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The 10-19 Nets came into this game with a decimated frontcourt, playing their 4th game in six nights and on the second half of a back-to-back on the road against the Eastern Conference's best team. The 23-5 Pacers hadn't played since destroying the Nets on Monday, sported a gaudy 13-1 home record and were the NBA's #1 defensive team.
Under the best conditions, this would be a game that is almost impossible to win.
The Nets, you may have noticed, are not operating under the best conditions.
So after a 1st half where Paul Pierce (8-14, 18 PTS) and Mirza Teletovic (7-13, 17 PTS) helped speed up the normally deliberate Pacers and keep the Nets competitive, it was no surprise when the Pacers took over in the 3rd - turning a two point advantage into ten.
In the 4th, the Nets never threatened and the Pacers cruised to another easy victory.
Lance Stephenson lead the way for Indiana, filling up the stat sheet (7-11, 8-8 FT, 23 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST) and continuing the dominance of the Nets he began on Monday. MVP candidate Paul George pitched in 24 and PG George Hill had a big night with 21 points on 60% shooting.
Those performances stood in sharp contrast to the performance of the Nets' backcourt. Joe Johnson shot 4-12 for 9 points and looked disinterested at times on the defensive end. Deron Williams seemed a little more into things than Johnson defensively, but was still routinely torched by the Pacers' backcourt. Williams contributed 14 points and 6 assists on the offensive end.
Things don't get any easier for the Nets. They travel to San Antonio to take on the 23-7 Spurs on Tuesday and then to Oklahoma City to face the 24-5 Thunder on Thursday. They now stand 3.5 games behind the division-leading Toronto Raptors and so far behind the Pacers, it's not really worth mentioning.
- Box Score - NBA.com
- Nets vs. Pacers (Video) - NBA.com
- Caught Sleeping (Video) - NBA.com
- Interception (Video) - NBA.com
- Plumlee Pummels It Home (Video) - NBA.com
- The Rising Truth (Video) - NBA.com
- Hail Mary (Video) - NBA.com
- The Nets fall to the Pacers 105-91 on Saturday night (Video) - Chris Shearn - YES Network
- Jason Kidd on the Nets' 105-91 loss to the Pacers (Video) - YES Network
- Mirza Teletovic on the Nets' 105-91 loss to Pacers (Video) - Sarah Kustok - YES Network
- HIGHLIGHT: Reggie Evans putback slam (Video) - The Brooklyn Game
- Lance Stephenson is playing phenomenal (Video) - Jeremiah Johnson - FOX Sports Indiana
- Pacers Use Third-Quarter Burst to Beat Nets - AP
- Nets Lose Power After Strong Start, and Pacers Pull Away - Andrew Keh - New York Times
- Forgettable Deron Williams can’t help Nets overcome Pacers - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
- Nets fans rile up Pacers' David West - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
- Nets blown out again - Rod Boone - Newsday
- Nets overmatched in loss to Pacers, 105-91 - Andy Vasquez - The Record
- Nets no match for Pacers’ height advantage - Tim Bontemps - New York Post
- Pacers 105, Nets 91 - Chris Goff - The Sports Xchange
- Rapid Reaction: Pacers 105, Nets 91 - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- Nets' offensive O begins with D-Will - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
- GAME GRADES: Can we play the Bucks again? Pacers 105, Nets 91 - Chris Hookier - The Brooklyn Game
- Nets no match for Pacers - Gregory Hrinya - Examiner
- Another big third quarter propels Pacers - Candace Buckner - Indianapolis Star
- Halftime videos inspire Pacers - Mark Montieth - Indiana Pacers