Two games, two down-to-the-wire wins for the Indiana Pacers and new coach Jim O’Brien. Danny Granger was 10-for-13 from the field and had 25 points and nine rebounds to help the Pacers beat the Miami Heat 87-85 on Friday night.The Pacers overcame a seven-point deficit with four minutes left. On Wednesday, they beat Washington in overtime.
“We’re not going to win every game, but we’re not going to stop playing,” Granger said. “We’re going to play our style until the buzzer. I would bet to say we’re going to win more than we’re going to lose.”
Ike Diogu scored 16 points, Mike Dunleavy added 15 and Jamaal Tinsley had 10 assists for the Pacers.
Indiana forward Jermaine O’Neal, who sat out the opener with a hyperextended left knee, had 10 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 24 minutes.
The assist total tied a career high for O’Neal. He has been Indiana’s top scoring option for years, but now he’s content to set up his teammates.
“I’m not looking to score a lot,” O’Neal said. “I’m looking to soften the defense up with the pass. I wanted to play a few more minutes because I wanted to get as many assists as possible. I feel like that changes the dynamics of the game.”
Rookie Daequan Cook, who didn’t play in the season-opening loss to Detroit, led Miami with 17 points, while Ricky Davis added 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
Miami center Shaquille O’Neal fouled out with 5:07 to go. He had eight points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes, shot 4-for-13 from the field and had six turnovers.
Miami led 76-75 in the fourth quarter when Mark Blount hit a 3-pointer with 4:42 to go. Cook followed with a 3 to give Miami an 82-75 lead with 4:03 to play.
Kareem Rush hit a 3-pointer for Indiana with 1:42 to go that tied it at 82, and he made another one with 1:06 to go for an 85-82 lead.
Miami’s Jason Williams missed a layup on a drive to the hoop, and the Pacers gained possession after Miami fouled on the rebound. A pull-up jumper by Granger gave the Pacers an 87-82 lead with 41 seconds to play.
Davis made a shot from just beyond halfcourt at the buzzer for the final margin.
The Pacers acquired Rush in the offseason to cure some of their perimeter shooting woes. He didn’t make a shot until the final two minutes.
“The gun is always loaded,” Rush said. “If I’m open, I’m going to take the shot. I knew we needed threes when I came in, so I came in firing.”
The Pacers weren’t worried when Miami had the lead in the closing minutes. Jermaine O’Neal said O’Brien has changed their mental approach.
“His personality has rubbed off on this team in a major way from day one,” O’Neal said. “His relationship with this team has gone way beyond basketball. We’re willing to lay it on the line. It doesn’t matter who’s out there.”
Miami coach Pat Riley said his team played poorly down the stretch.
“We couldn’t get a stop, and we couldn’t get a bucket, and we couldn’t get a free throw in,” he said. “It was just very frustrating for our guys.”
The Heat were 4-of-13 on free throws.
Cook’s performance was a bright spot for the Heat.
“Coach has told me to be ready, my time could come at any time,” Cook said. “Tonight was that night.”
Aside from that, the Heat had little to take from their trip to Indianapolis.
“We played selfish tonight,” Williams said. “It’s pretty self-explanatory. I didn’t think we gave the game away. I think they took it away from us.”
Game notes
Riley announced before the game that All-Star G Dwyane Wade has been cleared to play. Wade had surgeries on his left knee and left shoulder in May. Riley didn’t say when Wade would play. … Indy Racing League star Helio Castroneves and his “Dancing With the Stars” partner Julianne Hough performed at the end of the first quarter. … Indiana F Shawne Williams served the second game of a team-imposed three-game suspension after being caught driving without a license. … Indiana C Troy Murphy sat out for the second straight game. … Dunleavy split his lip in the first quarter. He got eight stitches and returned. … Tinsley sprained his left thumb in the first quarter.
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