Struggling Bobcats Fall To Pacers 102-88

Coming off one of the worse losses of the season to Indiana, the Bobcats had a chance to exact revenge just days later but came up empty again despite a much better effort this time around. Charlotte got off to a strong start behind good ball movement and overall team defense, but it wouldn't matter as the Bobcats struggled to close out quarters and allowed the Pacers to run them out of their own gym.

At one point the Bobcats held a nine-point edge over the Pacers, but Indiana would cut into the lead and get it down to five after one. Corey Maggette and D.J. Augustin were the early offense for the Bobcats, although the two would struggle shooting the ball the remainder of the game. Augustin hit 3-of-6 from beyond the arc but was ineffective inside it missing 5-of-6 shots. Maggette had a typical performance, as he finished 20 points to lead the team, however, he struggled to shoot the ball (6-15).

The real star of the game was Tyler Hansbrough, who finished with 22 points and pulled nine boards in just 24 minutes of action. His energy and relentlessness in attacking the basket gave the Bobcats fits all night.

After the strong first quarter from the Bobcats they responded with a lackluster effort in the second. Too often did they settle for long jumpers instead of attacking the basket and it allowed the Pacers to gain control. The turning point in the game came after Kemba Walker drilled a 3-pointer and Dahntay Jones responded with one of his own to start a 12-0. Maggette's layup with 1:22 remaining in the first half ended the run and gave us our halftime score of 50-42 with the Pacers on top.

The third quarter started out fast and was easy on the eyes. Charlotte made a concerted effort to push the ball and Bismack Biyombo provided an offensive spark with five points, two of which came on a dunk that brought fans to their feet. But once again the Bobcats went cold as the third quarter closed and the Pacers built a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

A D.J. White jumper got the Bobcats within eight but that's as close as they would get the rest of the game as the Pacers turned it up a notch in the fourth. There really wasn't much that happened in the fourth quarter that was noteworthy on either side. Indiana kept its foot on the gas and Charlotte failed to get anything significant going.

3 Studs

Tyler Hansbrough--Psycho T put on a show for the Charlotte crowd. It was a vintage performance from him that was reminiscent of his days with North Carolina. Hansbrough isn't the most talented player in the NBA, but he has made a living off of hard work just like he did in college.

Bismack Biyombo--The energizer for the Bobcats had another solid game that flashed off his potential. Biyombo finished with nine points, 10 boards and six blocks. I'm continually impressed at the improvement he makes each game and I think it's safe to say the Bobcats found themselves a steal. He'll never be a dynamic scorer, but he will be a force on the defensive end and will develop into a strong finisher at the rim.

Boris Diaw--The enigmatic power forward only scored four points but grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out eight assists. Diaw made some tremendous passes throughout the night and he gave a spirited effort, something that isn't always there with him. Now only if he would be more aggressive on the offensive end...

3 Duds

Danny Granger--Granger is supposed to be the Pacers' best scoring threat, yet he didn't have his best stuff against the Bobcats. He missed 9-of-11 shots and didn't make much of an impact on the game.

Tyrus Thomas--Are you kidding me?!?! How has Thomas regressed this much after being a huge part of this team the past season and a half. Somebody needs to buy the kid a steak dinner and show him where the weight room is. In just 15 minutes of action he shot the ball eight times and hit just two of his attempts. The troubling part is the continued trend of settling for jumpers, although it didn't help that when he took the ball to the rack he got stuffed a couple of times.

Reggie Williams--It just wasn't a good game for Williams. He wasn't noticeable when he was on the court and this team desperately needs his scoring ability. If he doesn't reach double figures on a nightly basis it's going to be hard for the Bobcats to compete.