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Bobcats start tough road trip against Pacers

Jan 25, 2009 - 7:14 AM Charlotte (18-25) at Indiana (16-27) 7:00 p.m. EST

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The Charlotte Bobcats are about to find out just how far they have come in Larry Brown's first season.

Winners of five of their last six, the veteran coach and Bobcats open a challenging, five-game road trip against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

Charlotte has already seen progress in Brown's first season on the bench, highlighted by a 22-point beatdown of the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Gerald Wallace collected 28 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals in a 98-76 victory.

Boris Diaw added 26 points and 11 boards as the Bobcats dished assists on 26 of their 40 field goals and and forced 24 turnovers.

The Bobcats have played a league-high 26 home games and are just 5-12 on the road, so the upcoming trip should point to whether they can make a legitimate push for their first playoff berth.

Charlotte also visits four West Coast contenders in the Lakers, Portland, Denver and Utah before returning home.

Indiana has won four straight home games, including a 107-102 victory over Houston on Friday. Danny Granger led the Pacers in scoring for the 11th straight game with 25 points while Troy Murphy added 14 points and 16 boards.

T.J. Ford scored 21 off the bench for Indiana, which dropped a 115-108 overtime contest to Charlotte on November 28.