• Recap
• Bleachers

Harrington leads Pacers to win in opener

Oct 12, 2006 - 2:16 AM INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Al Harrington gave the Indiana fans a taste of what the upcoming season could be like with him back in uniform.

Harrington scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Danny Granger added 16 as the Indiana Pacers posted a 103-89 victory over the New Jersey Nets in the preseason opener for both teams.

Drafted out of high school by the Pacers in the first round of the 1998 draft, Harrington spent six seasons with Indiana before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks prior to the 2004-05 campaign.

After two losing seasons with the Hawks, Harrington was traded back to the Pacers this past offseason for a 2007 first-round pick.

Granger scored five points during a decisive 13-2 burst as Indiana cruised to the win.

First-round pick Shawne Williams added seven points and five boards in 20 minutes for the Pacers, who outscored the Nets, 30-11, in the closing quarter.

Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson, who was charged with felony criminal recklessness and a pair of misdemeanors for his actions outside a strip club last week, did not play.

Antoine Wright scored 23 points and Richard Jefferson added 13 in 18 minutes for New Jersey, which was outscored, 60-38, in the paint.

Nets first-round selection Marcus Williams collected eight points and seven assists in 31 minutes while Jay Williams, who was signed to a non-guaranteed contract in the offseason, scored a basket but committed four turnovers.

Williams is trying to make a return to the league after suffering a near fatal motorcycle accident during the summer of 2003.