IC Cold Links: Hansbrough Gets Hometown Crowd In Memphis

It wasn't exactly no place like home, but Indiana Pacers rookie Tyler Hansbrough was as close as he is going to get last night.

In the Pacers 107-94 loss to the Grizzlies Friday, Hansbrough played to a crowd of his hometown faithful who made the trip from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to the confines of the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Jeff Rabjohns of the IndyStar estimated that nearly 1,500 people from the small town crowded the arena to get a look at their favorite son. It's a 2 1/2 hour drive from Poplar Bluff to Memphis.

Here's Hansbrough after the game: "It's exciting to see everybody from my hometown coming out supporting me. It means a lot. There are people out there I haven't seen in a while."

Hansbrough played 22 minutes, went 4-of-13 from the field for 14 points and four rebounds. Check out more links after the jump.

• AP Story
• NBA.com Recap/Box Score
• Photo Gallery
• The Pacers Inside The Game looks into how the Pacers blew a first-half lead by managing only five points in a 10-minute span that allowed Memphis to take control of the game.
• Indianapolis Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns recaps the game by focusing on the exploits of local legends Zach Randolph and Mike Conley against their hometown team. It was linked before the jump, but Rabjohns' notebook has a lot of good stuff about news surrounding last night's game.
  
• Rabjohns took over the Pacers Insider blog and reported on Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy struggling from beyond the arc in last night's game.
• Andrew Perna of Real GM looks into the blue and gold's recent success without star Danny Granger in the lineup.
• Eight Points, Nine Seconds previewed yesterday's matchup against the Grizz, while Always Miller Time sets us up nicely for today's tilt with the Spurs.