

NOTEBOOK



By John Oehser, NBA.com

THE FACTS: Mike Dunleavy, snapping an early-season shooting slump, scored 24 points in a record-setting third quarter for the Indiana Pacers, who went 20-for-21 from the field in the period en route to a 144-113 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Conseco Fieldhouse on Tuesday. QUOTABLE: "That was as much fun as you can have on a basketball court."

-- Pacers coach Jim O'Brien THE STAT: Indiana set a franchise record with 54 third-quarter points, but that only starts to explain the Pacers' period. They shot 95.2 percent from the field, with a missed 3-pointer by forward Josh McRoberts with three seconds remaining the lone miss. And it wasn't as if Indiana was shooting layups. They were 8-for-9 on 3-pointers, and Dunleavy went 7-for-7 from the field -- 5-for-5 from 3-point range. Indiana had 17 assists in the period and missed three times as many free throws -- three -- as they did field goals. During the period, Indiana stretched a 10-point halftime lead to 113-76. The 54 points wers the most in a quarter in franchise history and tied for the fourth-highest in any quarter in NBA history. TURNING POINT: The Pacers never trailed en route to evening their record at 3-3 -- and the third quarter was about as one-sided as a game can get -- but Indiana truly began to take control in the second quarter. Center Roy Hibbert and Dunleavy began to get hot in the period, each scoring seven points, and the Pacers outrebounded the already-listless Nuggets 16-7 to take a 59-49 halftime lead. QUOTABLE II: "I didn't know. I would have tried to pump-fake it a few more times, and maybe pass it to Mike. It's a good record to screw up, I guess."

-- McRoberts on his miss at the end of the third quarter HOT: Dunleavy entered the game in a shooting slump, but O'Brien said beforehand the veteran guard wasn't taking bad shots -- he was just off, and O'Brien expressed confidence that would change. In the second and third quarters Tuesday, it did, with Dunleavy -- after going 0-for-3 in the first quarter -- making nine of 10 field goals during the stretch. He finished 9-for-13 for 31 points. His six 3-pointers tied a career-high. NOT: Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony was 5-for-15 from the field and finished with 13 points. FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Point guard Darren Collison was critical to the Pacers' taking control early. O'Brien said before the game that Collison is very much still getting used to the tempo the Pacers want offensively, and Collison scored 15 first-half points. He was 7-for-8 from the field in the first half and finished with 29 points and six assists. INSIDE THE ARENA: Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee attended the game. ROOKIE WATCH: Nuggets rookie Gary Forbes helped keep the Nuggets somewhat close early. He was 3-for-6 in the first half -- 2-for2 from 3-point range -- and had nine of his 16 points in the first two quarters. NOTABLE: Brandon Rush made his first appearance of the season after a five-game, league-mandated suspension. The Pacers forward scored 16 points and had seven rebounds. ... The Pacers' 16 3-point field goals were one shy of the franchise record set in March against Utah. ... Indiana shot 64.4 percent from the field, highest in the NBA this season. ... The Pacers' 85 points in the second half were a franchise record. ... Pacers second-year forward Tyler Hansbrough scored 20 points, one shy of a career-high for the 2009 first-round draft selection. UP NEXT: For the Pacers, Friday vs. Rockets, Saturday vs. Cavaliers, Tuesday vs. Hawks. For the Nuggets, Thursday vs. Lakers, Monday @ Suns, Tuesday vs. Knicks.

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