NBA Preseason- October 8th

Indiana 126, Denver 104

The Good: Indiana had an exceptional performance against Denver, scoring 126 points on 52.5% shooting as a team. The got 20 points apiece from Troy Murphy, Brandon Rush, and Roy Hibbert. Hibbert also added 11 rebounds and 8 blocks. Rookie AJ Price also contributed 16 points and made four 3-pointers.

The Bad: While the Pacers dominated offensively, the Nuggets were barely able to get out of their own way. They were able to crack 100 points due to the fast pace of play, but Denver could only manage 37.8% from the field, including a 5-for-16 showing from J.R. Smith.

Utah 109, Real Madrid 87

The Good: Paul Milsap led the way for the Jazz with 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting off the bench, but it was hardly a one-man show, as Utah shot 58.6% from the field. Former University of Michigan star Louis Bullock led the way for Real with 18 points.

The Bad: Utah won the game handily, but showed signs of complacency, committing 23 turnovers and shooting just 70.6% from the free throw line.

Charlotte 108, New Orleans 101

The Good: The Bobcats shot 40% from behind the 3-point line and were led by D.J. Augistin's 22 points, which came on 16-for-18 from the free throw line. The Hornets also had reason to be pleased, as they got solid contributions from their rookies. Darren Collison scored 12 points and added 6 assists, while former LSU standout Marcus Thornton had 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Chris Paul had a ho-hum 24 points on 7-of-9 shooting, and added 6 assists in the loss.

The Bad: Many folks in basketball circles believe that Julian Wright is poised to have a breakout season for New Orleans, but he could only muster 2 points on 1-of-6 shooting against the Bobcats.

The Ugly: Earl Barron committed 4 turnovers and fouled out after 21 minutes without recording a point.