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ove? On Leafs Breakfast on TSN Radio 1050 on Thursday, T
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INDIANAPOLIS -- Pacers coach Frank Vogel kept the game plan simple. Nike Air Force 1 low France . Make the extra pass, take care of the ball, play defence and get more out of his bench. The four-pronged approach worked. Danny Granger scored a season-high 16 points, Paul George and Lance Stephenson each added 15, and the Pacers plowed through some rough stretches to pull away from the Orlando Magic, 98-79 on Monday night. "I thought we came out with the right focus and the right fight," forward David West said. "We played hard, played together and got the W." Thats good enough for right now. The team with the NBAs best record came into the game with a 3-3 mark over its last six and seemed to be sliding after a series of slow starts forced it to fight its way back from large, early deficits. Even returning home after a five-game West Coast swing wasnt the fix. The Pacers (37-10) lost to Phoenix last Thursday, then had to overcome a season-high 24 turnovers Saturday to barely get past Brooklyn. On Monday, the Pacers looked like a different team. They started fast, committed only two turnovers in the first 21 1/2 minutes and led from start to finish. Perhaps that much should have been expected against the second-worst team in the league and the worst road team in the NBA. But it was still a tough night. West hurt his right ankle in the third quarter, backup centre Ian Mahinmi left with an injured right shoulder in the fourth and Indiana let Orlando (13-37) back into the game late in the first half before nearly giving all of its 16-point, first-half lead by starting the third quarter with 10 straight misses. The difference: The Pacers heeded their All-Star coachs advice and allowed a season-low 29 points in the second half. "Thats typical of us," Granger said. "You know we hang our hat on defence, and we really want that to carry us the whole way." Arron Afflalo led the Magic with 20 points but was shut out for the final 23:47. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points, getting only four over the final 19 minutes. The only other Orlando player to reach double figures was Tobias Harris, who finished with 11. Rookie Victor Oladipo finished with six points and tied a season high with 11 assists but was just 2 of 11 from the field in his second game back in his adopted home state. "They were just more active on their tags and disguising their defence," said Oladipo, who again started in place of injured point guard Jameer Nelson. "They just did a great job of making us take tough shots. Its something we need to learn from." The Pacers, meanwhile, stuck to the Vogel Plan. Granger, a former All-Star who has been working his way back from a strained left calf, broke out of his shooting slump. C.J. Watson had 12 points and Luis Scola added 10 as the Pacers bench combined for exactly half of Indianas total, a season best. Indianas two most prolific scorers did their thing, too. George started with seven points, three rebounds, two steals and two assists in the first quarter. Stephenson, the NBA leader with four triple-doubles, settled for 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. It looked as if the Pacers would blow out Orlando when they took a 55-39 lead midway through the second quarter. But the Magic closed the period on a 9-2 run, then watched the Pacers miss their first 10 shots in the third quarter as they crept back within two on Vucevics tip-in with 7:01 to go. Indianas defence then held tight until Stephenson ended the shooting drought with a circus jumper that banked in as he drew a foul on Oladipo. Stephenson made the free throw to give Indiana a 63-58 lead and the Magic never got another chance to tie it. The Pacers closed the third quarter on a 9-1 run to make it 75-63 and opened the fourth on a 11-1 spurt to put it away. "It goes back to passing," Granger said. "You know when once you move the ball, you get a lot more open shots. Weve been trying to do it by ourselves these last 10 or 12 games and our offence has been struggling. So we move the ball, we get layups, backdoor cuts, open 3s. That makes everybody look good." Notes: Vogel gave his starters extra rest in the fourth quarter with the Pacers heading to Atlanta for the second half of a back-to-back on Tuesday. ... Nelson sat out with a sore left knee and is expected to be examined when the team returns home. ... Recently signed centre Andrew Bynum has not yet practiced with the Pacers. Air Force 1 Low Pas Cher .S. international midfielder Michael Bradley is complete. Nike Air Force 1 Low Pas Cher . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training.The NHLs Mar. 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out todays trade-related reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. And follow TSN.ca through Deadline Day for all the updates. Kadri On The Move? On Leafs Breakfast on TSN Radio 1050 on Thursday, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said believes that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri is available in trade discussions, but that the club is not eager to move him because of their weakness at the centre position. "I have been told bluntly by Dave Nonis that he needs a centre in return," Dreger said. "Who is going to give you a better centre for one they think might develop into a better centre? "This one is going to be crafty. Air Force 1 France. . I do think he gets moved this year, but its going to be a delicate one." Net Market On NHL Network on Wednesday, Dreger added that he didnt believe the Carolina Hurricanes are actively shopping goaltender Cam Ward - but they could be intrigued by the possibility and it could take a significant offer to convince the team to move him. He also said that Michal Neuvirth could be the odd man out with the Washington Capitals, but general manager George McPhee isnt calling around trying to move him. Status Quo On Erat? Chuck Gormley of Comcast SportsNet in Washington writes that Capitals winger Martin Erat has been scratched for a fourth straight game and his agent is still talking with McPhee about a deal, but nothing has changed in Erats desire to be traded. ' ' '