Pre-game Update
First Quarter Update
Second Quarter Update
Third Quarter Update
Time for a little Braveheart clip!
Danny with a couple of threes, but everyone else needs to start valuing the ball. Ugh.
The Bobcat bigs continue drawing moans out of the crowd. Another bucket right at the rim, this time by Mohammed.
TO - 8:27 left (in season?), Bobcats up 92-83. Enough shots are starting to fall, it is all on the defense right now. Need a stop!
Okay, the Pacers were able to get a couple of stops, but then the shots stopped falling. Running out of time to put it all together.
TO - 5:38 left and the Pacers are still down eight (95-87). Can't seem to get over the hump here and tighten up the game. Get out the defibrillator paddles quick, need to keep this season's pulse going.
Danny for three! 95-90
J.O. is on the bench. Looks like Travis, Dun, Danny, Quisy, and Foster will bring it home. Gotta quit giving them layups.
Another layup for Charlotte. 99-92 Cha. How do you let Felton knife to the hole? They're letting Felton take Travis one-on-one every time.
Travis returns the favor, draws a foul and cuts the lead to 5 (one missed FT) with 3:30 left.
TO - 2:59 left, 101-95 Charlotte. Okafor just grabbed another offensive rebound and made 1 of 2 FTs after a foul. Dun and Foster had a nice pick and roll but Foster missed the bucket and didn't draw the foul. Bobcats up 6 with the ball and the season feels like a handful of sand in my hand that is beginning to slip through my fingers.
Real nice defensive stop out of the timeout ending with Travis swatting the ball off Okafor in the corner. Goal tend at the other end, Pacers down 4.
Okafor!!! Another good defensive set, but Okafor found himself with an odd carom and drew a foul. Missed both FT's, though. Breathe.
Quisy picks up a loose ball and draws two shots. Missed the first badly. Breathe, Quisy! Missed the second, but Granger gobbles up the rebound...then misses a 3-ball with 1:33 to go.
Dun draws a charge at the other end. Down 4 with 1:17 left. Timeout. Someone, anyone, rise up and grab this game!
Dun three, in and out. Travis scrambles for the board and launches...THREE!!! PANDEMONIUM!!! The crowd may not be huge but this place just exploded! Why we love this game, defined.
TO - 1:03 left 101-100 Charlotte.
Defense chant echoing in the Fieldhouse like it's 2001. Okafor fouled with :44 left. Makes the both. Unreal.
Quisy misses a little turn around, Charlotte board. Felton was fouled and he made both FTs.
TO - :24 seconds left, down five. Not even the Belushi "Over" speech from Animal House can save things now. Charlotte was defending the perimeter well, but I have to question Quisy taking that critical shot. I've seen him hit it many times, but he's not having a great shooting night as it is.
Danny keeps hope alive with a 3-ball. Need a free throw miss from Charlotte. Jason Richardson's turn and he drains with two with :15.8 left. 107-103.
Have to get Danny the ball, again (I'm a genius, aren't I?).
Charlotte locked up Danny and left Quisy open for a 3, which missed. Travis rebounded and nearly knocked in a 3. But...didn't.
Final score: Bobcats 107, Pacers 103
Honestly, the Pacers left whatever they had left out on the court tonight. Math will give the Pacers one more chance since the Hawks have lost to the Celtics. But that also requires the Hawks to lose to the Miami Heat. We knew this time would come, but facing it still stinks. The past few weeks have been great fun. Oh, by the way, Danny Granger played huge down the stretch, again, finishing with 37 points. Little consolation, tonight, but his play certainly makes looking ahead more pleasant.
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