brien would be in his coaching style when that day arrives.

"Umm, not a whole lot," Conner said to the surprise of everyone listening. But he was just getting started.

More from coach Conner along with the links after the jump.

"There will be a little bit." Conner continued. "I think we're different in a bunch of different ways so I take things that I like and the things that I don't, I may keep on the side and use them if need be. But I'm a little different, you know, being a player in this league you have an advantage on playing the game and knowing the game. Just a different approach, you know, like tonight, if something works I'll probably stay with it until they defend it. That's something that he likes to come back to it a little bit and that's his choice. I think tonight if something works I'm going to say, run it again just to make them stop it."

Conner backed up his words, starting Hibbert at center and imploring his team to attack the paint. After the game Conner admitted changing things offensively by dusting off some plays the team hadn't used in a while and also altering the pick and roll approach based on something the coaches saw in Sunday's game against Toronto. Also, successful playing rotations did stay on the court longer than usual, though, but nothing changed in the defensive approach which was evident by the 115 points Toronto scored.

But in reality, nothing was that drastically different and this was one game. Today Conner returns to trusted assistant and in finishing up his pre-game comments on his coaching style, he made sure to re-iterate why he's coached with JOB for so long despite some personal differences in philosophy.

"But you know, we're totally different guys, I'm 6'4" and he's 5'4" or something (laughs)," Conner joked as he came back around to prop up his boss. "But I've learned everything from him and he's one of the best. It may not have showed over the years here, but he's one of the best coaches that I've been around and I've been around a long time as far as playing and coaching. If you add those together it's almost 25 years, so he's a pretty good coach."

So now Lester Conner moves back down a seat, but for a two-day coaching gig, Conner deserves credit for seizing the opportunity and leading the Pacers to a win.

Here are a few links of interest:

AP game report
Cliff Brunt recaps the Pacers win.
PACERS: Inside the Game: Pacers 130, Raptors 115
Bruno's Inside the Game report has all of the numbers, notes, quotes and highlights.
Pacers play loose to end losing skid at 3
Mike Wells reports on the Pacers winning a "feel-good game" and ending their losing streak.
Under Conner, Pacers snap Raptors' five-game streak
Mark Montieth offers up the game story for NBA.com.
Raptors lose game and Calderon with ankle injury
Doug Smith reports on the Raptors not only ending their 5-game winning streak but also losing guard Jose Calderon after he stepped on Jarrett Jack's foot and turned his ankle.
Sluggish Raptors can't keep pace
Erik Koreen reports on the Raptors struggles to keep up with the Pacers energy last night.
Smits' career a template for Hibbert
Bruno's latest Caught In The Web checks in with former Pacer, Rik Smits on the progress of Roy Hibbert. The two have uncanny similarities in their games. Hopefully Smits can spend a little time with Roy in the offseason sharing some of the things that helped the Dunkin' Dutchman refine his game.
Catching Up With A.J. Price
Ryan McNeil checked in with rookie A.J. Price when the Pacers were in Toronto.
The Pacers and the Four Factors
Jared Wade offers up a broader view of the four factors league wide so far this season which highlights the Pacers' offensive struggles.
Raptors Rapid Recap: Toronto 115 Indiana 130
Raptors HQ gives a rapid account of their loss to the Indiana Pacers
Pacers Notebook: Conner tweaks starting lineup as boss
Mike Wells reports on the Conner returning to a big starting lineup and Tyler Hansbrough seeking advice on his inner ear infection from a specialist in New York.
Paging Mr. Granger
Mike Wells is wondering if and when Danny Granger will ever find his 3-point stroke. Granger is just 13-54 (24%) from behind the arc in his last 10 games.

Pacers 130, Raptors 115: Pacers Spread The Wealth, Run Past Raptors

2010-02-03T03:38:52Z

More photos » Darron Cummings - AP

Roy Hibbert and the Pacers made things tough on Jarrett Jack and the Raptors all night.

Browse more photos »

One thing we learned tonight with regard to the Pacers is that there is no answer to the questions: Which lineup works best?

After ripping through several different starting lineups and other rotation combination searching for some sustainable success, the Pacers tried a little bit of everything against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night and showed that varying the style of attack and sticking with what works is the way to go.

Since no five can impose their will on opponents over the long haul, a more gimmicky approach with bursts of different looks appears to be the best option to keep the opponents off-balance and adjusting instead of the other way around. The results spoke for themselves as the Pacers attacked the league's least efficient defensive team while getting just enough stops to roll to a 130-115 win.

With Jim O'Brien out of town, assistant coach Lester Conner went back to a big lineup with both Roy Hibbert and Troy Murphy starting which moved Danny Granger back to his more comfortable small forward spot.

The Pacers took advantage of the size by pushing the ball into Hibbert in the post. Not only that, they opened the game by running a couple of post plays for Danny Granger who appeared energized to attack the smaller Sonny Weems after spending Sunday evening banging around with Chris Bosh.

Small ball wasn't put on ice however and different rotations with Murphy at center were equally effective, although tonight Granger spent more of his time covering Andrea Bargnani on the perimeter when the team went small.

Coach Conner pulled all the right strings tonight and even earned an appearance from PS&E president Jim Morris at his post-game press conference. The win lifted a lot of spirits around the Fieldhouse and as Conner put it, the players stepped up for the substitute teacher.

More thoughts and crazy numbers after the jump:

Instead of stumbling through the third quarter blahs, the Pacers absolutely lit it up after halftime, scoring 42 point in the third with an eFG% of 85%. They even made 14 trips to the free throw line, making all but one.
To further illustrate the attack mode the Pacers played in, consider that the scored 50 points in the paint and wnet to the free throw line 35 times and made 33 of the freebies.
Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani scored 35 and 34 points, respectively with Bosh hauling in 15 rebounds. Conner mentioned the key was keeping the rest of the roster under wraps after the bench lit up the Pacers on Sunday.
The Pacers efficient offense was fueled by a balanced attack with seven players in double figures and two more players with eight points. They also combined for 24 assists.
Speaking of assists, Earl Watson was a solid floor general scoring 15 points with 11 assists. He really pushed the ball up the floor to keep the pressure on Toronto's defense which allowed the Pacers to get into their sets easier when the transition opportunity wasn't available.
Roy Hibbert started strong and finished even stronger. His eight points in the first quarter got the Pacers rolling early. Then, when Toronto made their last gasp run in the fourth, Granger and Hibbert took turns beating them back with a Murphy 3-ball mixed in to suck a little will out of the visitors.
Danny Granger struggled from distance but made an impact by attacking the paint. He scored 23 points despite an 0-5 effort from 3-land but made all seven of his free throws. With the gams on ice late, Granger tried to sneak in a 3-ball attempt just to leave the court with something positive. The ball clanked, but he followed it up and made an 18-footer. One of those nights.
I could watch Bargnani shoot all night.
Former Pacer Jarrett Jack struggled on the night, making just 1 of 6 shots and even threw in a pair of "Jarrett Jack Jump Turnovers" for old times sake.
Lester Conner is now 2-0 as a head coach. He also won a game he coached when JOB had to miss a game while they were coaching Philly.

Game Thread #49: Toronto Raptors at Indiana Pacers

2010-02-02T22:00:37Z

26-22		16-32
	@
February 2, 2010 - 7:00PM EST
Conseco Fieldhouse
Radio: 1070AM WFNI TV: Fox Sports Indiana
Probable starters:
Jarrett Jack	PG	Earl Watson
Sonny Weems	SG	Brandon Rush
Antoine Wright	SF	Mike Dunleavy
Chris Bosh	PF	Danny Granger
Andrea Bargnani	C	Troy Murphy

The Indiana Pacers finish up a home-and-home series tonight when they play the Toronto Raptors for the fourth and final time this season at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Raps will still be short rookie DeMar DeRozan and also Hedo Turkoglu who is still recovering from running face-first into Mike Dunleavy's elbow on Sunday evening. Turkoglu fractured an orbital bone below his right eye which certainly didn't tickle.

The Pacers will be without head coach Jim O'Brien as he tends to family business after the passing of his mother-in-law. Lester Conner will call the shots tonight from the bench. With JOB's absent, maybe the sense that eveyone needs to step up will provide an energy boost to a Pacer team in serious need of a jolt.

Here is Bruno's Scouting Report.

For a Toronto perspective, check out Raptors HQ and Raptors Republic.

Leave your thoughts and observations in the comments. Also, pop open an extra browser and check out Bruno's Live Blog.

IC Cold Links: Pacers Learning About Troy Murphy's Trade Value And Life Without Jeff Foster

2010-02-02T11:40:03Z

More photos » Darron Cummings - AP

Murph would probably rather take a pass in the corner from Shaq than try to guard him again.

Browse more photos »

Mike Wells brings all kinds of glad tidings to Pacers fans in his latest Pacers Insider post.

First we learn that the dreams of Troy Murphy to Cleveland for Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his expiring contract haven't gone anywhere because the Pacers are asking for too many goodies.

The Pacers wanted the Cavaliers to give up forward J.J. Hickson, center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and multiple draft picks for Murphy, the source said.

Hey, I'm all for asking for the moon and I'm sure dealing fomr a position of strength has to be fun for Larry Bird and David Morway, but now that there's room for negotiation don't let it die. I'm assuming that's the case since there's still over two week before the trade deadline, so if the Cavs settle on Murphy and the Pacers get anything beyond Ziggy's contract, it will be worth it.

Next we learn that Jeff Foster is going to Los Angeles, although not in a trade but to see a back specialist.

Foster is not expected to play this season and is likely headed for surgery. John Hollinger mentioned this when discussing the Denver Nuggets and why they've abandoned their pursuit of Foster.

So what does this mean for the future of Foster?

Well, if all goes well and Foster returns fit to play next year he will be even more valuable considering his expiring contract. If not, and he ends up retiring this summer the Pacers could get some cap relief since he hasn't played since December. Larry Coon explains:

There is one exception whereby a player can continue to receive his salary, but the salary is not included in the team's team salary. This is when a player is forced to retire for medical reasons and a league-appointed physician confirms that he is medically unfit to continue playing. There is a waiting period of one year following the injury or illness before a team can apply for this salary cap relief. If the waiting period expires mid-season (on any date prior to the last day of the regular season), then the player's entire salary for that season is removed from the team's team salary. For example, in March 2003 the Knicks were allowed to remove Luc Longley's entire 2002-03 salary from their books (and since the luxury tax is based on the team salary as of the last day of the regular season, the Knicks avoided paying any tax on Longley's salary). This provision can also be used when a player dies while under contract.

Wells tops off all of this glorious news with a sprinkling of comments from Reggie Miller. While discussing the impact of the Gilbert Arenas suspension and shenanigans in Washington, ol' 31 reminds us how the Pacers continue to feel the impact of the brawl.

Yeah, we know.

A few more links of interest:

Pacers plan to rely on small lineup
More from Mighty Mike on the Pacers intent to stay small. Danny Granger likes the lineup in certain situations but a heavy dose of power forwards doesn't seem to sit well with 33.
Movie was eye-opening experience for Reggie
Bruno's latest Caught In The Web hits on Reggie's documentary, Freddie Lewis' number and Hansbrough's indefinite setback.
Report: Jeff Foster "Likely to Require" Surgery, Be Done for the Year
Jared Wade over at 8.9 shares his take on the Jeff Foster situation.
Raptors without Turkoglu and DeRozan for Indiana rematch
Sounds like good news, although after Sunday's game it appears that means more Sonny Weems and Antoine Wright. Uh oh.
Raptors' Johnson an eager pupil
Doug Smith reports on the solid development and play of late from Toronto's Amir Johnson.
Desperation time for Bird, Pacers as basketbrawl still lingers
Speaking of the brawl, Frank Therber shares his thoughts on the Pacers and finds them desperate to hit a home run in the upcoming draft.

Lester Conner To Fill In For Jim O'Brien Tuesday Against Toronto

2010-02-01T22:37:47Z

Condolences to former Pacers coach, Dr. Jack Ramsay and his family, which includes current Pacers coach (son-in-law) Jim O'Brien, on the passing of Dr. Jack's wife, Jean Ramsay who was 81.

Mike Wells reports that Lester Conner will handle the head coaching duties for the Pacers game tomorrow night against the Toronto Raptors.

IC Cold Links: Pacers Catch Raptors At The Wrong Time

2010-02-01T11:15:09Z

More photos » Ron Turenne - NBAE/Getty Images

8 days ago: TORONTO - JANUARY 31: Chris Bosh #4 of the Toronto Raptors drives the paint and tries the hookshot over Danny Granger #33 of the Indiana Pacers during a game on January 31, 2010 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)

Browse more photos »

The Indiana Pacers struggled to slow down the sizzling Toronto Raptorslast night and thanks to the home-and-home slot on the schedule the two teams get to do it all over again tomorrow night at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Last week in discussing the difficulties facing Tyler Hansbrough whenever he returns, Jim O'Brien mentioned how at this time of year most teams have refined their games and are playing at a higher level. The Raptors fit that description perfectly, having won five straight and 15 of their last 20.

Meanwhile, the Pacers are still sputtering along, working through various tweaks to the playing rotation while staying small. One thing is for sure, the small ball +/- has taken a hit over the past three games.

After the jump, more links of interest from the loss last night.

AP game report
Led by Bosh, Raptors drop Pacers for fifth straight win
Holly Mack's game report along with highlights and box score
Indiana can't hang with hot Toronto
Mike Wells reports on the Pacers' failure to swap buckets with the Raptors last night.
Raptors go deep for fifth straight victory
Doug Smith reports on the Raptors' depth coming up big in their win over the Pacers.
Bosh paces Raptors over Indy
Robert MacLeod reports on the Raptors continuing their strong play in beating the Pacers.
Raptors blast Pacers, win fifth straight
Eric Koreen reports on the Raptors putting it all together and pushing their win streak to five games.
Raptors Rapid Recap: Toronto 117 Indiana 102
Raptors HQ hits the highlights or the low-lights depending on which side of the border you live.
Pacers Notebook: Jack paying dividends with surging Raptors
Wells has more on Jarrett Jackand JOB's plans for the starting lineup.
The lineup changes - again
Mike Wells with a little more on JOB's 19th starting lineup and his plans to continue starting Troy Murphy over Roy Hibbert at center.
CB4 paces BALL-less Raps to victory
Raptors Republic recaps the Raps and wonders why the Pacers stuck with the small lineup.
Perkins: Still a little bit early to plan the parade
Dave Perkins offers a little reality check for Raps' fans getting excited about the recent play of their team.