Grizzlies 108, Pacers 105 posted by Brad Hurt

There was no holiday hangover on Friday as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a four-game losing skid with a 108-105 victory over Indiana.  The Grizzlies (10-19) never surrendered the lead over the final five minutes of the game, but they had to survive a frantic final minute in which they turned the ball over three times.  O.J. Mayo then sank the clinching free throws with a second on the clock.

The Grizzlies overcame a 68-point first half by the Pacers (10-19) by winning the third quarter to the tune of 27-19, pulling to within a point of the lead as the fourth quarter began.  They mounted their largest comeback of the season in pulling out the win, rallying from 17 points down in the first half.

Each team lost a player to injury as Indiana's Danny Granger left after colliding with teammate Jarrett Jack early in the fourth quarter and the Grizzlies' Darko Milicic broke a knuckle on his left hand.

Mayo led the Grizzlies with 18 points and eight rebounds.

The Grizzlies hit the road again tonight as they travel to San Antonio, where they have lost their last eight games.  The Spurs have won five straight games heading into the matchup and are 10-2 since losing five of their first seven games.  They are coming off an exhilirating 91-90 win over Phoenix on Thursday in which Roger Mason Jr. hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.  The Grizzlies' last win at San Antonio came on Feb. 26, 2005.

Although they are aging, the Spurs have several dangerous players.  With Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili now healthy, they are a legitimate contender in the West.  The Grizzlies will need to be aware of Mason and George Hill in particular.  Each of them has burned the Grizzlies this season.  Tim Duncan has not dominated the Grizzlies this year but is always a threat to make a clutch play.

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Grizzlies hoping for holiday cheers posted by Brad Hurt

The Memphis Grizzlies have probably had plenty to eat over the last couple of days.  Now, after a short break, they are ready to satisfy their hunger for a win against the Indiana Pacers.

The Grizzlies have showed promise in most of their recent losses, particularly on Monday when they took the Los Angeles Lakers to the brink.  They experienced a setback on Wednesday at Dallas, but returning to FedEx Forum should get them back on track.  The Grizzlies completed their five-game homestand with a 2-3 record, dropping the final three games.  They have lost four straight overall following a four-game win streak.

The Pacers are only 10-18 this season but have won three of their last four games.  They are also the only team in the league that has beaten both the Lakers and the Celtics. 

The key matchup tonight will be at small forward, where Rudy Gay will square off against Indiana's Danny Granger.  Both players are potent offensive weapons.  The difference between the two is that Rudy has help and Granger doesn't.  If Gay can hold Granger down on the defensive end of the floor, the Grizzlies will have a good shot at winning the game.

The Grizzlies are seeking their sixth win of the month tonight, which would be a franchise record.  They are on pace to surpass last season's total of 22 wins.

The Grizzlies need to get off to a good start.  When they have a strong first quarter, they have proven that they can play with anyone.  They fell behind by double figures in the first quarter at Dallas, and the deficit proved too much for them to overcome.

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Pacers trades paying off...NOT posted by Ian Shankster

With enough of the season having passed to make an evaluation on the state of the Pacers, I feel I must.

After a busy offseason, the year which seemed somewhat promising at the start has quickly turned into a lottery quest. (A 20-20 to Andrew Bogut, REALLY???) Will the Pacers be the next team that beats the odds to grab the number 1 pick away from the Oklahoma City Loss Columns? And, if that happens who will the Pacers take? Blake Griffin from Oklahoma? I would rather have him in a heartbeat than Roy "I'm not athletic" Hibbert or any of the Pacers "we're big but not athletic" frontline. But enough about next summer. How are the Pacers right now, and why are they 3rd from the bottom of the Eastern Conference? What's that? Certainly! I would love to give my opinion...

  The Pacers are terrible. They have no holdovers from the years when they would end the season above .500 and so have only players who are mired in a culture of losing. Who is going to turn that around? T.J. Ford? I doubt it. I think getting Mike Dunleavy back with help immensely but name one Pacers fan or employee who will tell you, "Just wait til we get Mike Dunleavy back, then we'll show 'em!" I'm sorry to say but that's NOT HAPPENING! So where do we stand? I'd say Bird has made great progress in getting rid of the riff raff and those players who spent more time in court than on the court. (Is anyone else wondering if Stephen Jackson, Jamal Tinsley and Shawne Williams have somehow been hanging out with Plaxico Burress?) But seriously, my point is that yes, Larry Bird is improving the quality of players on the team but he has yet to bring in any proven winners during this process. Nesterovic rode some coattails in San Antonio for a few years but solid contributors for winning teams? Not on this squad. I think the pacers are a few years away which is where they've been for a few years. As a fan, it's starting to get old. Ultimately we need time together and I'm beginning to wonder if a coach can really change a culture because look how respectable the Knicks are under D'antoni...I mean right? It has to be mentioned, he's one game under .500 while fielding 4 female softball players and 3 sixth graders. Watching the numbers Duhon is putting up makes me wonder if Steve Nash privately gave D'antoni both MVP awards because he obviously owes them to him! But anyway, in this "what have you done for me lately" NBA i'm not very impressed with O'Brien anymore. So, as always, Go Pacers, and lets break this 6 game losing streak!

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Celtics v. Blazers Preview Extravaganza posted by David Trageser

First, check out this, it's super hilarious and well written.  Now, on to the good stuff... 

We're less than four hours away from the Blazers and Celtics tipping off in Boston (catch it on ESPN if you don't want to listen to Mike Rice gush over Channing Frye and you love Van Gundy/Jackson as much as I do), so I figured I'd provide a few nuggets of wisdom about what might be the keys to the game for both sides.  Now before you all collectively groan in disgust, let me reassure you that what follows may actually prove insightful, unlike most other "key to tonight's match-up" pieces that simply say score, defend and rebound better than your opponent.  There are a few things that I'm looking for as indicators of successful play by both sides which go much deeper than the usual mundane crap, so bear with me.

For the Blazers to be successful tonight against the defending champion Celtics (I never get tired of saying that), the most important thing they can do is try and run their sets and still find quality looks within their halfcourt sets.  The Celtics defend hard on every single possession, so the Blazers will have to work very hard to move the ball and create open looks for their shooters on the perimeter.  Their offensive execution will be paramount tonight, and the Celtics' defense will really test the decision making ability of the young Blazers.  Knowing when to fire away, when to swing the ball and where quality looks will come from will really help the Blazers against one of the Association's top defenses.

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How Legitimate Are The Pacers? posted by Cam W.

After a thrilling game-winning tip in by Troy Murphy that gave the Pacers an 118-117 win over the Lakers, Indiana had to travel to Boston the following night for a rematch with the defending NBA champion Celtics. Did they have enough in the tank to defeat Boston again? In a word, no. 

It was evident, apart from perhaps Granger and Ford, that the Pacers were tired and Boston was hungry for revenge in front of a home crowd. The Celtics picked them apart winning 114-96. There was a glimmer of brilliance as Indiana found themselves down 24 and cut that lead to 8. However, Boston being rested and just flat out savvier down the stretch put the Pacers 7-11 in the standings. 

Now tonight the Pacers go up against the Cavaliers, who beat them by 4 in their first match-up. They'll be in Cleveland and you have to wonder what they have in terms of energy. O'Brien needs to start playing his bench more to save his starters, but it is hard when it seems every game the Pacers are in is a tight one. 

I think once their schedule eases up on their back-to-back games against playoff contenders (they lead the league in back-to-backs), and Dunleavy returns to the lineup, they'll be a threat and a legitimate playoff contender.

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WARNING PACERS FANS! posted by Ian Shankster

Ok so half the losses the top two teams in the NBA have suffered have come against the Pacers. What does this tell us? Are the Pacers on their way to the top? Are they an elite team and just trying to fly under the radar? WRONG. The Pacers are simply a team that loves to tease. The Pacers have many of the components needed to compete on an elite level every night but they don't get pumped up for every game. How easy is it to get pumped up for a home game against the Western Conference champions? Probably about as easy as it was to get pumped up for a home game against the Eastern Conference champions. Do you catch what I'm saying? The Pacers are close, they just need to learn to want it every night. Do you think Danny Granger was motivated to play well against the reigning league MVP? OF COURSE! And if you're looking for hope, he actually did outscore Kobe and, more importantly, Granger's team got the win! After last night Granger is currently 5th in the NBA in scoring which is impressive but doesn't solve the Pacers problem of why they can't win consistently.

So, before you get too excited about a win over the Lakers, which was a great win don't get me wrong, remember that they've shown flashes of brilliance before and didn't exactly follow it up with much. This week we get an excellent opportunity to see if the Pacers can build on their win over the Lakers as their next three games are against the Celtics, Cavs, and Celtics again. I would be happy with a 2-2 record through that stretch but we'll have to wait and see!

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A Winning Attitude posted by Micky Deming

Pacers 118 Lakers 117.

 Last night was certainly one of the most exciting nights to be a Pacers fan in the last few years, when the Pacers came from down 16 in the 4th quarter to stun the 14-1 Lakers at the buzzer. Considering the way 4th quarters have treated the Pacers all season this was especially rewarding.

Unfortunately, because of their inability to finish winnable games in the 4th quarter most of the season, that win put the Pacers at 7-10. And now 6 of their next 7 games are on the road, and their next three are against the defending champion Celtics, then LeBron and the Cavs, then Boston again. The two teams combined have 5 losses on the season.

I am definitely a glass-half-full type of guy and was jumping for joy after the victory against the Lakers, but seeing this brutal upcoming schedule is a little discouraging.

But Hey, we had to start somewhere, and a game like last night's can do wonders for a team's confidence. There's a decent chance they could lose the next three games, but hopefully they can at least be competitive and build on the great win last night.

It is a big step in the right direction for the team to not give up, even against a team as good as the Lakers. And as they start to pull games like that out, the team is going to grow more familiar with winning, and that confidence will help in their ability to close out games.

 So, maybe the Pacers won't be able to build on this win with a winning streak. And maybe as a result of the brutal upcoming schedule, they may find themselves in a bit of a hole in the standings. Don't get down if that happens. It is a long season, and this team is starting to look like winners.

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Is this the best year to watch the Pacers since 2004? posted by Ian Shankster

So the Pacers aren't winning...who cares? They are playing hard and competing which is a giant step in the right direction. We haven't seen a Pacers team playing hard and somewhat cohesive in quite a few years in my opinion. The Pacers are young and just getting to know eachother which obviously shows up in the standings as we are losing close games but there is hope. HOPE. Not a lot of that going around Indy before this year. The last few years the only thing we had to hope for was that no one on the team would shoot anyone else on the team or around town. During the last several years the Pacers were old enough to understand that they weren't an elite team and had been together long enough to not like each other and destroy any chemistry they may have shared. This year however, while their record isn't something to blog home about but their level of play IS! As a Pacers fan this is the one thing I can hold onto and find excitement in.

While I am sure this is only exciting because the season is very young and I will be sick of another losing season after 82 games...Hey can't I be optimistic right now? 

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I Hope People Realize Danny Granger Is An All-Star posted by Cam W.

16 games into the season and the Indiana Pacers have solidified their position in mediocrity. The blame can be spread around as to why this team is 6-10 rather than 10-6, but you'll have some difficulty putting blame on forward Danny Granger. He is off to an all-star caliber season and I'm here to make the case why and hopefully open some eyes to the talent that can be forgotten in Hoosier Land.

Season

Team G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
08-09 IND 15 15 35.9 0.467 0.371 0.833 0.9 4.5 5.5 2.4 0.9 1.8 3.33 4.20 24.2

The two players following Danny below are Carmelo Anthony and Vince Carter. Both will undoubtedly make the all-star game this year.

Season

Team G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
08-09 DEN 16 16 34.1 0.399 0.316 0.807 2.3 6.1 8.4 3.9 0.7 0.3 3.50 2.80 19.9
Season Team G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
08-09 NJN 16 16 37.0 0.484 0.423 0.765 0.9 3.3 4.3 4.9 1.1 0.4 1.94 3.00 23.8

Clearly, Danny’s numbers are clearly comparable, and if fans are wise, Danny will make the all-star game this year. Look for him to continue his impressive play this and beyond and make many all-star appearances as soon as the fans realize how talented Danny Granger is.

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Magic Rout Pacers; Prepare to Face Celtics posted by Danny West

In front of 17,000 plus, despite a standout performance by Indiana's Danny Granger, the Orlando Magic extended their win streak to 4 and their record to 13 wins with just 4 losses.

And while the day was special to Anthony Johnson, who put up his best numbers of the year with 16 points, it was Dwight Howard who would lay claim to the Magic's victory as his own.  Howard, who had more rebounds than the rest of the Magic combined with 21, put up an amazing 32 points, outshining Granger by 5.

Howard and Johnson weren't alone in attacking the net, however, Rashard Lewis put up 24 of his own and Hedo Turkoglu added on another 22, the Magic were truly at the top of their game Saturday night and while one Magic fan may have left for home with a lap full of a $9 chilli dog, the remaining 17,171 fans left with nothing but pride in the home team.

Yet the Magic are hardly out of the woods yet, they start of the month of December against the Eastern leading Boston Celtics, and while the Magic surely have a "Big 3" of their own, it is Boston's who will look to bring Orlando's four game win streak to a crashing hault.

But really, who has the advantage here?  The record will tell you Boston.  The standings will tell you Boston.  The media will tell you Boston.  Vegas will tell you Boston.  Yet the statistics, the statistics scream Orlando.

Orlando will have the most effecient three-point shooter on the court come Monday in Rashard Lewis, who leads the league in three pointers made with 44 and a 37% completion rate.  The best Boston has to offer is Ray Allen, who has hit 35 three pointers on the year and boasts a 35% completion rate.

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'Melo suffers 'probable' hand fracture (AP)

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Mike Dunleavy isn't used to being a spectator, and it looks like he won't be one for much longer. The Indiana Pacers guard is expected back within a week or so after missing all 33 games so far this season with soreness in his right knee. "Obviously, it's been a long few months," Dunleavy told The Associated Press. [read full article]

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