Granger To Miss Tonight's Game Against Rolling Cavs

The scoreboard seemingly said the Indiana Pacers should celebrate a surprising, uplifting 99-94 win over the playoff-bound Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday. But it's hard to celebrate the win when two big losses came from the event.

Not only did the victory cost the Pacers another spot in the John Wall Sweepstakes (moving them to the No. 5 spot in the worst-record race, going a 1/2 game behind the Wizards), but it also cost them their star Danny Granger in the final minute with an injury, which remains unknown in its severity. The Granger injury, which he suffered when taking an inadvertent elbow to the cheek with less than a minute remaining in the game, will be evaluated today. When Granger suffered the injury, it looked as though he had been shot. After keeling over while attempting to make his way back to the bench, Granger finally toppled over near teammates while looking woozy and distraught. He was barely able to make it back to the locker room while being held up by teammates and coaches. Poor Dick Harter looked helpless while trying to lumber Granger's limp body to the back.

Granger's injury could have major repercussions on the Pacers' lottery chances. He will miss tonight's game on the road in Cleveland, according to coach Jim O'Brien. Dahntay Jones recalled the injury to the Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells: "Everything was moving so fast that I didn't see what happened with Danny. Nobody really knows (what happened). I guess he went for the rebound and I guess he got hit somewhere."

Granger led the charge during last night's win, leading the team with 26 points (on a lousy 9-of-25 shooting performance), but he also had a team-high five turnovers. Without Granger, the Pacers could crumble (most likely) or somehow, someway find the missing energy and determination to pull out a few gutsy wins without their star.

Check out the jump for links that cover last night's win.

• AP Story
• Box Score
• NBA.com Recap
• PACERS: Inside the Game: Pacers 99, Bobcats 94
  Bruno's Inside The Game report has all of the numbers, notes, quotes and highlights.
• Pacers get a win, but lose Granger
  Mike Wells describes Danny Granger's injury in detail while also noting the positive spots in the Pacers' win.
• Price still playing like his future is in doubt
  A.J. Price gets the limelight as Mike Wells notes the rookie's "never-give-up" attitude whenever he gets some playing time on the court. Price dropped 11 points in nearly 20 minutes of play last night.
• Bobcats Can't Keep Pace, Lose 99-94
  SB Nation's Rufus on Fire gives us some perspective on last night's game from a Charlotte fan's perspective.
• Bobcats' streak halted at Indiana
  The Charlotte Observer recaps the game.
• Observations: Is Ford still in Bobcats' future?
  T.J. Ford and Brandon Rush were minutes (maybe even seconds) from becoming Bobcats at the trade deadline this year. The Charlotte Observer wonders if the Bobcats will seek out Ford during the offseason this summer. Let's all pray together.
• Whining Time: Reggie Miller, The Knicks, And The Prayer Of The Bitchy Girl
  Deadspin reviews Reggie Miller's ESPN documentary. Reader beware: the writer is a John Starks fanatic. Yes, they do exist.
• IndyStar.com | Pacers Insider
  Mike Wells blogs about Granger's injury, the Pacers losing more ground in the John Wall Sweepstakes and more.
• Pacers-Cavaliers Preview
  The Sporting News previews tonight's game at Cleveland.