By Ed Niser
The Charlotte Bobcats dropped their home opener to the Indiana Pacers 104-101 when a last second three-pointer from Stephen Jackson clanged off the rim as the horn sounded.
“Coach (Larry Brown) drew up two great plays at the end of the game,” said Stephen Jackson. “He put us in a great position to send the game into overtime or to win it but we have to execute better and knock down those shots.”
Wallace led the Bobcats with 29 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Charlotte just couldn’t find an answer to the Pacers’ Danny Granger who drained 33 points on the Bobcats defense with six coming by way of the three ball.
“ I think they started playing scrappy, and Granger made some big shots for them and they stepped up and hit free throws and that’s what you want to do on the road,” Jackson explained.
Turnovers down the stretch proved to be the Bobcats kryptonite in Friday’s contest as they amassed a total of 17.
“We had too many turnovers in the fourth quarter, I think we had seven and against a team that shoots quickly and uses the three point line that’s killer.” said Head Coach Larry Brown
Despite the turnover bug, Charlotte led for the remainder of the game until former UNC great Tyler Hansborough came off the bench for the Pacers and netted 12 points.
D.J. Augustin netted 14 points in the first half but only managed to sink a three-pointer in the second half finishing the evening with 17 points.
Augustin appears to be morphing into the point guard that everyone expected him to be coming out of The University of Texas.
In the loss at Dallas Augustin recorded 8 points and 5 assists, and even though he won’t score in bunches, Augustin will be the necessary piece to the puzzle.
Crucial missed free throws down the homestretch cost the Bobcats the game tonight but Gerald Wallace was quick to take the blame for that and told the media, “I take total blame for that, I missed a bunch of free throws and a key free throw down the stretch.”
Wallace botched six key free throws in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, leaving Charlotte searching for its first win of the regular season.
Charlotte had five players in double figures in scoring including Tyrus Thomas, Boris Diaw, Augustin, Jackson and Wallace
The Bobcats looks to regain their composure as they hit the road to Milwaukee t0 take on the Bucks tonight at 7 p.m.