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Hansbrough makes NBA debut
INDIANAPOLIS -- Tyler Hansbrough's dream of playing in the NBA became a reality Friday night as the Poplar Bluff native made his debut with the Indiana Pacers.
"I had a couple of jitters it being my first time on the NBA state," Hansbrough said. "I just tried to get in the flow of the game."
Hansbrough finished the Pacers' 102-86 win over the visiting Washington Wizards with 13 points, five rebounds and an assist in just under 14 minutes of action at Conseco Fieldhouse.
"Tyler was tough," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "It was about what I expected. He was a little rusty in some areas but he'll attack offensively and defensively."
Hansbrough hit 3-of-7 shots, getting his first career points early in the second quarter, and got to the free-throw line 10 times, hitting seven after missing his first attempt.
"It was a little shaky but I was fighting some nerves out there," he said. "It will continue to get better."
Hansbrough popped off the bench with 4:31 left in the first quarter to a loud ovation from fans, some wearing Carolina Blue in a crowd of 14,556. He played the rest of the quarter, pulling down three rebounds and missing his first two shots from the field.
Hansbrough missed a 15-foot jumper, got the rebound but was blocked by 6-11 forward Andray Blatche.
"I thought it was good," Hansbrough said of his first shot. "Missed it but got my rebound and then got blocked. That's going to happen in the NBA -- kind of a wake-up call."
Starting the second quarter with the Pacers up 23-19, Hansbrough hit a layup off a pass from Hibbert for his first career points. After missing a 19-footer, Hibbert got the rebound leading to Hansbrough's first trip to the free-throw line. After missing his first free throw, Hansbrough knocked down the second. On the next possession for the Pacers after Washington pulled within 26-23, Hansbrough again got to the line and hit 1-of-2 shots.
The Wizards never got closer after that as the Pacers went on a 13-3 run with Hansbrough on the bench. He returned In the second half as Washington pulled within 66-58.
Hansbrough hit a layup off a pass from T.J. Ford, who had 18 points, four assists and no turnovers in 40 minutes. That started a 10-0 run for the Pacers, who led 82-65 heading into the final quarter. Hansbrough scored seven points on 1-of-2 shots from the field and 5-of-6 at the line in the third quarter. He added a 20-foot jumper at the start of the fourth before leaving the game for good with 9:56 to play.
"He played really aggressive tonight," Pacer center Roy Hibbert said of Hansbrough. "He gave us a lot of energy off the bench."
Hansbrough's playing time was limited because of a sore right shin which kept him off the court since late July. He said after the game that the leg feels great and that a protective pad he wore wasn't heavy or got in the way.
"It was a lot of hard work to get to this stage but I just put that all behind me when I got out there," Hansbrough said. "It felt great, kind of a relief just to get out there, kind of move forward with this injury."
Hansbrough had a busy week. He drove to South Bend, Ind. to see younger brother Ben play his first exhibition game at Notre Dame. The Pacers then hosted Denver, a 111-93 loss, on Tyler's 24th birthday Tuesday. Following a trip Wednesday to New York to play the Knicks, a 101-89 win by the Pacers, Hansbrough got ready for Friday's game by catching up on his favorite TV shows, including "Curb Your Enthusiasm," to keep from getting "over-excited."
Hansbrough said he wanted to surprise Ben but ended up having to call for tickets, then took a wrong turn heading home after the game and went through Chicago.
"It was good to see Ben, he's really excited," Hansbrough said. "I remember when I was in college, getting nervous, it's always good to see a family member there because it kind of puts a smile on your face."
A few friends from college were at Friday's game, Hansbrough said, along with some family that included his uncle, Corby.
Hansbrough's first career NBA game was more like his high school debut than his first at North Carolina.
As a freshman at Poplar Bluff, Hansbrough scored 13 points off the bench in a win by the Mules. He started for the first time two games later and went on to break the school's career points record with 2,464 while setting state records in free-throws made and field-goal percentage for a career. He was named the top player in the state as a senior and ended his high school career with the second of two state titles for the Mules.
As a freshman at North Carolina, Hansbrough scored 21 points as a starter for the Tar Heels. He went on to break the school's career scoring record with 2,872 points while setting the NCAA record for free-throws made. He was the national player of the year as a junior and finished his career with a national title in April.
The Pacers drafted Hansbrough 13th in the June draft but a shin injury kept him out of preseason games and the first four of the regular season. He became the first NBA player from Poplar Bluff and the first since Win Wilfong of Puxico played from 1957-61.
"Coming from Poplar Bluff, dreaming of this, it's good to get to this stage and my rookie year," Hansbrough said sitting at his locker with a bags of ice taped to his right leg.
"We'll see what happens. I'm still young, still trying to learn things and take things in."