2011 NBA Playoffs: Rose, Korver Kill Pacers Once More In 96-90 Game 2 Defeat

Different score, same script.  Once again the Indiana Pacers trailed in the closing minute, only to see Kyle Korver knock down a late three to put the Chicago Bulls on their way to a 96-90 victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.  For all the tenacity and effort the Pacers have played with, the bottom line remains that they trail the Bulls, 2-0, in the best of seven series.

Danny Granger brought the Pacers within two points at 85-83 with 74 seconds left before Joakim Noah took two dribbles down the lane and kicked to Korver, who knocked down his only three of the game to put Chicago ahead, 90-85, with 1:04 showing on the clock.  

The Pacers went directly at Noah on their next possession, as the center was playing with five personal fouls.  However, Roy Hibbert was called for a questionable offensive foul on his hook shot, negating Paul George's putback.  Indiana had one more chance after A.J. Price hit three free throws after being fouled by Derrick Rose, but Chicago knocked down its final six free throws to seal the result.

Indiana played the second half without starting point guard Darren Collison, who sprained his left ankle on the foot of a baseline photographer after knocking down a second-quarter layup.  In his absence, Price was the Pacers' second leading scorer, as his 13 trailed only Granger's 19.

It was Granger who referred to Rose as a psycho ex-girlfriend, with his ability to continually come back and get to the rim, and the MVP favorite did his best Glenn Close impersonation, refusing to be ignored with a game-high 36 points, adding 8 rebounds and 6 assists.  Rose is averaging 37.5 ppg in the two games of the series.

After controlling the paint with a combined 33 points on Saturday, the duo of Tyler Hansbrough and Roy Hibbert were limited to 14 points, while Carlos Boozer got untracked with 17 points and 16 boards.  Chicago outrebounded Indiana, 57-33, grabbing 20 offensive boards to the Pacers' 9.

Game 3 is set for Thursday night at Conseco Fieldhouse, with tip-off coming on NBA TV and FSIndiana at 7 p.m. ET.

Relinquishing the lead early in the third quarter, the Indiana Pacers rallied late, closing the third on a 9-2 run, capping the rally on T.J. Ford's shot from roughly 60 feet that beat the horn, sending the Pacers and Chicago Bulls to the fourth quarter tied at 67.

Ford played the final three minutes of the third only because of the left ankle sprain suffered by Darren Collison late in the second quarter.  After A.J. Price played the first nine-plus minutes of the third, Ford entered, changing tempo and harassing Derrick Rose.  Rose finished with five turnovers in the quarter, limiting Chicago's efforts to pull away.

Danny Granger came alive in the third, finishing the quarter with 17 total points.  Rose has 20 for Chicago, but has continued to struggle from the floor, going 7-of-20; the prohibitive MVP favorite is 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.

The Indiana Pacers have now led the Chicago Bulls for five of six quarters in the first two games of their series, holding the halftime lead for the second straight contest, 47-44, over the Bulls.  However, the Pacers may be without the services of Darren Collison in the second half, after the point guard sprained his left ankle after turning it in the photographers well following a layup.

Getting a balanced effort across the lineup, nine of the 10 Pacers who have appeared in the game have scored.  At the beginning of the second, it was Mike Dunleavy who got Indiana going to start the frame, knocking down consecutive buckets to notch his first career playoff points.

Indiana eventually built a nine-point lead in the quarter, taking a 43-34 advantage on a Paul George three coming out of a timeout.  However, after Collison's injury, Chicago closed the quarter on an 8-2 burst.

The Bulls have shot 17 free throws in the game, but have converted just 11, while the Pacers are 10-of-12 from the charity stripe.  Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer have been the beneficiaries of the whistles, combining for 13 of Chicago's freebies.  Both players have 13 points to lead all scorers. 

It was not a pretty quarter, but the Indiana Pacers will take it.  Despite shooting just 7-of-20 from the floor, the Pacers lead Chicago by a single point, 18-17, after the first quarter.  

Indiana leads by a point on the back of a defensive effort that held Chicago to 6-of-24 shooting from the field.  Perhaps more importantly in a foul-filled first 12 minutes, Derrick Rose collected two personal fouls and was regulated to the bench.

Darren Collison continued his strong play in the series with 6 points in the quarter, with Tyler Hansbrough adding 4.

While playing in his first playoff game in just his second season, Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough took a shot to the head courtesy of veteran forward Kurt Thomas. Hansbrough fell to the ground and was visibly dazed by the blow. He did get back up and play the remainder of the game, which saw the Bulls go on a 16-1 run to close the fourth quarter, winning Game One of the first round playoff series 104-99.

Recently, in an interview with Indianapolis radio 1070 The Fan, Hansbrough was asked by DJ's Grady and Big Joe how he felt:

"I’m fine, I’m fine. Everything felt good. The headache’s gone, so I was pretty lucky. We’ll go from there."

When asked about the playoff atmosphere in Chicago, Hansbrough responded:

"The atmosphere is crazy; the fans are really involved. It’s a great experience and I’m glad I got it under my belt, getting those first-game jitters out of the way. Hopefully I’ll come out tonight and play well."

The former North Carolina standout, nicknamed 'Psycho T' for his aggressive style of play, said the key to a Game Two victory for the Pacers is keeping Chicago off the boards.

Game 2 is set for 9:30 ET Monday night in Chicago on TNT.

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