Tonight the Indiana Pacers will look to extend their winning streak to 6. It would be a special feat, considering this team began the season losing three in a row. After those losses, the verdict was out and some fans thought this year would be worse than the last, and maybe a lottery pick season. However this team has been able to turn it around despite still battling injuries.
Mike Dunleavy is yet to play and Jeff Foster, Troy Murphy, and Travis Diener are still out with injuries. Tyler Hansbrough, the Pacers 2009 1st round pick, has played limited minutes to recover from a shin injury suffered this past summer. However in the 15 minutes a game he plays, he is an impact player.
All-star Danny Granger continues to lead the way. He is averaging 24.5 ppg, 5 rbs. While his shooting has been off the mark just a bit, he has overcome the tough shooting nights. The big surprise certainly has been offseason pickup Dahntay Jones. We all counted on his tenacious defense, but he’s averaging 17 ppg shooting an impressive 46% from the field. Jones has had to step up for the Pacers with Dunleavy out with injury and Brandon Rush unable to find a rhythm. “We were happy to pick him up because we thought he would bring a certain defensive mentality and he has. Our thought was that, a little bit like Mike when he was at Golden State, maybe not used for whatever reason to his maximum, offensively,” said Coach Jim O’Brien.
Roy Hibbert has played great thus far into the season. His fouls are way down allowing him to stay on the court longer. I would still like to see the Pacers give him the ball more down in the post. Yesterday at New Jersey, Hibbert had his fourth double-double of the season with 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds, adding three blocks and two assists. Let’s just hope he keeps it going.
Tonight the Pacers should get it done, but a real test will come on Friday when Indiana hosts LeBron James, Shaq, and the Cleveland Cavaliers to Conseco Fieldhouse. This game should help the team and fans alike, in judging the Pacers against one of the league’s best.
The Pacers are trying for their first six-game win streak since March 28 – April 8, 2005…Dahntay Jones has averaged 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 blocks since moving into the starting lineup five games ago…The Knicks (1-9) have lost six in a row, with five of those losses at home.
that game was just like the Pacers of last year. lose to the bad teams. this was a game the team should have won.