ORLANDO, FLA. Through two games of their opening-round playoff series, the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic have both had moments to laud and lament.

Minus Dwight Howard, the Magic owned the underdog tag and successfully stole home-court advantage with a win in Game 1. Then the Pacers were able to brush off a woeful finish in that loss, regroup, and use all their personnel advantages down the stretch to blow past the Magic in Game 2 on Monday.

The question now is who has established their early post-season identity more as the series shifts to Orlando on Wednesday for Game 3?

“Obviously we want to go back home and play off the momentum of the crowd and just play better than we did (Monday),” Magic forward Ryan Anderson said after the 93-78 Game 2 loss. “We know that we can play better than this and play harder than this.”

While Anderson and the Magic are certainly hoping to get an energy boost from an Amway Center crowd still reeling after last season’s first-round exit, conditioning will certainly be a factor for both teams with just one day to rest.

Indiana trailed at the half for the second straight game before getting that boost in the second half that coach Frank Vogel said would be a necessity in this series. It came at a cost, though, with Pacers starters Danny Granger and David West both logging over 40 minutes. They averaged 33 and 29 minutes per game, respectively, during the regular season.

Both teams took it easy Tuesday, with the Magic taking the day off and the Pacers holding only a light practice in Indianapolis before boarding a plane to Florida.

After five games against each other this season, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of mystery left to uncover.

The strategy is the same as it was when the series began: The Magic need to shoot the ball well and run the floor to negate the Pacers’ size advantage. Meanwhile, Indiana wants to resist the urge to get in a shootout with Orlando, while pounding the ball inside and running the Magic off the 3-point stripe.

Game 2 was mission accomplished for the Pacers, holding the Magic to just 8 for 25 from beyond the arc, and frustrating them inside with a 50-28 edge in points in the paint. Indiana also outrebounded Orlando 46-38.

“It’s all about who wants it more,” Pacers guard Paul George said. “We look at it as a 50-50 ball and the man that wants that ball more is going to go after and go get it. We wanted to make sure we got as many 50-50 balls as we can.”

Granger had 18 points, but struggled to shoot the ball, going 7 for 21 from the field and just 1 for 10 from 3. The bigger numbers, though, were what he did defending Orlando’s Hedo Turkoglu. He was held to just 10 points, two assists and one rebound.

Anderson, who the Magic are depending on to produce offensively with Howard out for the season following back surgery, went just 3 for 9 from the field. It followed an equally quiet five-point effort in Game 1 for the candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.

Granger said their effort underneath starts with how West is playing.

“They don’t have an answer for David West in this series,” Granger said. “We knew our bigs would be a huge advantage for us. We’ve just been riding that. When David gets going, it’s hard to stop him.”

West hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2009 with New Orleans, but Vogel said West’s experience is a huge factor in his play to this point. For his career West is averaging 16 points and seven rebounds in the post-season.

“He’s providing our team with the necessary swagger to get a playoff win,” Vogel said. “He’s just dialled in. He is a playoff-tested veteran.”

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said it’s not so much the players who are scoring the Pacers’ points, but how they are doing it.

“We can’t give up 22 fast-break points, 25 second-chance points and have 16 turnovers,” he said. “I mean, it gets back to very basic things and we’re not going to have a chance to win if we do that.”

The promising news in the Magic closing the rebounding and second-chance scoring gap is that with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Glen “Big Baby” Davis maintained his consistency in Game 2 playing as an undersized centre.

New roles or situation aside, Davis said there continues to be a no-excuse mentality throughout the Magic locker-room.

“It’s the playoffs, we got to go. We have to find it and regroup,” Davis said. “We’re going home and we’re just tired … I think we have to find our niche out there and get guys the ball at the right time.”

AP Sports Writer Cliff Brunt in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

The Associated Press

Rose, last season’s league MVP, finished with 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting to help the Bulls defeat the Indiana Pacers 92-87 on Wednesday night.

Rose has missed 26 games this season and he’s just beginning to return to form after most recently dealing with injuries to his right ankle and foot. Though he couldn’t finish like he normally does on his quick, furious drives to the basket, his unparalleled explosiveness was back.

“Every day is getting better,” he said. “I’m not trying to do too much out there, just trying to play with the team, trying not to get reinjured. That’s the biggest thing, and making sure I’m playing with a lot of confidence.”

Rose, who had seven assists and just one turnover in 27 minutes, had 11 points and eight assists on Saturday in a win over Dallas after missing the previous three games.

“I think he’s getting a lot more comfortable,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. “His body is feeling a lot better and he needs to play. He needs to play in games. He’ll get up to speed very quickly.”

Kyle Korver scored 20 points, Carlos Boozer had 16 points and Joakim Noah had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago. The Bulls ended the game needing just a win over Cleveland on Thursday or a loss by the San Antonio Spurs to clinch the top overall seed in the playoffs.

The Bulls said earning the top seed is a secondary goal.

“We’re just trying to do what we can do as a team,” Noah said. “We’re just playing for ourselves. We just want to be playing well for when it really counts.”

Lance Stephenson had a career-high 22 points in his first career start for the Pacers, who rested Danny Granger and Leandro Barbosa because they were locked into the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference. Indiana will have homecourt advantage against Orlando in the first round.

“Our last two games, the primary goal was to sharpen up for Game 1 of the playoffs,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “Our starters got some good reps tonight and so did our bench. We accomplished the goal of getting a good look at Lance Stephenson.”

Chicago led 49-36 at halftime after shooting 50 percent from the field and outrebounding the Pacers 25-16. The Pacers shot just 5 for 21 from the field in the second quarter and were outscored 17-12.

Indiana went on a 7-0 run early in the third quarter to cut Chicago’s lead to 55-47 and force a timeout.

The Bulls hung tough, and a fast break layup by Richard Hamilton pushed their lead back to 67-54. Chicago led 67-59 at the end of the third quarter.

A dunk by Taj Gibson increased Chicago’s lead to 73-60.

Indiana made one more push. A fast break layup by Stephenson cut the Bulls’ lead to 78-71 with 5:57 to play, but Chicago maintained control.

Thibodeau said the Bulls will play their regular lineup on Thursday.

“It will be about the same,” he said. “We’ll see where we are. I want our starters to get more time together, so it will be similar to tonight. We’ll see how the game unfolds. I just want us to continue to take it step by step.”

Thibodeau said the Bulls need the game against Cleveland to get sharper.

“There’s always things you can do better and we need to work on, but we’re getting there,” he said. “Our starters haven’t played a lot together all year so it was a good opportunity for them to get some quality time on the floor. I thought that was good for us.”

Rose wants one more chance to prepare for a pressure situation before the postseason begins.

“If the game was in a crazy type of game and at the end I need to take over, that’s what I’m going to try to do,” he said.

Notes: Indiana shot 50 percent in the first quarter, but trailed 32-24 at the end of the period. Chicago outrebounded Indiana 12-6 in the first quarter. … The teams combined for just one turnover in the first 12 minutes. … The Pacers honored their ABA championship teams from 1969-70, 1971-72 and 1972-73 at halftime. All surviving members of those teams were invited. … Indiana had just its sixth sellout crowd of the season.

Read More: David West (F – IND), Danny Granger (F – IND), George Hill (G – IND), Brandon Jennings (G – MIL), Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers, Apr 19, 2012 7:00 PM EDT

Riding a six-game winning streak, the Indiana Pacers are the NBA’s hottest team and have all but locked up the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks have lost two in a row and are hanging on for dear life in the playoff picture, two and a half games behind the No. 8 spot with only four games remaining following their test against the red-hot Pacers. At the half on Thursday night, the Pacers are leading by six, 56-50.

The Pacers jumped out to a 16-6 lead in the first quarter and led 34-29 after one, but an 11-0 run to start the second gave the Bucks a six-point lead. The Pacers responded with an 8-2 run and the teams traded leads until the Pacers ended the half on an 8-0 run.

George Hill and Danny Granger lead the Pacers with 14 apiece. David West has 10 points and nine rebounds. The Bucks are being led by Brandon Jennings’ 14 points.

For more on the Indiana Pacers, check out Indy Cornrows. You can also head over to SB Nation’s main NBA hub at SBNation.com/NBA, or check out SB Nation’s YouTube channel:

By Spike Eskin and Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)  – If the Sixers recent play is any indication, things could get ugly tonight at the Wells Fargo Center against the Indiana Pacers. To be clear, that’s ugly for the Sixers.

The Sixers (31-29) managed to give up 113 points in their loss to Orlando Monday night, while the Magic played without Dwight Howard, Glen Davis, and Hedo Turkoglu, in the most recent chapter of the Sixers second half collapse. Doug Collins mentioned that the Magic were hitting all of their shots, but it should be noted that the Magic shot plenty of them while wide open. The Sixers also lost the rebound battle 46-30, while the Magic were missing three of their four leading rebounders.

The signature defense that led the Sixers to many first half wins, has disappeared. The effort has followed the defense right out the door. If there was a question whether this team has quit, it appears as if the question should be “why,” not “if.”

The Pacers (39-22) come in having won nine of their last ten games.

If the tone of this sounds negative, it’s because it reflects the team’s play.

If there’s a bright side, it’s that the Sixers are still two games ahead of the Bucks for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With just six games to play, the Sixers would most likely need to win only a game or two to secure the final playoff spot. If it comes down to their next to last game, April 25th in Milwaukee, it’s hard to believe the Sixers would pull that one out.

Some reasons for optimism after tonight’s game would be as welcome as they’d be surprising.

Matt Leon previewed the game with phillyburb.com’s Sixers beat writer Tom Moore:

The game can be heard live on 94WIP at 7pm.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers approached Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as though they were facing the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat.

The Pacers rolled to a 25-point lead in the first 9 minutes and beat the Timberwolves 111-88 for their fifth consecutive win.

This young team is starting to get it.

“We came out with the killer instinct tonight,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “That set the tone for us. That’s what we want to go into the playoffs with.”

David West had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Danny Granger scored 19 points, Paul George had 18 and Roy Hibbert added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who solidified their grip on the No. 3 position in the Eastern Conference standings.

Indiana has won eight of nine games, but none of the other wins started this well. The Pacers generally have been stronger in the second half than in the first, but this time, they did the right things from the opening tip.

“I think the biggest thing is that we continue to build good habits,” West said. “We’re coming out and trying to make the right play every single time. I think that’s imperative for us. We continue the momentum we’re starting to build and hopefully, we’ll be playing some of our best ball a week-and-a-half from now.”

Indiana scored at least 100 points for the 10th time in 11 games.

“We’ve been trusting the pass,” George said. “Everybody’s been willing to share the ball, and we’ve been moving.”

Jose Barea had 14 points and nine assists and reserves Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams added 13 points each for Minnesota, which lost its 10th in a row. Kevin Love, one of the league’s top scorers and rebounders, sat out for the third consecutive game with a mild concussion and a neck strain.

Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said Love’s injury was no excuse.

“You have to come out and compete, and we didn’t compete,” he said. “It’s a glaring problem. We know we have injuries, but we’re better than that.”

The Pacers rolled to a 22-4 lead as Minnesota missed 10 of its first 11 shots.

“They came out with a lot of energy,” Minnesota forward Anthony Randolph said. “They are getting ready for playoff basketball. It was just a tough loss.”

Indiana made three consecutive 3-pointers to take a 55-23 lead in the second quarter. Later in the period, Indiana got six offensive rebounds on one possession before an emphatic right-handed putback dunk by George Hill put the Pacers up 59-27.

The Pacers led 64-30 at halftime as Indiana made 8 of 14 3-pointers and outrebounded Minnesota 33-23. Minnesota shot just 27.5 percent in posting its lowest-scoring half of the season.

“It’s inexcusable to play the way we did in the first half,” Adelman said. “They were tougher than we were. It’s as simple as that. They’re going to be physical and come at us, and we have to be ready to play.”

Indiana maintained its lead in the third quarter behind 12 points from West. The Pacers shot 50 percent in the third quarter in taking a 93-63 lead.

A flurry by Minnesota cut Indiana’s lead to 95-77 with 6:54 remaining, causing Vogel to call a timeout. The Pacers made just one of their first nine shots in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves cut Indiana’s lead to 14 points before a 3-pointer by A.J. Price pushed the Pacers’ lead to 98-81 and helped the increasingly restless crowd relax.

Even with the shaky fourth quarter, West liked what he saw.

“This is the time of year where you’ve got to be coming together,” he said. “We’re fine-tuning some things we want to do offensively. Obviously, trying to be a collective unit defensively. And then, just play with a certain level of aggression, especially when you’re dealing with teams that don’t have anything to play for this time of year, like the Timberwolves.”

The Pacers are 2½ games ahead of Orlando and Atlanta for third place with five games remaining. A top three seed would give Indiana homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Everything we do is geared toward winning in the playoffs,” Vogel said. “And the first step is getting homecourt advantage.”

Notes: Former Pacers C Brad Miller entered the game in the first quarter for the Timberwolves and got a loud cheer. … Indiana Mr. Basketball Gary Harris attended the game. He will play at Michigan State. … Indiana PG Darren Collison played after missing the past four games with a sore groin. He went scoreless and committed three fouls in 19 minutes as a reserve. … Minnesota shot 22.7 percent in the first quarter. … Granger scored at least 18 points for the 12th straight game. … It was West’s second game this season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. … Minnesota has allowed at least 111 points in six of the 10 losses.

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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffbruntap

Tags:
sports, timberwolves, basketball, minnesota

The Pacers rolled to a 25-point lead in the first 9 minutes and beat the Timberwolves 111-88 for their fifth consecutive win.

This young team is starting to get it.

“We came out with the killer instinct tonight,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “That set the tone for us. That’s what we want to go into the playoffs with.”

David West had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Danny Granger scored 19 points, Paul George had 18 and Roy Hibbert added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who solidified their grip on the No. 3 position in the Eastern Conference standings.

Indiana has won eight of nine games, but none of the other wins started this well. The Pacers generally have been stronger in the second half than in the first, but this time, they did the right things from the opening tip.

“I think the biggest thing is that we continue to build good habits,” West said. “We’re coming out and trying to make the right play every single time. I think that’s imperative for us. We continue the momentum we’re starting to build and hopefully, we’ll be playing some of our best ball a week-and-a-half from now.”

Indiana scored at least 100 points for the 10th time in 11 games.

“We’ve been trusting the pass,” George said. “Everybody’s been willing to share the ball, and we’ve been moving.”

Jose Barea had 14 points and nine assists and reserves Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams added 13 points each for Minnesota, which lost its 10th in a row. Kevin Love, one of the league’s top scorers and rebounders, sat out for the third consecutive game with a mild concussion and a neck strain.

Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said Love’s injury was no excuse.

“You have to come out and compete, and we didn’t compete,” he said. “It’s a glaring problem. We know we have injuries, but we’re better than that.”

The Pacers rolled to a 22-4 lead as Minnesota missed 10 of its first 11 shots.

“They came out with a lot of energy,” Minnesota forward Anthony Randolph said. “They are getting ready for playoff basketball. It was just a tough loss.”

Indiana made three consecutive 3-pointers to take a 55-23 lead in the second quarter. Later in the period, Indiana got six offensive rebounds on one possession before an emphatic right-handed putback dunk by George Hill put the Pacers up 59-27.

The Pacers led 64-30 at halftime as Indiana made 8 of 14 3-pointers and outrebounded Minnesota 33-23. Minnesota shot just 27.5 percent in posting its lowest-scoring half of the season.

“It’s inexcusable to play the way we did in the first half,” Adelman said. “They were tougher than we were. It’s as simple as that. They’re going to be physical and come at us, and we have to be ready to play.”

Indiana maintained its lead in the third quarter behind 12 points from West. The Pacers shot 50 percent in the third quarter in taking a 93-63 lead.

A flurry by Minnesota cut Indiana’s lead to 95-77 with 6:54 remaining, causing Vogel to call a timeout. The Pacers made just one of their first nine shots in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves cut Indiana’s lead to 14 points before a 3-pointer by A.J. Price pushed the Pacers’ lead to 98-81 and helped the increasingly restless crowd relax.

Even with the shaky fourth quarter, West liked what he saw.

“This is the time of year where you’ve got to be coming together,” he said. “We’re fine-tuning some things we want to do offensively. Obviously, trying to be a collective unit defensively. And then, just play with a certain level of aggression, especially when you’re dealing with teams that don’t have anything to play for this time of year, like the Timberwolves.”

The Pacers are 2½ games ahead of Orlando and Atlanta for third place with five games remaining. A top three seed would give Indiana homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Everything we do is geared toward winning in the playoffs,” Vogel said. “And the first step is getting homecourt advantage.”

Notes: Former Pacers C Brad Miller entered the game in the first quarter for the Timberwolves and got a loud cheer. … Indiana Mr. Basketball Gary Harris attended the game. He will play at Michigan State. … Indiana PG Darren Collison played after missing the past four games with a sore groin. He went scoreless and committed three fouls in 19 minutes as a reserve. … Minnesota shot 22.7 percent in the first quarter. … Granger scored at least 18 points for the 12th straight game. … It was West’s second game this season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. … Minnesota has allowed at least 111 points in six of the 10 losses.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ David West had 22 points and 10 rebounds to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-88 on Monday night for their fifth consecutive win.
 
    Danny Granger scored 19 points, Paul George had 18 and Roy Hibbert added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who solidified their grip on the No. 3 position in the Eastern Conference standings. Indiana scored at least 100 points for the 10th time in 11 games.
 
    Jose Barea had 14 points and nine assists and reserves Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams added 13 points each for Minnesota, which lost its 10th in a row. Kevin Love, one of the league’s top scorers and rebounders, sat out for the third consecutive game with a mild concussion and a neck strain. 
 
    The Pacers rolled to a 22-4 lead as Minnesota missed 10 of its first 11 shots.
 
    Indiana made three consecutive 3-pointers to take a 55-23 lead in the second quarter. Later in the period, Indiana got six offensive rebounds on one possession before an emphatic right-handed putback dunk by George Hill put the Pacers up 59-27.
 
    The Pacers led 64-30 at halftime as Indiana made 8 of 14 3-pointers and outrebounded Minnesota 33-23. Minnesota shot just 27.5 percent in posting its lowest-scoring half of the season.
 
    Indiana maintained its lead in the third quarter behind 12 points from West. The Pacers shot 50 percent in the third quarter in taking a 93-63 lead.
 
    A flurry by Minnesota cut Indiana’s lead to 95-77 with 6:54 remaining, causing Indiana coach Frank Vogel to call a timeout. The Pacers made just one of their first nine shots in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves cut Indiana’s lead to 14 points before a 3-pointer by A.J. Price pushed the Pacers’ lead to 98-81 and helped the increasingly restless crowd relax.

INDIANAPOLIS
– The Indiana Pacers approached Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as though they were facing the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat.

The Pacers rolled to a 25-point lead in the first 9 minutes and beat the Timberwolves 111-88 for their fifth consecutive win.

This young team is starting to get it.

“We came out with the killer instinct tonight,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “That set the tone for us. That’s what we want to go into the playoffs with.”

David West had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Danny Granger scored 19 points, Paul George had 18 and Roy Hibbert added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who solidified their grip on the No. 3 position in the Eastern Conference standings.

Indiana has won eight of nine games, but none of the other wins started this well. The Pacers generally have been stronger in the second half than in the first, but this time, they did the right things from the opening tip.

“I think the biggest thing is that we continue to build good habits,” West said. “We’re coming out and trying to make the right play every single time. I think that’s imperative for us. We continue the momentum we’re starting to build and hopefully, we’ll be playing some of our best ball a week-and-a-half from now.”

Indiana scored at least 100 points for the 10th time in 11 games.

“We’ve been trusting the pass,” George said. “Everybody’s been willing to share the ball, and we’ve been moving.”

Jose Barea had 14 points and nine assists and reserves Michael Beasley and Derrick Williams added 13 points each for Minnesota, which lost its 10th in a row. Kevin Love, one of the league’s top scorers and rebounders, sat out for the third consecutive game with a mild concussion and a neck strain.

Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said Love’s injury was no excuse.

“You have to come out and compete, and we didn’t compete,” he said. “It’s a glaring problem. We know we have injuries, but we’re better than that.”

The Pacers rolled to a 22-4 lead as Minnesota missed 10 of its first 11 shots.

“They came out with a lot of energy,” Minnesota forward Anthony Randolph said. “They are getting ready for playoff basketball. It was just a tough loss.”

Indiana made three consecutive 3-pointers to take a 55-23 lead in the second quarter. Later in the period, Indiana got six offensive rebounds on one possession before an emphatic right-handed putback dunk by George Hill put the Pacers up 59-27.

The Pacers led 64-30 at halftime as Indiana made 8 of 14 3-pointers and outrebounded Minnesota 33-23. Minnesota shot just 27.5 percent in posting its lowest-scoring half of the season.

“It’s inexcusable to play the way we did in the first half,” Adelman said. “They were tougher than we were. It’s as simple as that. They’re going to be physical and come at us, and we have to be ready to play.”

Indiana maintained its lead in the third quarter behind 12 points from West. The Pacers shot 50 percent in the third quarter in taking a 93-63 lead.

A flurry by Minnesota cut Indiana’s lead to 95-77 with 6:54 remaining, causing Vogel to call a timeout. The Pacers made just one of their first nine shots in the fourth quarter. The Timberwolves cut Indiana’s lead to 14 points before a 3-pointer by A.J. Price pushed the Pacers’ lead to 98-81 and helped the increasingly restless crowd relax.

Even with the shaky fourth quarter, West liked what he saw.

“This is the time of year where you’ve got to be coming together,” he said. “We’re fine-tuning some things we want to do offensively. Obviously, trying to be a collective unit defensively. And then, just play with a certain level of aggression, especially when you’re dealing with teams that don’t have anything to play for this time of year, like the Timberwolves.”

The Pacers are 2 1/2 games ahead of Orlando and Atlanta for third place with five games remaining. A top three seed would give Indiana homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“Everything we do is geared toward winning in the playoffs,” Vogel said. “And the first step is getting homecourt advantage.”

Notes: Former Pacers C Brad Miller entered the game in the first quarter for the Timberwolves and got a loud cheer. … Indiana Mr. Basketball Gary Harris attended the game. He will play at Michigan State. … Indiana PG Darren Collison played after missing the past four games with a sore groin. He went scoreless and committed three fouls in 19 minutes as a reserve. … Minnesota shot 22.7 percent in the first quarter. … Granger scored at least 18 points for the 12th straight game. … It was West’s second game this season with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. … Minnesota has allowed at least 111 points in six of the 10 losses.

__

Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffbruntap

MILWAUKEE — Size and strength helped the Indiana Pacers build a lead, and they held off the Milwaukee Bucks in a tense finish Saturday night at the Bradley Center.

The Bucks came up empty on six possessions late in the game, missing five shots and a pair of free throws as they suffered a costly 105-99 loss that dampened their playoff hopes.

Milwaukee (29-31) dropped 21/2 games behind both Philadelphia and New York, two teams that would make the Eastern Conference playoffs if the season ended now.

The Bucks have just six games remaining, three at home and three on the road.

Pacers center Roy Hibbert proved tough for the smaller Bucks to handle as the 7-foot-2 all-star finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds. He sank six free throws in the final 1:14 to help Indiana (38-22) secure the victory.

“We had our opportunities to really get it close,” said Bucks coach Scott Skiles. “But we’ve been missing our free throws in the fourth quarter lately, and that hurt us again tonight.”

The Bucks were just 16 of 26 at the foul line (0 of 5 in the fourth quarter) while the Pacers went 24 of 26 on their free throw attempts. And Indiana had a 54-43 rebounding advantage.

Still, the Bucks had two chances to tie when trailing, 99-96, but Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Brandon Jennings missed three-point attempts.

Hibbert drilled two foul shots to make it 101-96, and then Larry Sanders missed a shot at the rim but was fouled. The 6-11 Sanders missed both free throws, and Ersan Ilyasova missed a contested three-pointer on the next Bucks possession.

“This was a tough team that came in,” Bucks guard Monta Ellis said. “We don’t make shots and they do, and they win the ball game. We go out there and we play hard and we fight to the end. That’s all we can do.”

Seven Indiana players scored in double figures, including all five starters. Danny Granger added 21 points and seven rebounds, point guard George Hill had 13 points, and forward David West had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Ellis led the Bucks with 20 points while Jennings barely missed a triple-double with 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Dunleavy added 13 points and eight rebounds.

“The shots just weren’t going in like they usually do,” said Jennings, who was 6 of 19 from the field. “I was trying to get boards and trying to get my teammates involved, but it wasn’t enough. Picking up full court, that takes a lot out of you.”

Skiles tried to mix and match his forwards to battle the size of Hibbert and West, but it was a tough task.

Sanders played 25 minutes and had eight points, six rebounds and three blocks.