http://youtube.com/watch?v=c00OeKT1z-8
It would have been good to end the regular season with a win, but the Bulls needed the practice time more than the Pacers. When Lance Stephenson is the team’s high scorer for the night (career high 22, in fact), you know the rest of the team wasn’t trying very hard.
The Pacers rested Danny Granger for the second straight game and also rested Leandro Barbosa in a 92-87 loss to the Chicago Bulls, a team the Pacers won’t face again unless they both make the Conference Finals.
This game was meaningless for the Pacers, who already locked up the number 3 seed, but not for the Bulls, who can still get homecourt throughout the entire playoffs with a victory in their finale against the Cavs or a loss by the Spurs.
Lance Stephenson led the way with a team high 35 minutes in the game, and no other played on the Pacers played more than 30. Nine of the 11 players that played had 20 minutes or more.
With the loss, the Pacers end the season with a 42-24 record, a 64 winning percentage that translates to about 52 games in an 82-game season. Thanks to an Orlando win over Charlotte, the Pacers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they will now face the Dwight Howard-less Magic in the first round instead of the rejuvenated New York Knicks.
More coverage to come on the first round shortly.
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