Mohammed, Brown spoil Hansbrough’s homecoming, Bobcats beat Pacers 104-88 to end 7-game slide

Bobcats beat Pacers 104-88 to end 7-game slide

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nazr Mohammed scored 18 points, Boris Diaw added 17 and the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Indiana Pacers 104-88 on Sunday to snap a seven-game losing streak.

Rookie Derrick Brown scored a season-high 13 and Stephen Jackson added 10 in his first home game with Charlotte, helping the NBA’s lowest-scoring team to its best offensive performance in weeks.

It spoiled Tyler Hansbrough’s first professional game in North Carolina. With college coach Roy Williams sitting courtside, Hansbrough didn’t get his first field goal until midway through the fourth quarter, when the Pacers were down 20 points.

Dahntay Jones scored 19 points and Danny Granger had 18 for Indiana, which has lost three straight following a five-game winning streak.

The Bobcats finally showed some offensive rhythm, though it came from unlikely sources.

The 32-year-old Mohammed was buried on the bench last season, but started his second straight game at center with Tyson Chandler (back spasms) sidelined.

Mohammed showed a soft touch, hitting eight of 10 shots while grabbing five rebounds. He did an effective job guarding rookie Roy Hibbert, who shot just 3 for 9 from the field.

Brown, a second-round pick from Xavier, surpassed his previous career high of nine points by halftime. Showing good range and athleticism, the 6-foot-7 Brown hit 5 of 7 shots and outplayed the headline rookie in the game.

Hansbrough, still working his way into the rotation following his return from a shin injury, had eight points, six rebounds and five fouls in 21 minutes, but the Pacers couldn’t overcome a miserable shooting performance.

Looking disjointed as they work injured players back into the lineup, the Pacers shot 41 percent from the field, including 5 of 22 from 3-point range.

Jeff Foster didn’t score and picked up three fouls in nine minutes in his first game after missing more than three weeks with a sprained right ankle. Troy Murphy had seven points and eight rebounds in his second game back from a back injury, but Granger shot just 5 for 14.

Jackson, cheered as he was introduced in his first game since being acquired from Golden State last week, hit a jumper early in the second quarter to give Charlotte a 38-22 lead.

When the Pacers cut the lead to 70-56 in the third, Mohammed went to work with a couple of buckets. Brown added a jumper, and Diaw a 3-pointer as Charlotte built an 81-60 lead entering the fourth quarter.

It made for a sour homecoming for Hansbrough, who led the Tar Heels to the national championship in the spring while becoming North Carolina’s all-time leading scorer.

Hansbrough grabbed spare tickets from teammates for friends and family. Four of the best courtside seats in the house were filled by Williams and his family.

A couple fans dressed in North Carolina gear shouted “Tyler” while he went through pregame warmups, and there was a buzz when he went to check in late in the first quarter.

Greeted by cheers and a smatter of boos from the Duke or anti-North Carolina fans, Hansbrough had a tough early task: guarding Gerald Wallace.

Wallace had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Charlotte, which set a season high for points in its first win since Nov. 6.

NOTES: Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said F Mike Dunleavy has been cleared to return from his troublesome right knee, but it’s uncertain if he’ll make his season debut this week. “He has not practiced enough fullcourt that we’re comfortable just throwing him out there,” O’Brien said. “When he feels like he’s in NBA shape, then he’ll be back.” … Chandler appeared to be in significant pain as he tested his back before the game. … Hansbrough said he plans to live in Chapel Hill during the offseason.