NBA Franchise of the Year: Passion. Pride. Pacers.

[mfbmike]

LOL!

And damn about the injuries, you're 10th, climbing up. At least the latter half of the East sucks, I think you can make the big dance.

Rofl, glad you guys found that KG comment funny. When I saw he got traded that was the first thing that came to mind.

Yeah, slowly but surely getting up there. Magic are struggling bigtime, D12's numbers are pretty shitty so far. Raptors are well, the Raptors and every team underneath me in the standings I'm sure I can beat pretty easily. Assuming I don't have any of my bigtime players go down for an extended period of time, I think I can sneak in. Still very early to tell though.

[LC AAU]

Or you give DerMarr some playing time you can get the 5th seed.

[mfbmike]

Pauls 20 Assists Not Enough To Outgun Pacers Barrage Of 3 Pointers

Starting Lineups:
T.J. Ford PG Chris Paul
Wally Szczerbiak SG Morris Peterson
Danny Granger SF James Posey
Chris Wilcox PF David West
Chris Kaman C Tyson Chandler

(12-17) 116 vs 108 (12-14)


- Danny Granger splits the defenders to get the layup and the foul
- Brandon Rush draws contact after a pump fake and converts on the 4 point play
- Wally Szczerbiak gets the ball inside to Sean Williams who slams it down for 2

Top Performers:
Player Of The Game:

T.J. Ford

Quote Of The Game:
"We got out in front early with solid defense and efficient ball movement. When they started to make a run in the 2nd half to get back into it, T.J. and Wally were there knocking down big shots to keep us out in front. Brandon gave us a huge boost off the bench as well coming into the game and helping out wherever he could." - Danny Granger

Next Game:

[mfbmike]

Injuries:


Shaquille O'Neal suffered a strained abdomen injury and will miss 21 days.

Other News:

- Rumor: Chicago to fire Del Negro?
- Maggette's heroics lead Warriors past Raptors
- Yao's 30 pushes Rockets past Wizards
- Lebron scores 33 as Cavs defeat Heat
- Lakers top Power Rankings for 6 straight weeks

[mfbmike]

Pacers Ground Hawks For Second Time This Season In Overtime Thriller

Starting Lineups:
T.J. Ford PG Mike Bibby
Wally Szczerbiak SG Joe Johnson
Danny Granger SF Josh Smith
Chris Wilcox PF P.J. Brown
Chris Kaman C Al Horford

(13-17) 123 vs 119 (19-11)


Danny Granger went a perfect 10-10 from the charity stripe, including these 2 free throws late in overtime to put the nail on the coffin.

Top Performers:
Player Of The Game:

Chris Kaman

Quote Of The Game:
"We came into this game confident we could beat them considering how we blew them out the last time we played them and we showed it out there early on. They managed to creep up on us on the 4th and I know Danny was mad he missed that last second shot in the 4th that would've given us the win. They may have the better record but we matchup well with them and took care of business in the 4th." - T.J. Ford

Next Game:

[mfbmike]

Injuries:


Just days after losing Shaq to a strained abdomen injury, the Suns' Grant Hill has broken his wrist and will be out for over a month. Will the Suns be able to stay in the playoff hunt?

Other News:

- Andre Millers grabs season high 11 rebounds in win over Clippers
- Clippers' Wells announces he is testing free agency market
- Cavs Z no longer feeling pain from separated shoulder
- Thunder wins in OT as Durant scores career high 45 points

[mfbmike]

Pacers Entering Unfamiliar Territory



If you had asked anyone a month ago if the Pacers would possibly contend for a playoff spot this year, many would've told you no. Less than a month ago, the Pacers were sitting at a dismal 8-16 at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and seemed to be sinking fast.

"That 5 game losing streak hit us hard," T.J. Ford told reporters. "We just couldn't find a way to scrape together any wins."

But since then, the Pacers have won 6 of their last 7 and have improved to 14-17. This is the first time this season the Pacers have strung together a 4 game win streak, let alone a 3 game win streak.

"It feels good man. Confidence is up, shots are falling for us and we are having fun out there again," explained Danny Granger who's return from a strained achilles tendon injury has pumped new life into the Pacers.

In the past 4 games, Granger has averaged 32 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal , and over 2 blocks a game in wins over the Nets, Grizzlies, Hornets and Hawks.

The Pacers recent success has put them right back into playoff contention only a half a game behind the 8th seed Wizards. With the next two games against the Knicks and Kings, the Pacers are confident they can extend the winning streak to 6.

"I'm not trying to talk [expletive], but I know we can beat those teams," assured Pacers newcomer Sean Williams whose intensity down low has also fired up his teammates.

Assuming the Pacers can pull out wins over the Kings and Knicks, the Pacers could find themselves as one of the top 8 teams in the Eastern Conference standings for the first time this season as well.

Following the upcoming 2 game against lower-echelon teams, the Pacers then embark on a 5 game road trip with games in Denver, Phoenix (who are without Shaq and Hill), Los Angeles, Golden State and Utah.

"This is unfamilar territory to us," explained Pacers Coach Jim O' Brien regarding the Pacers newfound winning ways. "But I know this team is capable of maintaining the level of play they've showed out there lately. We like it here."

[mfbmike]

Kaman was ballin man

Yeah, swatting back all types of stuff. He had Al Horford spooked and shooting mid range jumpers instead of bringing it inside lol.

went 6-1 not bad

Yep, hoping to win the next 2 against the easy Knicks and Kings.

Thanks for following guys.

[mfbmike]

Pacers Score First 11 Points Of Game; Granger Grabs Triple Double; Pacers Extend Win Streak To 5

Starting Lineups:
T.J. Ford PG Stephon Marbury
Wally Szczerbiak SG Quentin Richardson
Danny Granger SF Al Harrington
Chris Wilcox PF David Lee
Chris Kaman C Eddy Curry

(14-17) 121 @ 102 (12-18)


T.J. Ford skies up for a slam over the out of shape Eddy Curry after picking off an inbound pass early in the 4th quarter.

Top Performers:
Player Of The Game:

Danny Granger

Quote Of The Game:
"When we scored the first 11 points of the game, we knew we were in control. We never let off the gas and never gave them a chance. They couldn't find a way to stop T.J. or Danny out there." - Chris Wilcox

Next Game:

[Yawkey Way]

first chise i've checked in on in a while, must say it's a diaper dandy.

keep up the good work d00d

[Gonzo]

BEAST. Best chise on these boards currently.

[Woy]

Granger's a beast, nice win.

[mfbmike]

Triple double...jesus you're good with Granger.

lol yeah, seems like that attack the basket drill is helping a lot. he's getting above the rim a lot easier now. still not throwing down jams though but that isn't exactly his game.

Damn Danny has made 19 free throws in the last two games, hasn't missed one. And you're on a tear right now, won 6 out of your last 7. Great games with Granger, and you're looking to be a low seed in the playoffs. Great work man.

Dizzle with the number crunching. I just noticed that. He's shooting around 86/87% from the charity stripe so far this season for me. Damn good considering he gets to the line 6+ times a game.

first chise i've checked in on in a while, must say it's a diaper dandy.

keep up the good work d00d

BEAST. Best chise on these boards currently.

Flattering guys. Thanks a lot.

grangers been beastin it lately

Granger's a beast, nice win.

Yessir. Really fun to play with. He can jack up 3's, shoot the mid range shot, drive to the hoop. Very dynamic and well-rounded player.

Aint really much to add on, your team is doing it's dang right now. No one can touch team. How many games are in your season?

82 games. Knicks game puts me at 32 down, 50 to go. Just got into january btw so a monthly update is on the horizon.

[mfbmike]

Pacers Contain K-Mart And Win Big As Winning Streak Hits 6

Starting Lineups:
T.J. Ford PG Bobby Jackson
Wally Szczerbiak SG Kevin Martin
Danny Granger SF Peja Stojakovic
Chris Wilcox PF Jason Thompson
Chris Kaman C Spencer Hawes

(15-17) 125 vs 91 (15-18)


Chris Kaman rises up to block Kenny Thomas for 1 of his 2 blocks on the night. Kaman also racked up a double double in the Pacers win.

Top Performers:
Player Of The Game:

Danny Granger

Quote Of The Game:
"Our guys were out there passing up good shots for great shots. Making the extra pass and getting us good looks at the basket. We also did an excellent job of keeping Martin quiet and he never found his shot tonight which allowed us to get this win. This should be a great confidence boost for our squad before we get set to take on this upcoming 5 game road trip." - Pacers Coach Jim O' Brien

Next Game:

[LC AAU]

Nice Job with what is it? 7 out of 8?