Bobcats comeback falls short against Pacers
March 16, 2010 by Matt Rochinski

Photo by NBAE / Getty Images
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The Bobcats were in search of a franchise-record seventh-straight win when they headed to Indiana on Tuesday, but Charlotte’s rally came up just short in the final moments in a 99-94 loss to the Pacers.
Facing an 11-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, the Bobcats (34-32) cut the lead to 97-94 in the final seconds, but Boris Diaw’s pass intended for Tyrus Thomas was intercepted by Troy Murphy with 19.9 seconds remaining and A.J. Price hit two free throws to close the scoring.
“In that last play, I tried to call a timeout but we kind of got confused, and that was my fault,” said Head Coach Larry Brown. “I left Stephen (Jackson) and Raymond (Felton) hanging and we had a turnover, which can’t happen. I have to let them know. I thought maybe we could get two-for-one, but when there’s indecision like that, it can’t happen. I have to be more responsible than I was.”
While Brown might have been trying to take the blame what happened in the final moments, it was the Bobcats second quarter that cost them the most in this game. After taking a 24-20 lead at the end of the first quarter, Charlotte was outscored 32-19 in the second stanza. The Bobcats shot just 7 of 18 from the field and turned it over seven times as the Pacers (22-45) took control of the game.
“We had a horrible second quarter,” said Brown. “We had seven or eight turnovers in the second quarter, and that just set the tone. We got beat on the offensive board early, we didn’t move the ball and we didn’t recognize when guys were open.”
Still, behind 20 points apiece from Jackson and Boris Diaw and a career-high 19 from Stephen Graham, who was filling in for the second game for the injured Gerald Wallace (left ankle), the Bobcats nearly pulled off the improbably rally in the final minutes.
“The last four minutes, we looked like a whole different team,” said Brown. “We played with energy and effort, but you have to have it all the time. You can’t turn it over, miss free throws and take bad shots on the road and expect to win. You have to play for 48 minutes on the road, especially when you don’t have Gerald (Wallace) in the game. But Stevie Graham was great.”
The Bobcats return home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena® before heading back on the road for a weekend set in Atlanta and Miami.
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