Hansbrough scores 13 in debut as Pacers beat Wiz, 102-86
By: CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer
November 6, 2009
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| Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, left, and center Brendan Haywood look on during the fourth quarter of Friday night's game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis. Washington lost, 102-86. (AP) |
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Hansbrough scored 13 points in his pro debut to help the Indiana Pacers beat the Washington Wizards 102-86 on Friday night.
Hansbrough, the first-round draft pick from North Carolina, missed the preseason and the first four regular-season games with a right shin injury.
Danny Granger scored 22 points and T.J. Ford added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who raised a banner honoring late co-owner Mel Simon before the game. He died in September at age 82.
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Game notes
» Gilbert Arenas became the 294th player to score 10,000 points.
» Indiana's Mike Dunleavy (knee), Troy Murphy (back), Travis Diener (toe on left foot) and Jeff Foster (sore lower back) also sat out.
» The Pacers beat Boston 115-108 to open Conseco Fieldhouse. Miller scored 29 points that night.
» Danny Granger collected four steals in the first six minutes.
» Rik Smits, who played on the Pacers' 2000 Finals team, attended the game.
» Indiana G Brandon Rush sprained his right ankle and did not return.
Caron Butler led the Wizards with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Brendan Haywood had nine points and 19 rebounds. Gilbert Arenas, who had averaged 28 points, finished with 13 and took only 10 shots.
Hansbrough entered the game with 4:31 left in the first quarter to loud cheers. He missed a 15-foot jumper on his first shot, got the rebound, then got his next shot blocked by Andray Blatche. He scored his first bucket on layup with 11:44 left in the second quarter.
Washington rallied in the early minutes of the third quarter, but back-to-back threes by Granger and Earl Watson pushed Indiana's lead to 64-51 and forced the Wizards to call timeout.
Washington trimmed the lead to 66-58 before the Pacers' rookies entered the game and went to work. Hansbrough hit a layup and two free throws, and A.J. Price made back-to-back 3-pointers in a 10-0 run to stretch the lead to 76-58.
Hansbrough played 14 minutes and went 3 for 7 from the field and 7 for 10 from the foul line. He also had five rebounds.
It was a day filled with celebrations. Besides the rookie's debut and the banner-raising ceremony, it was the 10th anniversary of the opening of Conseco Fieldhouse. Simon cut the ribbon to open the building with his brother Herb on Nov. 6, 1999.
Mel Simon joins former players Reggie Miller, Mel Daniels, Roger Brown and George McGinnis, and ex-coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard as the only people with their names in the rafters. The Simons bought the franchise in 1983 and, in one 11-year stretch, the Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals six times and the NBA finals once.
