whether Brandon Kozun can make the leap

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Andrew Bynum provided the energy boost Indiana needed early. Bait Saucony Cruel World 2 . David West delivered all the big shots late. Together, the Pacers tag-team inside tandem simply overpowered the Celtics. West scored 24 points Tuesday while Bynum finished with eight points and 10 rebounds in 16 minutes, helping the Pacers pull away from Boston, 94-83. "He (West) is our backbone. Hes the one that lifts us and hes our best late-game playmaker and shot maker," Paul George said. "We always rely on David and he always digs us out of ............" The Pacers desperately needed Wests closing punch after losing a season high four straight. They also needed Bynums presence. Indiana played without backup centre Ian Mahinmi (bruised left rib) and backup point guard C.J. Watson (sprained right elbow), then lost George with two fouls just 7 minutes into the game. George wasnt the only having trouble Tuesday. Indianas other big perimeter shooter, Lance Stephenson, went 4 of 12 from the field and was shut out in the first half. Starting point guard George Hill appeared to hurt his right hand in the fourth quarter and All-Star centre Roy Hibbert finished the game despite a hard fourth-quarter fall. Yet the re-emerging West and Bynum, who played for the first time in almost 2 1/2 months, made up for those problems. "I felt great. I couldnt do anything wrong today," Bynum said. "All the rebounds came my way. I just grabbed them." The win gives Indiana a 1 1/2-game lead over Miami in the Eastern Conference standings. The Pacers also became the first team to win 30 home games and are still a league-best 30-4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. While West stole the show on the court, Bynum created the most buzz off of it. For six weeks, Pacers fans waited to see No. 17 take the court. The 7-foot former All-Star drew a rousing ovation when he entered with 4:22 left in the first quarter and by the time the period ended, Bynum already had four points, five rebounds and one assist. Afterward, Bynum downplayed the impact he had. West, however, thought Bynums presence made a huge difference -- one that could help Indiana get back on track and stay on track through June. "He had an opportunity and he took advantage of it tonight," West said. "Hes going to make the game simple from my perspective when hes on the floor. Weve got to play through him offensively. Hes solid." Jared Sullinger led Boston with 17 points and nine rebounds, Kris Humphries added 15 points, but it wasnt enough to win a third straight as the Celtics lost more ground in their chase to make the playoffs. And even though the Celtics twice got within one point of the Pacers in the fourth quarter, first-year coach Brad Stevens contended the Pacers recent struggles were nothing compared to what most other NBA teams face on a nightly basis. "Theyre 47-17, right? They aint got no troubles," said Stevens, who left nearby Butler to take the Boston job last summer. "I know weve got to make a story out of something, but its really not. And Ive lived it on the other side where youre almost over cynical to a really good team and that becomes hard, too. The challenge becomes to continue on and not get too down or too high and theyre good at it." As well as Bynum and West played at times Tuesday, the Pacers still struggled to put this one away. Bynums first basket, a dunk, broke a 14-14 tie and the Pacers never trailed again. Indiana led by as much as 14 in the second quarter and was up 49-40 at the half. The Pacers rebuilt a 65-50 lead late in the third quarter before the Celtics rallied. They got to 69-61 after three, closed to 69-66 early in the fourth and then got as close as 77-76 when Sullinger scored with 6:44 left. "We finally got a couple of baskets without interference late in the game," Stevens said. "But those are hard to come by against these guys." West answered with a 21-foot jumper, Stephenson scored on a layup, Hibbert knocked down a 19-footer and the Celtics couldnt get closer than five. "Weve still got a lot of work to do," West said. "Weve got to get back to playing our style of basketball, being aggressive and playing with a little more confidence." NOTES: The Pacers pulled off their first four-game sweep of Boston since 1997-98.... The Celtics are now 2-14 on the first night of back-to-backs this season. ... Stephenson and George had a combined four points through the first 2 1/2 quarters. George finished with 12, Stephenson with nine. Saucony Skor Sverige .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings take aim at an eighth straight victory on Monday night as they wrap up a road trip versus the Calgary Flames. Air Max 90 Herr . And theyre pointing to the NHLs biggest market: Toronto. With Gretzky paid out for what is believed to be $7 to 8 million, Gretzky may be eager to get back into the NHL and TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that the Maple Leafs are very much interested in The Great Ones services. http://www.sauconyskor.se/saucony-grid-9000-viridian-burner.html .C. -- Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith has been ruled out for Sundays game against the Atlanta Falcons.TORONTO a€“ If there was one aspect of the Maple Leafs that general manager Dave Nonis believed had improved from one year earlier, it was depth a€“ especially up front. Toronto brass spent the summer months adding forwards of different distinctions from the free agent market, the trade market and as far away as the KHL a€“ not to mention the waiver wire, Richard Panik claimed from Tampa Thursday a€“ all with the idea of bolstering an underserved area of the roster. Fast forward to Wednesdays season opener and the earliest peek into what that depth may look like. Of the 12 forwards who dressed against the Canadiens, 11 played more than 10 minutes a€“ and one, Matt Frattin, played 9:24. Randy Carlyle, the Leafs head coach, was able to flip four lines with matching speed for three periods, including in the closing moments of the final frame a€“ Montreal winning late on the second of two goals from Tomas Plekanec. First Line Player Ice-Time vs. MTL James van Riemsdyk 22:07 Tyler Bozak 21:31 Phil Kessel 20:31 Fourth Line Player Ice-Time vs. MTL Matt Frattin 9:24 Daniel Winnik 10:39 Peter Holland 11:01 That kind of depth a€“ which produced Torontos game-tying goal late in the third a€“ simply didnt exist for the club a year ago. Consider that Colton Orr, in last seasons opener in Montreal, played less than three minutes, including one shift of 32 seconds in a close third period. Orr, who is now with the Marlies, played more than 10 minutes once in 54 games last season. Frazer McLaren, also demoted to the Marlies in the Leafs final purge after training camp, never played more than 10 minutes in 27 games. Intimidation aside, they combined for zero goals, zero assists and zero points last season. Torontos new recruits will assuredly provide more than that. The teams bottom two lines proved maybe their most effective against Montreal, all the more valuable given the woeful night of the top unit which turned pucks over, generated little offence and was scored on twice by the Habs first trio of Max Pacioretty, P.A. Parenteau, and David Desharnais. Four lines definitely does help out, especially early on in the games to get everyone involved, said Nazem Kadri, who scored the first goal for the Leafs in defeat. Billiga Nike Air Max 90 Essential. One of the potential effects of increased depth is precisely how it could affect that incumbent first line of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. The Leafs were overly reliant on the threesome last season, a toll that became evident with their struggles during the March collapse. Better balance (or at least the thought of it) stands to alleviate some of the burden on those players. More capability throughout the lineup also stands to increase possession, keep speed and some degree of skill constant, shift after shift, and add hints of offence where it was lacking in the past. Daniel Winnik, who lined up on the left side of the fourth unit Wednesday, offered 30 points as a Duck last year. That kind of production would be a drastic increase from the wasteland of the teams fourth line in 2013-14. This collection of depth forwards, however, is still very much in question. It remains to be seen whether Mike Santorelli can stay healthy and offer the versatility hes shown during stopovers in Florida and Vancouver or if Peter Holland can establish himself as a regular NHL player (centre ice remains a weak spot for the Leafs). It remains to be seen what kind of contribution David Clarkson can make in Year Two, whether Brandon Kozun can make the leap from the AHL, if Matt Frattin can define himself in this league. Its a wild-card group, really, one thats full of questions. But theres upside in the collection as well. And given the interchangeability of the parts, competition for ice-time seems a given and something the Leafs hope instigates improved performance and expanded roles. Youre going to have to work for your ice, said Kadri, who played only 14 minutes in the opener. Some days youve got it, some days you dont. You definitely have to earn it. Holland, for instance, hadnt killed penalties since junior, but took reps in the role against Montreal. Thats extra ice-time and opportunity for a player still trying to establish himself in the league and it comes at the expense of Bozak, for one, who struggled in the role (under heavy total minutes) last season. Theres also insulation in the case of injuries, a reality the Leafs didnt have a year ago when two of their top centres got hurt early in the season. We think we can play a skating game, an up-tempo game, said Carlyle. 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