END RESULT
This was a matchup that barely registered a blip on the NBA radar, what with both the Pacers and Cavs entering the night on losing streaks. It might've been a small game for the league but it was big for Indiana. Shaking off some early sluggishness, the Pacers rode 30 points from Danny Granger and a combined 45 from Roy Hibbert, Mike Dunleavy and Brandon Rush to a much-needed 108-99 victory before 12,021 in Conseco Fieldhouse Friday night.
IMPACT
The Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 12-13 overall, 7-6 at home. They also improved to 3-0 against the Cavs this season. Cleveland lost its 10th straight game overall and 11th straight on the road and dropped to 7-19 overall, 3-12 on the road.
QUOTEWORTHY
>"We did a lot of positive things. Danny (Granger) was very good and Roy (Hibbert) was a big factor in the second half with blocked shots. Darren (Collison) and T.J. (Ford) had 12 assists and two turnovers between them and got our tempo going." – Pacers coach Jim O'Brien.
>“I went through a stretch there of not shooting the ball well. And in short, I might say I was coasting a little bit. We must stay focused and concentrate on each opponent one at a time.” – Pacers forward Danny Granger.
>“I wanted to make it a point to be aggressive and more alert on both ends of the court." – Pacers center Roy Hibbert.
>"I want wins. There are no consolation prizes in the NBA. We’re all competing and putting ourselves in a situation to win games, but when we need to play smarter, when we need to get good shots, when we need to get stops, we’re just not finding a way to put it together for 48 minutes." – Cavs forward Antawn Jamison.
STAT OF THE GAME
Led by Hibbert's season high six and Granger's three, the Pacers blocked 11 shots.
KEY MOMENTS
A relatively tight first half ended on a high note for the Pacers, who got consecutive 3-pointers from Dunleavy and James Posey to take a 53-48 lead into the break. As it turned out, they wouldn't give it up. A 13-4 run early in the third quarter pushed the advantage to 69-54.
The rest of the third quarter was largely a march to the free throw line. The teams combined for 21 fouls and 28 free throws in the seemingly interminable period.
Granger and Rush put it out of reach early in the fourth, combining for 10 points in the first four minutes as the Pacers stretched the lead to 96-79 and cruised home from there.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Pacers shot .469 overall and were 9-of-22 from the 3-point line. They outrebounded the Cavs 49-38, marking the first time in six games they won the board. Granger was 12-of-22 overall and 4-of-7 from the 3-point line for his 30 points, adding 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Hibbert was 6-of-13, scoring 15 points with six rebounds, a season-high six blocks and three assists. Dunleavy shot 4-of-12 overall but 2-of-3 from the arc for his 15 and Rush had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Mo Williams led the Cavs with 22 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. Antawn Jamison had 17 points and seven boards, while Anthony Parker had 17 points and six boards. Anderson Varejao had 15 points and J.J. Hickson 11 off the bench. Cleveland shot .415 overall.
NOTEWORTHY
With his first bucket, a driving layup in the first quarter, Granger reached 7,000 points for his career. … The Pacers are 4-1 this season when Granger scores at least 30. … Solomon Jones picked up two technical fouls and an ejection early in the fourth quarter. … Hibbert and O'Brien also earned techs in that period. … The Cavs played without Joey Graham (right quad strain) and Leon Powe (right index finger abrasion).
UP NEXT
The Pacers travel to Boston to face Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and the Celtics on Sunday (1 p.m., WIBC 93 FM). Please note, the game will not be televised. The next home game comes Monday against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets (7 p.m., Fox Sports Indiana, WIBC 93 FM).
