{"id":386812,"date":"2011-04-20T22:14:21","date_gmt":"2011-04-20T22:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/04\/20\/pacers-return-home-down-0-2-to-bulls-ap\/"},"modified":"2011-04-20T22:14:21","modified_gmt":"2011-04-20T22:14:21","slug":"pacers-return-home-down-0-2-to-bulls-ap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/04\/20\/pacers-return-home-down-0-2-to-bulls-ap\/","title":{"rendered":"Pacers return home down 0-2 to Bulls (AP)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)\u2014Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel is walking a fine line as he tries to keep his team competitive in its first-round playoff series with the Chicago Bulls<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He wants his young players to remain confident after pushing Chicago to the limit in the first two games, yet he doesn\u2019t want them to be satisfied for testing the top-seeded Bulls in a pair of losses at the United Center. Chicago has a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to Conseco Fieldhouse for Game 3 on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve just got to guard against everyone in the world telling us how happy they are that we\u2019re hanging in with them,\u201d Vogel said. \u201cWe\u2019re 0-2 against them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vogel, still displaying the confidence that has been his trademark since taking over for Jim O\u2019Brien at midseason, said he expects the Pacers to bounce back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve stood toe to toe with this team,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know we can play with this team, we know we can beat this team. We expect to beat this team in Game 3.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vogel figures the Bulls, who had the best record in the league in the regular season, aren\u2019t happy with being in a dogfight against the only team that entered the playoffs with a losing record.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll they\u2019re hearing is how they\u2019re not getting it done,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to come hungrier. We\u2019ve got to come hungrier than we\u2019ve come.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pacers lost double-digit leads in both of the first two games. The Bulls know the games have been closer than expected, but the most important thing is that they can go up 3-0 with a win.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just don\u2019t want to relax,\u201d Bulls forward Luol Deng said. \u201cWhether we go out and win by 20 or win by one or whatever, I think there\u2019s always going to be something that we\u2019re going to talk about that we want to get better at. That\u2019s just been us all year, where we\u2019re never too high and never too low. We just know what we want to get to.\u201d<\/p>\n

To have a chance, Indiana will need to do a better job against Derrick Rose. The MVP candidate averaged 37.5 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the first two games.<\/p>\n

The Pacers have primarily used Paul George to defend Rose, looking to bother him with the rookie\u2019s length and athletic ability while using other players to help. Though Rose has put up big numbers, Vogel said the 6-foot-8 George has done a good job of making the 6-foot-3 Rose work.<\/p>\n

George shrugs off the point totals, instead focusing on the big picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really look at it as, I\u2019m going to come out here and stop Derrick Rose,\u201d George said. \u201cIt\u2019s really, I\u2019m coming out here to contain him. That\u2019s really the best you can do. If he goes for 30 shooting 25 shots, I would say I win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said Rose will be ready for whatever the Pacers bring.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen everything that we\u2019re seeing,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen traps. We\u2019ve seen size on him. He just has to keep doing what he\u2019s doing. He\u2019s doing fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indiana\u2019s focus on Rose has had a ripple effect. Chicago had a 49-34 advantage on the boards in Game 1 and a 57-33 edge in Game 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA,\u201d Vogel said. \u201cDerrick Rose puts pressure on your team to help, for your bigs to constantly be helping, and if your bigs are constantly helping, challenging his shots, then it leaves you vulnerable on the glass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pacers center Jeff Foster said the effort is there, but the execution has to improve.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve just got to do a better job of putting bodies on guys and coming up with the ball,\u201d he said. \u201cTheir penetration puts us in difficult positions, but we have to overcome that and have a total team effort on the glass.\u201d<\/p>\n

A big question for Indiana is whether point guard Darren Collison will be available after spraining his left ankle in Game 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoping for the best, but we\u2019re listing him as doubtful,\u201d Vogel said. \u201cHe\u2019s very sore still. He\u2019s going to try to give it a go. I\u2019m preparing to not have him.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Collison can\u2019t go, A.J. Price would start and T.J. Ford would back him up. Price had 13 points in 24 minutes in Game 2. Ford has played sparingly this season, but he scored five points, including a 3-pointer from beyond halfcourt, in Game 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cSame focus, same mentality,\u201d Ford said. \u201cI\u2019m a veteran, I\u2019ve been in the playoffs before. I\u2019ve been in this league a long time. You always stay ready and stay prepared. My mentality is to come out and perform.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thibodeau said the Pacers will be good either way.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have quality depth, not just up front, in their backcourt too,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re a deep team. At the beginning of the year, they had injuries. Now they\u2019re healthy. They\u2019re good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Indiana is heading home, the Pacers were last in the league in attendance during the regular season while the Bulls were first. With Chicago just three hours away, the threat of a red-and-black takeover of Conseco Fieldhouse was a concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to fill the building with blue and gold,\u201d said Vogel, who joked that the Pacers have a plan to keep Bulls fans away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to have metal detectors out there to scan the metal people are bringing in the building, but people who are wearing red \u2026 they\u2019re not going to get through the metal detectors, either.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Read More:
\nPacers return home down 0-2 to Bulls (AP)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)\u2014Pacers interim coach Frank Vogel is walking a fine line as he tries to keep his team competitive in its first-round playoff series with the Chicago Bulls . He wants his young players to remain confident after pushing Chicago to the limit in the first two games, yet he doesn\u2019t want them to be satisfied for testing the top-seeded Bulls in a pair of losses at the United Center. 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