Pacers Hammer Grizzlies 108-91

[pooh]

Pacers Gobble Up Grizzlies

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 16 (Ticker) -- Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest combined for 41 points in their preseason debuts as the Indiana Pacers posted a 108-91 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

O'Neal, who sat out Monday's 85-84 triumph over Washington with a sore left foot, was 7-of-12 from the field and 8-of-8 from the line. The three-time All-Star added four blocks and four rebounds in 29 minutes.

Artest missed Monday's victory while returning from his grandmother's funeral. The 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year scored 19 points and recorded five of Indiana's 16 steals.

After the Grizzlies' Jake Tsakalidis made a free throw to cut the deficit to 89-86 with 5:43 left, Artest scored seven points in an 11-0 run that put away the game.

Stephen Jackson, in the trade that sent Al Harrington to Atlanta, had his second solid outing for the Pacers. After scoring 19 in Monday's win, Jackson chipped in 17 off the bench.

Lorenzen Wright led six Grizzlies in double figures with 14 points. Rookie Antonio Burks scored 10 in just 16 minutes.

[dcole50]

It's just preseason. Don't get too excited, man.

[pooh]

you mean like spurs fans have been chomping at the bit for basketball season to start? *ahem* kettle meet pot.

[dcole50]

I haven't posted once in a preseason thread or done anything more than glance at the box scores from the preseason. If the Spurs lost every preseason game, I wouldn't care.

"Hammering" a team in the preseason isn't that impressive. Don't get me wrong, I think the Pacers will still be an elite team in the East, but the fact that they beat Memphis in the preseason doesn't impress me.

[samikeyp]

chomping at the bit for the season to start is one thing, crowing about a pre-season win is a different story. Two different things. For anyone, regardless of who your team is, to get too high about a pre-season win or get too low about a preseason loss is pure stupidity.

[Jimcs50]

*yawn*

[samikeyp]

^^^exactly.

[pooh]

I'm not gloating...that was the article that was written. The truth is there, they won...period.

[Duff McCartney]

It's a preseason game...period. But you're right Pooh...you should just hand them the title already.

[samikeyp]

no one is disputing that they won. I was disputing the fact that you were equating Spurs fans anxious for the season to start to being overly excited about a preseason win, when in fact they are two different things....the Spurs have 6 more preseason games and if anyone goes nuts over one of those....I would say the same thing.

[pooh]

The winner of the NBA title again this year will come from the East

[samikeyp]

ahh...a modification from last year's boast. much wiser...you have a much larger margin of error...fair enough, we have plenty of people saying the winner will come from the west.

[pooh]

The East has shown now they can take on the West, so the playing field is just about even.

[samikeyp]

I would agree. The league is very wide open. Personally I think as far as playoff teams go 1-8, I would still say the west is better...but not so much as it was. Not so much better to be heavily favored. The teams at the top of each conference are very close.

[pooh]

The top two teams in the East: Indy and Detroit could take apart any of the West seeds from 5 down (with all the shuffling and stuff) it would be about even or maybe slightly in the West's favor from the top three or so up.

[samikeyp]

right and conversely, SA and Minny could do the same to the East 5 and down. See, I think it is closer at the top. IMO, the west's crappy teams are not as crappy as the east's crappy teams. Its the "degree of suckatude" factor. :lol

[pooh]

I've got to write that one down..."suckatude" :lmao

[dcole50]

The East has shown now they can take on the West, so the playing field is just about even.Actually, Detroit has shown that they can take the West.

Indiana and the rest of the East have only shown that they are inferior to Detroit.