Usually, when two teams are involved in a low scoring game, it is usually because of one of two things: shutdown defense or neither team could hit the broad side of a barn. During Wednesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Clippers at Conseco Fieldhouse, the latter applied as neither team shot 40% (Los Angeles shot 32.2% while Indiana shot 37.6%). Yet with the anemic shooting by both teams, there had to be a winner; one of the few Pacers who shot well, Troy Murphy, scored 18 with 11 boards, leading Indiana to the relatively easy 86-73 win over Los Angeles.

The first quarter was 12 minutes if shooting inadequacy as both teams combined to score 31 points; the Clippers would go into the second quarter up 19-12. Despite shooting 33% in the first half, Los Angeles took a 43-34 lead at halftime on a Chris Kaman free throw; Indiana shot even worse, believe it or not, as they could only connect on 30% of their attempts.

Indiana would chip away at their deficit, taking their first lead at 55-54 on a Luther Head jumper with 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter; Marcus Camby’s three-pointer helped the Clippers take a four-point lead into the final quarter. Murphy’s two baskets tied the game at 59 and T.J. Ford’s jumper along with a Murphy trey increased the Pacers’ lead to 74-68 with 5 minutes left in the game. A Ford layup with 3:235 remaining put Indiana ahead for good at 79-72.

Murphy and Dahntay Jones tied for high scoring honors for the Pacers with 18 points each – with Murphy grabbing 11 rebounds with a steal and a block while Jones grabbed 7 boards and dished out 2 assists; Brandon Rush added 13 (including 3 three-pointers) with 11 rebounds. Los Angeles was led by Baron Davis with 25 points (including three treys), 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a block while Camby added 15 with 21 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

Indiana (6-7) plays again on Friday when they host the Dallas Mavericks while Los Angeles (6-10) makes the short trip to Detroit to take on the Pistons – also on Friday night.