NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—Roy Hibbert(notes) scored 24 points and Danny Granger(notes) had 17 of
his 20 in the second half as the Indiana Pacers opened a two-game lead in the
race for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with a 102-98 victory
over the New Jersey Nets on Monday.
Darren Collison(notes) added 15 points—nine in the final 2:24—and 12 assists
for the Pacers (31-40). Charlotte (28-41) and Milwaukee (28-41) are tied for
ninth, with the Bobcats playing host to Indiana on Wednesday.
Brook Lopez(notes) had 20 points to lead the Nets, who saw Sundiata Gaines(notes) and
Sasha Vujacic(notes) miss tying 3-point attempts in the final 15 seconds.
Gaines finished with a career-high 18 points, while Vujacic and Jordan
Farmar(notes) had 14 apiece for New Jersey, which lost its fourth in the row.
The Nets played without point guard Deron Williams(notes), who missed his second
straight game with a wrist injury.
The final three minutes were wild with the Pacers seemingly putting the game
away when Collison converted a three-point play to open a 94-83 lead 2:24 to go.
Anthony Morrow(notes) hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to eight. After Josh
McRoberts(notes) (14 points) hit a shot in the lane for Indiana, Vujacic hit a
3-pointer after New Jersey got an offensive rebound following a miss free throw
by Lopez, cutting the margin to 96-90.
After Collison made two free throws with 1:20 to go, the Nets came up with
four more points. Morrow hit the first of two free throws and Vujacic nailed
another 3-pointer after New Jersey got the offensive rebound, making it a
four-point game.
Collison missed a jumper and Gaines was fouled hard by McRoberts. He made
one of two free throws to cut the lead to 98-95 with 40.5 seconds to go.
After Hibbert, who was 10 of 14 from the field missed a jump hook, the Nets
had their chances to tie it, but Gaines missed a long 3-pointer and Vujacic had
his 3-pointer come up short.
Collison iced the game with four free throws.
The Pacers, who were blown out at Memphis on Saturday night, looked listless
for most of the first half. They were down by 12 with 3:03 left in the first
half when they suddenly woke up.
Hibbert scored five points and Granger, who missed his first seven shots
from the field, nailed a 3-pointer in a 12-4 run that closed the gap to 44-40 at
the half.
The Pacers scored the first nine points of the second half with Hibbert, who
was limited to two points in a foul-plagued game Saturday, scoring twice inside
and Tyler Hansbrough(notes) converting a three point play.
Notes: The Pacers’ 15 first-quarter points were the fewest New Jersey
allowed in the opening quarter this season. Oklahoma City had 16 on Dec. 1. …
Nets rookie F Damion James(notes) missed the game with a sore right foot. … Indiana
did not commit a foul in the third quarter. … The most consecutive
double-doubles in a season by a Nets player is 13, by Buck Williams, during the
1982-83 season.
