• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Murphy's double-double leads Pacers past Bobcats

Dec 17, 2009 - 5:00 AM INDIANAPOLIS(AP) -- Troy Murphy needed only one shot to find his rhythm.

The Indiana forward went 10 of 13 from the field and made five 3-pointers, finishing with 26 points to lead the Pacers to a 101-98 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

Murphy hit a 3 less than two minutes into the game to give Indiana a 6-2 lead. He made his next four from beyond the arc and finished 5 of 7.

"We ran a play early in the game, the defense collapsed and T.J. (Ford) found me for a 3," said Murphy, who also grabbed 15 rebounds. "It feels good to get that first one down."

His shooting performance didn't come as a surprise to his teammates.

"Murph is a heck of a player, he's a weapon," said Indiana guard Mike Dunleavy. "He can space the floor and make shots. He's been playing really well lately."

Murphy's offensive production has been even more important since the Pacers lost All-Star swingman and leading scorer Danny Granger to injury. Murphy had a season-high 28 points in a victory over Washington on Dec. 12.

"I've been watching a lot of film with the coaches and trying to find different places where I can get shots," he said. "I got open looks and was able to knock them down."

Ford had 15 points and 13 assists, and Dunleavy scored 15 in his second start of the season for the Pacers (9-14), who have won three of four after a six-game losing streak.

"We just hung in there," Dunleavy said. "It was enough for the win, so we'll take it."

Gerald Wallace had 29 points and 12 rebounds, Stephen Jackson scored 22 and Tyson Chandler added 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Bobcats (10-14), who dropped to 1-11 on the road. Charlotte fell behind by 14 points in the first quarter and trailed by as much as 18.

"We have to play better at the beginning of games," Jackson said. "We always start slow and use all our energy to get back into the game. You can't do that on the road against any team."

The Bobcats rallied late in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 101-98 after D.J. Augustin's 3-pointer and Wallace's two free throws. After a Pacers shot-clock violation, Wallace's attempt at a tying 3 bounced out with less than five seconds left.

Dahntay Jones missed both free throws for the Pacers, giving Charlotte another chance with 1.4 seconds remaining. Augustin made a 3 from the top of the key, but it came just after the buzzer.

"We got him to take a shot with his back to the basket and he didn't have time to get it off," Jones said. "We weren't even worried about the shot."

The Pacers shot 55 percent in the first quarter and raced out to a 21-7 lead on Murphy's layup. Charlotte got within 24-23 later in the period, but Indiana controlled the second quarter and took a 56-46 halftime advantage.

"The first five minutes of the game were terrible," said Bobcats coach Larry Brown. "You can't do that on the road."

Roy Hibbert's dunk early in the third quarter gave the Pacers their biggest lead, 64-46. The Bobcats trimmed the deficit to 10 entering the fourth.

NOTES: Granger missed his fifth straight game with a torn right plantar fascia. Granger is expected to miss at least four weeks and will not require surgery. ... Brown coached the Pacers from 1993-97. ... Jackson played for the Pacers from 2004-07 and was part of the brawl between Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans in Nov. 2004. Jackson's turbulent days in Indiana ended when the Pacers traded him to Golden State in January 2007. He was booed by fans throughout the game. "I hear it, but what effect does that have on my life? None at all," Jackson said. "I'm used to it. I get booed four or five other places. It's good to know they're thinking about me." ... Charlotte's only road win came at Washington on Nov. 28.