Feb

5

Spurs’ Second-Half Defense Shuts Down Pacers 116-89

Posted by Stephen Rhodes under Main 

????????????????????????????????????????San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (#21) puts up a shot over Indiana Pacers center Jeff Foster during the first quarter of their game, played Tuesday night. San Antonio beat Indiana 116-89.?

Tuesday’s game between the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers was a game of contrasts.? The first half was relatively close for both squads; the second half not so much.? With the Spurs’ Tim Duncan dominating in the paint and their defense playing lights-out, the Spurs left Conseco Fieldhouse with an impressive 116-89 win over the Pacers.

Both teams shot very well in the first quarter, especially Indiana (78.6% from the floor); the Pacers scored four points late in the first period to take a 31-25 lead, but the Spurs started a 7-0 flurry near the end of the quarter to take the lead, 34-33.? Indiana would go into the second quarter with a slim 36-34 lead.? The second period was back-and-forth; San Antonio?scored 5 straight points?to take a 59-54 lead with 1:17 left in the half, but Indiana closed the half with 5 straight points of their own which tied the game at 59.

The second half saw a completely different Spurs squad than the one that was on the floor in the first half; with Duncan anchoring the middle and reserve Jacques Vaughn and Manu Ginobili roaming the perimeter, San Antonio opened the first half with the first 8 points?and finishing up with a decisive 18-2 run to make it 77-61 Spurs with 4:18 to go in the third quarter.? The Pacers couldn’t make a serious run for the remainder of the game, as the best they could do was close to within 11 at the start of the fourth quarter.

San Antonio, with 7 players in double-digits,?was led by Duncan with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists and a blocked shot; Vaughn scored 16 with 5 assists, while Ginobili added 15 - including 3 treys.? Bruce Bowen chipped in with 14, while Damon Stoudemire - starting his first game for the Spurs - pitched in with 11.? Indiana was led by Danny Granger with 16, while Troy Murphy scored 15 - including 3 three-pointers.? Travis Diener and?Mike Dunleavy added 14 apiece in a losing effort.? San Antonio (30-16) now travels east to D.C. to face the Washington Wizards Wednesday, while Indiana (19-30) flies to New York City to take on the Knicks - also on Wednesday.



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