IC Cold Links: Pacers Play A Great Game, but Can't Complete the Final Couple of Minutes

What a showing last night by our Indiana Pacers!  Just about everyone had a very solid game at different spurts, including Darren Collison, Danny Granger and Tyler Hansbrough. Oh, and Derrick Rose had a pretty good showing.  I liked Paul George on him because of his length, but no one really had much of an impact on him defensively.  I keep wondering if Dahntay Jones gets his shot on Rose?  

The Pacers showed fight and confidence throughout this game.  Every time the Chicago Bulls made a run, the Pacers pushed it right back to a comfortable lead....until, of course, the final few minutes.  I would have been interested to see Hansbrough continue to get the ball in the final few minutes.  He was killing Carlos Boozer towards the end of the game, but they seemed to get away from that when the Bulls made their run.  However, hindsight is alwasy 20/20.  Also, did you guys catch Larry Bird with a little smirk on his face when Hansbrough went off?...almost as if he was saying, "see! I told you guys he was a good pick!"

The scary thing, to me, is who will show up on Monday?  I would be ok if every game was like game one, even if the Pacers were swept.  However, we all know their tendancy to have a great game, then an aweful one.  It would be painful to see a blowout loss.  So, after yesterday's solid showing, which team do you expect to show up tomorrow, Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?

After the jump, check out the links of the day...

• Box Score
• PACERS: Game Rewind - Bulls 104, Pacers 99
• One that got away | Pacers Insider blog | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
• Rose is too much to handle, especially when it counts | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
• Pacers can't seal the deal | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com CHICAGO -- The script said the inexperienced Indiana Pacers didn't have a chance in their first-round playoff series with Chicago.
• Chicago Bulls: Chicago Bulls storm back against Indiana Pacers to take Game 1 of the first round of NBA playoffs - chicagotribune.com
• Indiana Pacers: Indiana Pacers give Chicago Bulls all they can handle in Game 1 - chicagotribune.com Pacers strong play only surprises those outside their locker room
• NBA Playoffs: Chicago Bulls Rally for Game 1 Victory Over Indiana Pacers - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
• Pacers' Bird should stay in flight, if he has the drive | The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN The News-Sentinel is the Fort Wayne IN hometown newspaper. It contains Fort Wayne local news, state, sports and features.
• Discouraged Pacers let this one slip away - Chicago Sun-Times
• Bulls scoff at stolen win idea, Pacers feel differently - Chicago Sun-Times
• Pacers' Denari finally gets to broadcast playoff game | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com Chris Denari has broadcast nearly 400 Indiana Pacers games since taking over television play-by-play duties in the fall of 2006.
•  Blog a Bull