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Harrington torches former team as Pacers rout Hawks

Jan 10, 2007 - 6:39 AM INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Al Harrington showed his former team exactly what they're missing.

In a sloppy defensive battle, Harrington scored 14 of his 18 points in the third quarter and Danny Granger added 15 and 10 rebounds as the Indiana Pacers dominated the interior en route to a 91-72 victory over the struggling Atlanta Hawks.

Jeff Foster added eight points and 17 rebounds for the Pacers, who shot just 42 percent (36-of-85) from the field but used a 54-43 advantage on the glass to secure their second straight win.

Indiana has a chance to extend the momentum against Boston on Wednesday.

"We've had opportunities to win three in a row. It's been tough," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "A lot of them have been back-to-backs with teams waiting on us. Boston's a dangerous team."

After spending two seasons with the Hawks, Harrington returned for his second stint in Indiana in an offseason sign-and-trade deal that sent a 2007 first-round pick to Atlanta.

The Pacers lately are glad they made the deal for the 6-9 forward. In his last three contests, Harrington is averaging 23.0 points per game - well over his season average of 16.4. On Tuesday, he shot 6-of-16 from the floor, including 2-of-5 from the arc.

"(Harrington) got on a roll in the third quarter and that really helped us," Carlisle said. "Al's run was really big and the second unit provided us with a big lift in the second half."

Indiana's reserves scored 41 points.

Despite a shaky outside shot, Granger used his athletic ability to make an impact. He shot 7-of-18 from the field, mostly on strong drives and follow shots.

"It was a game we should have won," Granger said. "I think we had our energy going and the crowd behind us. I think everybody touched the ball and gave good effort. We needed to get this win so we can gain some ground on the Eastern Conference."

Speedy Claxton had 12 points and star guard Joe Johnson added just 10 for the Hawks, who shot just 32 percent (25-of-78) in absorbing their ninth loss in their last 10 games.

"You look at (Johnson's) stats against us and he'd be an all-star," Carlisle said. "This year (Stephen Jackson) has shadowed him and we double-team him all over the floor. That's how much we respect him."

"I was really concerned with stopping Johnson," Jackson said. "It feels good to win and we have to continue to build on it."