Indiana Pacers get past the Detroit Pistons 111-101: NBA update
The Indiana Pacers beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 111-101. Each member of the Pacers chipped in and the team produced good number across their roster and Darren Collison led the pack with 20 points. The victory Wednesday night at the Conseco Fieldhouse
enabled the Pacers to hang on to the last spot for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers are one game ahead of the ninth placed Charlotte Bobcats and three games in front of the 10th position Milwaukee Bucks.
At tip-off the Pacers put up the first points on the board but failed to lead, as the Pistons made an early surge and stretched the lead to 2-6. The showdown to keep the lead continued until six minutes into the first quarter, after which the Pistons took
the first quarter away from the Pacers 24-27. Chris Wilcox tallied eight points for the Pistons during this period.
Three points down in the first quarter, the Pacers came hard at the Piston defence during the second quarter. The Pacers had a 25-8 run and outscored the Pistons, making it 49-37. They secured the quarter at 59-47. A.J. Price led the team with eight points
for the Pacers.
After the first half the Pacers created almost a carbon copy of the second quarter in the third. The starters began the second half with a 15-4 run, including nine points from Danny Granger, which pushed the lead to 74-51. The Pacers tallied another 30 plus
points during the regulation and out gunned the Pistons again.
The Pacers were cruising 101-78 during the final frame, when the Pistons hit back with a 21-6 run, cut the deficit to just eight points 107-99 in the last minute but it was too late to reply, as the Pacers shut it out at the line and won the game by 10 points.
After the victory Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel said, "I thought our focus and concentration was very strong. Our depth is probably our greatest strength. We're playing as a team, playing together. When we do that we're pretty good. We've got great balance."
Granger made 17 points for the Pacers, while his teammate Josh McRoberts added 15 points off the bench.
Granger said the Pacers, "just turned it on. We got a few steals, got out in transition," he said. "That pretty much gave us the cushion that we needed for the rest of the game."
Rodney Stuckey scored a game high 24 points and his tem-mate Richard Hamilton had 19 points for the Pistons.
After the loss, Pistons coach John Kuester expressed his grief, "We're trying different things right now, trying to get something going so we can win that road game. But I'll tell you, our energy is so much better at home, compared to on the road."
The Pistons will be taking on the top placed Bulls on the 2nd April.
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