Charlotte (3-6) at Indiana (4-3)

[ducks]

Charlotte (3-6) at Indiana (4-3)

Preview - Box Score - Recap

Game Info: 7:00 pm EST Fri Nov 18, 2005
TV: FxMW Add to Calendar
Buy Tickets


Coming off one of the most impressive wins in team history, the Charlotte Bobcats look to pull off what would be a stunning home-and-home sweep when they take on the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The second-year Bobcats recorded the most points and largest margin of victory in franchise history on Wednesday in a 122-90 rout of the Pacers, who are among the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. It was also the first time the Bobcats beat Indiana, having been swept 3-0 in last season's series.

"I told the guys that we better be ready," Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "We're going up and playing against a great basketball team that is playing with that pride and has reason to.

"That's the one thing about the NBA, you can enjoy the moment, but you have to move on immediately."

Guard Kareem Rush, who was averaging 9.5 points, hit 12-of-15 from the field and scored a career-high 35 points to help Charlotte snap a five-game losing streak.

ADVERTISEMENT


"The pressure was there to keep taking shots but when you're not making them you don't want to take as many," said Rush, who made 6-of-7 3-pointers. "But tonight was one of those nights and hopefully this will boost my confidence where I want to go out there and take tough shots."

Rookie Raymond Felton got his first NBA start, finishing with 18 points and 10 assists in place of injured point guard Brevin Knight. Felton had five of the team's 17 steals -- Indiana had four -- and Charlotte leads the NBA with 12.8 steals per game.

It's uncertain if Knight, who sat out with knee tendinitis, will be able to return for this game. Bobcats leading scorer Gerald Wallace will miss another week with a wrist injury, and forward Melvin Ely (shin) also is expected to sit out Friday.

While Charlotte is coming off its best performance of the season, Indiana was left very frustrated by its second straight loss. The 90 points the Pacers scored Wednesday matched a season low.

"We shouldn't even get paid for this game," said forward Jermaine O'Neal, who had 17 points and eight rebounds. "I'm not trying to take anything away from the Bobcats, they played a heck of a game, but we feel like we are at another level. I felt like we were the expansion team tonight. I'm thoroughly embarrassed."

Ron Artest scored 27 points for the Pacers and Stephen Jackson added 18.

Indiana entered the game averaging 15.2 turnovers, but committed a season-high 26 against Charlotte.

"We have some soul-searching to do," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We have to play these guys again (Friday), which is not going to be any fun based on what I saw tonight. But we don't have much time so we have to get the wheels back in line."

STANDINGS (through Nov. 17): Bobcats - 4th place, 2 1/2 GB, Southeast Division. Pacers - 4th place, 3 GB, Central Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Bobcats - F Keith Bogans, F Emeka Okafor, C Primoz Brezec, G Rush, G Felton or Knight. Pacers - F O'Neal, F Artest, C Scot Pollard, G Jackson, G Anthony Johnson.

TEAM LEADERS: Bobcats - Wallace, 16.2 ppg; Okafor, 8.9 rpg; Knight, 7.0 apg. Pacers - Artest, 22.6 ppg; O'Neal, 9.1 rpg; Jamaal Tinsley, 5.0 apg.

SEASON SERIES: Bobcats, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: Nov. 16; Bobcats, 122-90. At Charlotte, N.C., Okafor had 20 points and 12 rebounds to complement the strong backcourt performance of Rush and Felton.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Bobcats - 1-3 on the road; Pacers - 2-1 at home.

[ducks]

tied at halftime
tinsley with 9 assist in first half

[AI-square]

67 all late in the third. Don't tell me the Bobcats are going to beat Indiana twice in a week.

[ducks]

Indiana 93, Charlotte 85
Preview - Box Score - Recap

By CLIFF BRUNT, Associated Press Writer
November 18, 2005

Charlotte Bobcats' Raymond Felton dunks during the second half in their game against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2005 in Charlotte, N.C. Felton had 18 points in Charlotte's 122-90 win.
AP - Nov 16, 10:23 pm EST
More Photos
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Sarunas Jasikevicius gave the Indiana Pacers a big lift in the second half.

After sitting out the first half, the 29-year-old rookie from Lithuania scored 14 points to lead the Pacers to a 93-85 victory over Charlotte on Friday night.

Jasikevicius entered the game as the Pacers' third point guard and went 6-of-6 from the line in the final 2 minutes to seal the win.

"I just tried to get in and give some energy to the team," he said. "I tried to pick the team up a little bit and give them some emotion."

Jermaine O'Neal had 29 points and 18 rebounds for the Pacers. He was 9-of-17 from the field and 11-of-12 from the line for Indiana, which rebounded from a 122-90 loss in Charlotte on Wednesday night to snap a two-game losing streak.

Kareem Rush led Charlotte with 20 points. He scored a career-high 35 against the Pacers on Wednesday.

ADVERTISEMENT
Jasikevicius gave the Pacers a 70-67 lead, hitting three free throws with 0.2 seconds left in the third quarter after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt.

The Pacers' defense stiffened in the final quarter, forcing consecutive shot-clock violations early in the period. Charlotte didn't score for the first 5:02 of the quarter, while the Pacers went on a 9-0 run.

"The key was holding them to two sub-20-point quarters in the second half," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "The game turned in the second half when we got on the floor and got after loose balls."

Jasikevicius said the Pacers are not hustling consistently and players are still trying to get on the same page.

"There's not going to be many pretty wins, many blowouts, even though we have the talent to do it. We still need to establish chemistry. This is a lot of times why we're struggling."

The Bobcats trailed 81-68 with 6:44 remaining but pulled to within 85-81 before fading.

"We did nothing wrong," Rush said. "We just missed shots. They converted, especially down the stretch."

Charlotte Bobcats' Kareem Rush (4) drives to the basket past Indiana Pacers' Stephen Jackson during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2005 in Charlotte, N.C. Rush lead all scorers with 35 points in Charlotte's 122-90 win.
AP - Nov 16, 10:22 pm EST
More Photos
Austin Croshere had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, and Jamaal Tinsley and Stephen Jackson both scored 12 points.

Emeka Okafor had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Brevin Knight had 14 assists for the Bobcats. Primoz Brezec, a former Pacer, finished with 12 points and six rebounds for Charlotte. Brezec last played for the Pacers during the 2003-04 season.

O'Neal isn't sure why some consider the Pacers' start disappointing.

"We're not holding people to 60-point games," he said. "That's something this city has been used to. It's a marathon. It doesn't matter how you start."

Notes

Charlotte scoring leader Gerald Wallace missed his firth straight game because of a wrist injury. ... Charlotte's Sean May was booed every time he touched the ball and was cheered when he committed fouls. His father, Scott May played in college at Indiana, but May chose North Carolina over the Hoosiers. May finished with 14 points ... Jasikevicius is 22-for-22 from line this season.