Despite Stars Sitting Out, Pacers Win Against Timberwolves

Advertisement

(MINNEAPOLIS, MN) - The Indiana Pacers snapped a two-game skid with a 106-95 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA exhibition play.

Danny granger led five pacers in double figures, scoring 20 of his 25 points in the first half. Granger broke out of a shooting slump, hitting eight of 14 shots from the field.

Mike Dunleavy and Ike Diogu finished with 20 points apiece.

With the Pacers shorthanded in the frontcourt, Courtney Sims responded to some rare playing time by scoring twelve points while Jeff Foster added eleven.

Jermaine O'Neal missed his third straight game with swelling in his left knee. Indiana was also without David Harrison, who has been slowed by an ankle injury, and troy Murphy who is nursing a sore achilles'.

Minnesota's Al Jefferson led all scorers with 27 points and 17 rebounds. The Timberwolves were also shorthanded as they played without point guards Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair as well as Rashad McCants and Mark Madsen.

The Pacers improve to 5-and-2 in the preseason. They will head to Memphis to face the Grizzlies in the exhibition finale on Friday night. The regular season opens one week from tonight when the pacers host Washington at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Pacers forward Shawne Williams did not accompany the team to Minneapolis. Williams spent his day performing community service at The Christamore House, a community center on the Westside of Indianapolis. Williams has to perform 40 hours of service at the center to satisfy his sentence after being arrested for driving without a license last month.

Williams will also be held out of Friday's game in Memphis and was suspended for the first three games of the regular season.

Print this story