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Granger helps Pacers down Wizards

Feb 23, 2011 - 4:52 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Danny Granger scored 12 of his 21 points in the third quarter as Indiana created some distance at halftime and blew the game open in the third, topping Washington, 113-96, at Verizon Center.

Granger also added a game-high 10 rebounds while Tyler Hansbrough posted 17 points in a reserve role for the Pacers, who ended a two-game skid. Roy Hibbert added 16 points while both Darren Collison and Paul George scored 11 for the victors.

"Our second unit, a.k.a. 'The Goon Squad,' they really got us over that edge," Hibbert said. "They eased it up for us to go out there and do what we had to do."

John Wall led the Wizards with 15 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Andray Blatche had 21 points, but Washington committed 20 turnovers in the loss, its third in four games.

"We are obviously struggling to win games right now," Wall said. "Then you get a blowout and it gets worse."

Despite trailing by as many an nine in the opening part of the first quarter, the Wizards carried a 30-25 lead into the second. Blatche paced Washington with 12 points, shooting 5-of-7 from the field, in the opening stanza.

Indiana opened the second quarter with a 10-1 run, capped by a Jeff Foster slam with 8:26 left, to gain control. The Pacers widened their lead to 13 in the final minute, when Hibbert's dunk ended a 10-0 burst.

The Wizards closed the quarter with a Blatche hook shot and a pair of Wall free throws, trimming Indiana's lead to 58-49 lead at the break. The Pacers held a 21-10 rebounding advantage and made 7-of-10 from the line in the second quarter.

The Pacers controlled the third quarter, outscoring Washington by a 32-19 margin. The Wizards had as many field goals -- seven -- as they did turnovers in the third quarter.

Indiana led by 25 in the final minute of the quarter before Wall scored three points to get the Wizards within 90-68 entering the fourth.

The Wizards closed within 109-94, but with a little more than two minutes remaining, the deficit was too much to overcome.

Game Notes

The Pacers are 8-3 under new head coach Frank Vogel...Hansbrough went 9-of-10 from the line, while George grabbed nine boards off the bench...The Pacers made 34-of-45 from the line, compared to 20-of-26 for Washington...Indiana scored 27 points off the 20 Wizards turnovers...This was the first of a back- to-back for both teams; Washington will head to Philadelphia on Wednesday and the Pacers host Detroit.