Jim O’Brien is back from a funeral and Earl Watson has gone to one (his grandmother’s).
Consequently, second round pick AJ Price started for the first time in his NBA career at point guard. TJ Ford shifted from the end of the bench to back-up. And the result? An impressive 107-83 win over the pathetic Detroit Pistons (just slightly more pathetic than the Pacers).
Price held up okay. 25 minutes, 8 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds. TJ Ford played really well, actually, with 11 points and 5 assists in 23 minutes. Danny Granger scored 25 (9-17 shooting) to lead 6 players in double figures. Brandon Rush continued his impressive run with 16 points (7-12 shooting), 4 rebounds and 5 assists, while Hibbert and Murphy both had double-doubles.
The Pacers now have a 2-game winning streak and are 18-32 for the season.
I like the starting line-up of Price, Rush (as long as he keeps up his play of late), Granger, Murphy and Hibbert. Dahntay Jones, Mike Dunleavy and TJ Ford playing 20+ minutes off the bench. This team could win some games. The question is, do we want them to?
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