Indiana Pacers edge past Philadelphia 76ers 111-103
The Indiana Pacers snapped a nine-game road losing streak, by edging past the Philadelphia 76ers 111-103 at the Wells Fargo Centre.
Danny Granger posted a game-high 27 points, while Darren Collison registered 21 points and 13 assists, as the Pacers won a road game for the first time since 30 November; a 107-98 victory at Sacramento.
Granger told reporters after the game, "It was a breath of fresh air for us, particularly on the road. We shot the ball well and moved the ball well. It was a great win for us."
Mike Dunleavy paved the way for Indiana with 20 points, while Tyler Hansbrough finished with 12 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers, who won their 15th game of the season.
Jrue Holiday led the Sixers with a team-high 19 points and Elton Brand chipped in with 18 points in the 76ers 23rd defeat of the season. Marreese Speights and Evan Turner each had 14, Jodie Meeks scored 13, and Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams had 12 apiece
in the home defeat.
Game Story
Badly needing a road win, the Pacers fortunately passed the test with flying colours.
"It was really a terrific win," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We played like we practiced. We made big shots when we needed to make them."
The Pacers shooting guard Mike Dunleavy backed up his emotional display by scoring an incredible 15 of his 20 points in the opening quarter. Indiana held a 27-23 lead after the first quarter.
The Pacers extended their sizzling defensive play into the second quarter - limiting turnovers, making shots, and playing tenacious defence. Granger stole the ball and had a full-court outlet pass to Hansbrough for a dunk, and did not come out for the rest
of the half. At half time Indiana were leading 57-49.
The Sixers battled back in the third quarter, scoring 32 points in the third, while restricting Indiana to just 27. However, the Pacers built a 16-point lead at 67-51, heading into the final stanza. Spencer Hawes of Philadelphia was whistled for a technical
foul with 10:43 left in the third.
Indiana shot just one free throw through the third. Very rarely does a team go three quarters and attempt just one free throw. The Pacers did finish 11-for-11 from the foul line with some late attempts.
In the fourth quarter, Meeks had a fantastic long three-pointer to give the 76ers a 94-92 lead at the 05:04 mark. Indiana came right back with five straight points - a three-pointer by Granger and a jumper by Brandon Rush - to go ahead 97-94 with 3:28 to
go until the final buzzer. Holiday then tied the game again at 97 with a three-pointer.
The Pacers then held on for the much-needed road win by shooting 51 percent from the field, including 8-for-16 from three-point territory. Indiana closed the game on a 12-4 run by making clutch shots and knocking down free throws.
Philadelphia Coach Doug Collins expressed his disappointment over his team’s performance by saying, "We were just flat. We had zero, zero energy and we got so far behind."
Tags: