Bobcats race past Pacers with strong fourth quarter

Emeka Okafor scored 19 points and grabbed 14 boards while Matt Carroll added 18 off the bench for the Bobcats, who have won two straight after dropping three in a row.

Raymond Felton recorded a double-double with 10 points and a career-high 19 assists in the victory.

Charlotte finished 50 percent shooting from the floor.

Jermaine O’Neal posted 27 points with 12 rebounds for the Pacers, who lost for just the third time in nine games. Danny Granger netted 17 points with six rebounds and Jamaal Tinsley contributed 15 points and dished out six helpers in defeat.

A strong fourth quarter by the Bobcats snapped a six-game road losing streak and gave them their first win in Indiana.

After the Pacers went up 82-79 on a Granger trey early in the fourth, the Bobcats took control the rest of the way. In a span of 37 seconds, Morrison landed a hook shot, Okafor chipped in with a free throw and Wallace added a layup to put Charlotte up for good.

The Bobcats increased their lead to 108-94 on Okafor’s layup and outscored Indiana in the final frame, 34-25.

Carroll drained a pair of free throws with 1 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter to put Charlotte up 29-22, but Maceo Baston converted on a three-point play as Indiana trailed by four entering the second.

Morrison’s two hits from the charity stripe gave the Bobcats an eight-point edge at 49-41 with 3:27 remaining. The Pacers, though, cut within two on O’Neal’s free throws before May put in a layup for a 54-50 Charlotte lead at the half.

The Bobcats opened the third frame with a 13-4 run — led by eight points from Morrison — to extend their cushion to 67-54 at the 9:33 mark. Then, Indiana responded with a 17-4 burst capped by Stephen Jackson’s put-in and tied the contest, 71-71, with 3:17 left.

In the closing minutes of the period, Derek Anderson nailed a three and added two free throws to give Charlotte a slim 79-77 edge after three quarters of play.

Game Notes

Morrison finished 9-of-17 from the field and 10-of-11 from the line...O’Neal went 8-of-17 from the floor and 11-of-14 from the charity stripe...Jackson finished with 14 points...The Bobcats shot 66.7 percent from three-point range while the Pacers were just 23.5 percent from beyond the arc...Charlotte hosts Minnesota on Monday while Indiana travels to Dallas on Thursday.