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The Bobcats put up a good fight, but couldn't overcome a prolonged shooting drought in the fourth quarter as the Pacers captured a 93-85 victory in Indiana on Friday.

With the scored tied at 65 with 1:39 left in the third quarter, Sean May connected on a field goal to give the Bobcats a two-point advantage. It would be the last field goal for the Bobcats until the 5:31 mark of the fourth quarter, when May hit a turnaround jumper to stop the slide. Charlotte's cold shooting enabled the Pacers to go on a 15-1 run and build a 12-point advantage.

Charlotte, true to their character, did not quit however. They fought back, going on a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to four with 1:57 left in the game. Charlotte could not get any closer as time proved to be on the Pacers side. Indiana connected on six free throws in the closing minute to help seal the win.

Free throws proved to be a deciding factor in the game as the Pacers made 34-44 shots from the charity stripe while the Bobcats went 10-14 from the line.

Friday's game was the back end of a home-and-home series between the two teams, with the Bobcats having captured a 122-90 victory two nights earlier on their home court.

The Pacers performed well in the game's opening minutes, making nine of their first 11 shots and building an eight-point advantage. Jermaine O'Neal was unstoppable in the first quarter, contributing over half of his team's point total in the stanza. Behind O'Neal, Indiana extended its lead, pushing it to 11 in the period. Indiana finished the first quarter shooting 61.1 percent from the floor while Charlotte shot 36.4 percent.

As the second quarter got underway, the Bobcats clawed their way back, going on a 9-0 run to take a three-point advantage. Charlotte shot well in the quarter, connecting on 12-25 shots to help them build a five-point lead during the period. The game remained tight as the two teams went into halftime tied at 48.

For much of the third quarter, the two teams battled it out with no more than five points separating the two squads. Both teams shot well, until the end of the stanza when the Bobcats went cold from the field.

Kareem Rush followed up his 35-point performance on Wednesday with a 20-point showing to lead the Bobcats. Four other players also scored in double-digits with Emeka Okafor posting his sixth double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

O'Neal finished with 29 points and 18 rebounds to lead Indiana. Austin Croshere also added a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

The Bobcats travel to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

NOTES: After missing Wednesday's game with tendinitis in his knee, guard Brevin Knight returned to the Bobcats starting lineup... Knight finished with 14 assists, his second double-figure assist total of the season... Rookie Sean May posted 14 points and seven rebounds in his return to his home state... May attended high school in Bloomington, Indiana... Tonight was May's fifth consecutive game in double figures... In the Bobcats last two games, Kareem Rush has shot 74.1 percent from the field and 75 percent from three-point range... Charlotte's bench outscored the Pacers bench 36-32... This was the first of Charlotte's two home-and-home series this season...The Bobcats will face Washington in a home-and-home series in March.

INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM
Bobcats General Manager & Head Coach Bernie Bickerstaff
(On the game) Indiana wanted us. They made some big shots, tonight.

(On Raymond Felton) I can’t comment, tonight, on one individual. I think collectively, the team played well. Indiana, give them credit. The guy, I can’t pronounce his name (Sarunas Jasikevicius), did a pretty good job.

Bobcats guard Kareem Rush
(On the cold shooting stretch) We did nothing wrong. We just missed shots. They converted. Especially down the stretch. We had a lot of open jump shots. And when they go in, like they were early in the game, you tend to continue to do what you were doing. That’s what we’ve got. We’ve got guys that make open jump shots. We just hit a tough stretch. That’s something that the Pacers did well and they got to the free throw line and executed.

Bobcats forward Sean May
(On end of 3rd quarter turnover) That was just bad communication between me and Ray (Felton). I caught the ball and I looked up and there was something like 5 ½ seconds still on the clock, so I thought we could get something, so I threw it ahead to Ray, but Jumaine Jones kind of cut in front of him and that created a loose ball situation where he (Sarunas Jasikevicius) was able to come up with it and the rest is history. I did a lot of dumb things tonight and that was one of them. I just have to get better at those little things and quit making those rookie mistakes.

(On cold shooting stretch) We just got into a tough stretch there for a while. We were getting good shots; we just were not making them. We had, I think, two or three back-to-back possessions that ended in shot clock violations, and that’s just not us. We normally execute better than that. But, when we got down 13, we were able to fight back and that’s a sign of a good team, to fight like that. That team is one of the best teams in the NBA. And to play them, like we did, both the other night at home and here tonight, shows us a lot about ourselves. I think we’re on the right track.

(On the Boos) They don’t bother me. They weren’t as bad tonight as they were last year at Assembly Hall. So I kind of expected it. But booing is also a sign of respect, so I’ll just look at it that way.