Unser Chat » dy in the locker room is tired

ORLANDO, Fla. -- After enduring a rough stretch over the past two months, the Indiana Pacers will enter the playoffs on a bit of a roll. Rasual Butler and Chris Copeland each scored 19 points as the Pacers rested their key players and cruised to a 101-86 victory over the Orlando Magic in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Pacers sat three starters -- Paul George, Lance Stephenson and David West -- and played George Hill and Roy Hibbert sparingly. But they got good output from their understudies in the second half to put the game out of reach. It was the second time in two weeks Indiana won with starters on the bench. Coach Frank Vogel pulled all five starters during their victory over Milwaukee last week. "Theres always value in winning games, but anytime you have bench guys that have a chance to get extended minutes, thats really good for their rhythm and confidence," Vogel said. "Weve had pretty good health from our starters most of the season. So those bench guys havent had opportunities to get extended minutes like this. So the Milwaukee game was good and this game was good." The Eastern Conferences top seed ended the season winning three of four to shake off a nasty late-season slump. The victory was just Indianas 10th in their last 23 games. Still for a team expected to be one of the defending champion Miami Heats biggest impediments to a third consecutive NBA championship, its an encouraging boost for the post-season. The Pacers will open the playoffs against eighth-seed Atlanta. "Through all the ups and downs, were still locked into the No. 1 seed so we have to tip our hat for that," Hill said. "But its a new game now. Its playoff time -- 0-0. Its the first to 16 (wins)." The Magic trimmed what had been an 18-point, second-half deficit down to 12 in the fourth quarter before another late surge by Indiana helped secure the victory. Indiana also knocked down 11 3-pointers, and racked up 40 points in the paint. The Pacers didnt look short-handed as they went back and forth with the Magic in the first half, and took a six-point halftime lead. Evan Turner had 11 first-half points, including one of the Indianas six 3-pointers in the opening 24 minutes. The Magic played 11 players in the half, with nine of them scoring. Orlando struggled from the field, though, shooting just 37 per cent. Maurice Harkless led the Magic with 14 points, and ETwaun Moore added 13 for an Orlando team that ended the season losing 16 of 20 and had the fifth-worst record in franchise history. It was not a huge surprise for a franchise looking toward future. To help with the ongoing rebuilding process theyll have two lottery picks in Junes NBA draft. The plan is to add more building blocks around rookie guard Victor Oladipo, and big man Nik Vucevic. That doesnt mean there were any happy feelings Wednesday night. "Im pretty sure everybody in the locker room is tired of losing and its something that we dont want to do again next year," Harkless said. "Hopefully its something that we can fix." Now that their brief rest period is done, Hill said he feels like he and his teammates are ready for the challenge that awaits them. "Its going to be tough, but nobody gets us without having the advantage of being at home in a seven-game series," he said. "Its great without any back to backs, which is really the toughest part of the season. Its just great, now that we have some rest, our guys can prepare to go from game to game." NOTES: Orlando played without starters Jameer Nelson and Vucevic. Nelson missed his third straight game with a strained left groin, and Vucevic was out for the seventh consecutive game with a sore left Achilles....The Magic were just 7-42 this season when their opponent scored 100 or more points. 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Eddie Goldman Jersey . -- Canadas Milos Raonic defeated Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France on Saturday to advance to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. Kylie Fitts Jersey . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers Pro Bowl defensive end Greg Hardy was released from jail on $17,000 bond Wednesday, one day after being arrested on charges of assault on a female and communicating threats. Hardy left jail wearing sweatpants and a black tank top. He did not speak to reporters. Charlotte Mecklenburg County Judge Rebecca Thorne Tin called Hardy a potential threat and ordered him not to have any contact with the accuser and to attend three Alcoholic Anonymous meetings per week. In the arrest warrant, the 24-year-old accuser alleges Hardy threw her on a pile of guns and threatened to kill her. She filed a protective restraining order against Hardy on Wednesday, saying he attacked her in his apartment and "picked me up and threw me into the tile tub area in the bathroom" and that she "has bruises from head to toe." She also says in the filing that the 6-foot-4, 290-pound Hardy pulled her by the hair and "was screaming he was going to kill me, break my arms and other threats." She says Hardy choked her with both hands around her throat before picking her up and throwing her onto a couch "covered with assault rifles and/or shotguns" and "bragged that the guns were loaded." "He threatened to shoot me if I went to the media or reported his assault to anyone," she says. She says Hardy has approximately 25 to 30 firearms in his downtown Charlotte apartment, including an AK-47. She says she eventually got out of the apartment, where she ran into Charlotte Mecklenburg police. Hardys attorney, Chris Fialko, refuted those allegations Wednesday. He argued in court -- and later outside the courtroom -- that Hardy and Sammy Curtis, his administrative assistant, were attacked by the accuser, and that it was Hardy who made the 911 call to police at 4:18 a.m. Tuesday. The accusers attorney, Stephen Goodwin, said his client was held down by Curtis and prevented from calling police. Goodwin called Fialkos claim that Hardy was the one attacked by the accuser false. "The physical evidence doesnt even come close to matching that," Goodwin said. There were conflicting reports from 911 calls obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday night from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. On a call made by Hardy, the NFL player can be heard saying, "t;My assistant is trying to restrain her and shes trying to break free and hit me with her heel.dddddddddddd Im literally running around the table right now." Hardy also mentions in the call that he thinks the accuser is "on coke or something. I dont know. Shes been drinking. I dont know what shes on, man." In another call by someone at the players condominium, an unidentified woman tells the operator that the woman had been beaten for more than 30 minutes. "Hes beating her (butt) in there. Some girls getting her (butt) beat upstairs and I heard it. And I seen it. Hes beating her (butt) right now." Goodwin said Hardy and the accuser, who the lawyer said works as a waitress in Charlotte, were in a relationship and previously lived together. They were not living together at the time of the incident, which occurred at an "after hours" party. Goodwin said he doesnt know what sparked the fight, but Tin stated in the courtroom that both parties were drinking alcohol. Judge Tin said the court was "very concerned" about the bruises on the accusers neck and back. Hardy spent Tuesday night in jail and appeared in court Wednesday wearing an orange jump suit. The incident began early Tuesday morning. Police said patrol officers responded to a domestic violence assault call at 4:18 a.m. Hardy tied a franchise record with 15 sacks last season for the leagues second-ranked defence. He had 11 sacks in 2012. That production convinced the salary-cap strapped Panthers to make Hardy their franchise player at $13.116 million for one season. Hardy signed the teams offer sheet in March. The Panthers said in a statement Tuesday they were "very disappointed" to learn of the allegations and planned to investigate. Hardys NFL agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was in the courtroom but declined comment. Hardys next court date is June 27. The Panthers organization is particularly sensitive to domestic violence issues. In 2001, Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth was found guilty of conspiring to murder his girlfriend, Cherica Adams, who was carrying his child. Carruth was sentenced to 18 to 24 years in prison. Hardys court appearance occurred on the same day the Panthers hosted a breakfast at their stadium for "Men For Change," a group that serves victims of