After the Pacers beat the Bulls in Chicago last week, reigning NBA most valuable player Derrick Rose thought that his opponents celebrated just a little too fervently after the win. “I will never forget how they celebrated just from winning this game,” said Rose, presumably looking skyward in the rain like a movie anti-hero whose loved one had just been slain by an evildoer. “I can’t wait to play them again.”

Now, Pacers coach has a retort for Mr. Rose.

“I don’t know if we really celebrated any more than a lot of teams celebrated when they get a road win,” Vogel said on “The Scott Van Pelt Show” on ESPN Radio. “I know they’ve got a couple guys on their team who celebrate on every play. I just think it’s the thrill of victory.”

Hiiiii-yo.

Maybe he was referring to Carlos Boozer who screams with the joy and/or agony of a billion men every time anything happens? Or maybe he meant the always over-the-top Joakim Noah who embarrasses himself regularly in public? Or, perchance, even the occasionally non-robotic Luol Deng?

Either way, from what I’ve heard, the Pacers weren’t exactly popping champagne bottles after the game. But that’s all well and good. Because whatever the celebration actually was, it has led to Rose calling out a team that is theoretically beneath his and that team’s coach responding in kind.

And them’s feudin’ words.

And we likes us some feudin’.

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The Bulls were a vaunted one seed with the best record in the league when last year’s playoffs began. They considered the Pacers a speed bump on their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a competitive series in the sense that the games ended with the teams having scores that were close to one another, but there was really no doubt which franchise had the better squad. It was the classic “gentleman’s sweep” in which the superior team is gracious enough to give the scrappy underdog a bone before sending them fishing.

So in that sense, Indiana/Chicago is far from a rivalry. But after a big Pacers win tonight in the United Center, which the Indiana players were apparently pretty excited about, and this quote from Derrick Rose, we might be able consider this a fued.

Check out this quote reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

DRose: “I will never forget how they celebrated just from winning this game. I can’t wait to play them again.”

Indiana and Chicago of course had some pretty heated games back in the 1990s. Reggie Miller used to get under the skin of the best player ever as Reg yapped at MJ like a little lap dog. We’ll see if anything comes of this or it just blows over.

UPDATE: Ronnie Brewer had something to add the next day.

“When you’re walking off the court, you’re in the same corridor,” Brewer said on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000. “And we were walking into our locker room, and you could hear those guys celebrating, cheering, screaming, and that kind of hit home with a lot of guys on our team.

“We’re all competitors. They’re in our division. Every time we play them it’s a tough matchup. And especially in front of our fans, you don’t want to have a letdown and lose at home. To hear them do like that adds a little fuel to the fire. We talked about it after the game.”

So, not just Derrick.

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Well, well, well. Just 24 hours after you think it might be troubling that the Pacers got blown out at home by a Magic team that had its best player in foul trouble all night, Indiana flies over to Chicago and beats the NBA’s best team on its home court. In doing so, the Pacers became the first road team to win in the United Center and have now won in Chicago, Los Angeles (Lakers) and Boston, not to mention Toronto and Newark (which is arguably the hardest D-League arena to get a victory in).

This wasn’t some uber-slop fest like when they won in Boston, however. The Pacers played high-level hoops on both sides of the court during different stretches on the way to their 95-90 win over the Bulls. On defense, they held Chicago to just 36 points. And on the other end, they shot 47.5% from the floor, hit 5 of their 10 three-point attempts, helped their center abuse the Bulls bigs at times, and ran the pick-and-roll perhaps as well as they have all year. The offense disappeared at times, sure, but that shooting percentage — if you’re grading on a curve for this team — is like most hitting on a 60% clip.

Derrick Rose looked like MVP-Bot 3000 at times and he made some remarkable plays as well as just exploited some poor defense. Ronnie Brewer showed that Danny Granger’s better focus on defense this year may be contingent with him feeling guilty about missing shots. Cause when he was grooving tonight, Granger was paying not attention to Brewer, who scored 14 points in the second quarter. (Although Ronnie only scored 2 in the second half.) The Bulls also were able to exploit a mismatch as Rip Hamilton took George Hill down low for two straight hoops in one stretch.

But the Pacers kept adjusting and kept throwing different looks at the Bulls. And when it really mattered, in the fourth quarter, the rotations were expert and the big men ran at Rose out of his pick-and-rolls, either forcing him to give up the ball or at least impeding his progress and making him chose a less-direct method of attack. David West — who couldn’t hit the ground with spit from the mid-range on offense and blew more than a few would-be excellent pick-and-pop plays — was especially disruptive to the Chicago offense. Most spectacularly, he swatted Brewer to prevent a reverse layup, but it was much more than that. His hedging was textbook on several plays and he rotated well. It was in large part due to David West’s defense late that the Bulls didn’t hit a field goal in the final 3:17. (Sounds like a Pacers finish last May, doesn’t it?)

On the final play of the game that mattered, Chicago, down by 4, inbounded from the sideline. Rose threw it in to Joakim on the left wing and was clearly supposed to get the ball right back to make something happen as only he can. But Indiana cut off the pass and Noah was forced to create on his own since they only had 13 seconds to win what was still a two-possession game. Joakim dribbled and saw the defenders stepping up to cut him off. He tried to dump it off to a guy on the block but Granger was there for the steal. It was all over but the handshaking.

To me, this was a better win than even Sunday’s victory against the Lakers in Staples. In that game, the team really was humming along. Tonight, it was fits and starts of good and deplorable play (isn’t that right, George Hill?) and they trailed by 10 at the half. West was terrible and the bench outside of Tyler Hansbrough brought nothing to the table. It looked as though they might be run out of the building for a while, but with a quick flurry to start the third quarter, it was as if Brewergate had never even happened and it was anyone’s game. If you saw the Pacers/Bulls playoff series last year, however, you would probably think the same thing that everyone else did: “anyone’s game” meant the Bulls would win in the end — probably in an exciting, but not necessarily in an uncertain, way.

But when the Pacers needed a huge basket, they knuckled up and got two points. That never happened last May. This time though, the scuffling West found himself with the ball on the left baseline. Earlier in the possession, the Pacers ran a few actions, starting with a Paul George/Hibbert two-man game that turned into a Collison/West play on the other side of the floor. Darren drove and got hung up with nowhere to go on the sideline and kicked out to West. He should have shot it on the catch. Maybe he was worried he would miss as he did all night. No matter. With the shot clock fading, he put it on the deck and forced his way into the lane, taking the same sweeping jump hook that Monta Ellis made the other night and Magic Johnson immortalized in the NBA Finals. All cash.

The defense held on and that was that. And in that sentence “that was that” means that the Pacers solidified their second win on the road against a title contender in the past four days.

Here is how each guy played individually tonight.

Agree? Disagree?

Express your thoughts below in the comments or yell at me (@8pts9secs) or Tim (@TimDonahue8p9s) on Twitter.

	David West - 34 MIN | 6-18 FG | 4 AST | 3 STL | 2 BLK | 14 PTS Shooting 33.3% is gross but he was probably the MVP tonight. The defensive down the stretch was impeccable. Did all the winning things. Damn near put Noah in the stands boxing out on one play.
	Danny Granger - 37 MIN | 9-16 FG | 1-2 FT | 9 REB | 5 TO | 22 PTS Other than forgetting to play defense for the whole second quarter, he was excellent. Finally figuring out how to pick his spots to attack and when to lay back and spot up in case the first action doesn’t work out.
	Roy Hibbert - 35 MIN | 9-14 FG | 2-3 FT | 8 REB | 0 AST | 20 PTS The beast was back in beast mode, tossing in hooks, and making his presence felt in the post even when he wasn’t getting touches. Joakim had to stay home and was unable to be his disruptive self.
	Darren Collison - 33 MIN | 3-7 FG | 5-6 FT | 6 REB | 8 AST | 11 PTS DC was the polar opposite of last night. Made two bad TOs (early lazy pass and the behind-the-back slop) but ran the pick-and-roll expertly and got to the hoop when it was time to.
	Paul George - 33 MIN | 6-12 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 13 PTS It’s games like this that make you scratch your head that he still has 6-FGA games sometimes. Stayed aggressive and scored on drives, step-backs and spot-ups.

	Dahntay Jones - 11 MIN | 1-2 FG | 3 REB | 0 AST | 3 PTS I could have sworn he always drives with his eyes closed, but made an excellent pass down to Tyler while doing his China shop bull attack one time.
	Louis Amundson - 5 MIN | 0-1 FG | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS He played 5 minutes. It will go down in history as him having had played 5 minutes.
	George Hill - 25 MIN | 1-5 FG | 0 REB | 2 AST | 2 PTS Only thing George Hill did tonight on the court was make me wonder what Kawhi Leonard was up to. He’s now 1-for-9 with 4 points in the last two games.
	Tyler Hansbrough - 22 MIN | 3-5 FG | 4-6 FT | 6 REB | 10 PTS Looks like the Monstars gave Tyler his powers back. Was effective and active down low tonight, pissing off Boozer as only Tyler can. 6 FTAs and 6 boards in 22 mins.
	Lance Stephenson - 5 MIN | 0-0 FG | 1 REB | 2 AST | 0 PTS There’s always money in his banana stand shoes.

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You can follow Jared Wade (@8pts9secs) and I (@TimDonahue8p9s) during the game on Twitter for the Pacers’ side. From the Bulls’ side, keep up with Matt McHale (@BullsbytheHorns) and be sure to check out our True Hoop sister site: By the Horns.

Anyway, here’s what I’m thinking.

For my fellow stat geeks and obsessive-compulsives, I give you the fact sheets.

Pacer Fact Sheet

Bulls Fact Sheet

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It’s no secret that the Pacers have watched their fan base recede steadily since the 2004 brawl and the ensuing years of arrests, suspensions and mercurial personality displays. It was presumed, however, that things were getting better. The team has rid its rosters of all nearly all vestiges from those dark days (Lance Stephenson’s new-age police trouble notwithstanding) and is now populated by seemingly moral young kids who should be much easier to root for. Moreover, with a 7-3 record, the team is tied for third place in the Eastern Conference.

So what’s the deal with this report last night from the Indianapolis Business Journal?

Don’t have official attendance yet for tonight’s Pacers game, but I can’t imagine there are more than 6,500 in the Fieldhouse.

Sports business reporter Darrell Rovell captured the void by publishing the image above.

So what gives, Pacers fans? We know you didn’t go to the team’s second home game in Conseco Fieldhouse during last year’s playoffs against the Bulls. But that’s understandable. The playoff berth for a sub-.500 team must have caught many off guard, and it’s tough to get too excited about a match-up against the conference’s best team.

But how about now? Why aren’t you showing up to watch this team in 2012?

UPDATE: Here’s some more context from Pacers supporter and sometimes 8p9s contributor Tony Laurenzana.

Attendance was around 10K last night, but what Rovell didn’t mention was that traffic was blocked and people were late

2 inmates attempted to escape the Marion Co. Jail and police blocked traffic around the Fieldhouse which caused many to be late.

10,000 is still pretty bad and Pacers season ticket holder David Peck was there and acknowledged that the Fieldhouse “empty,” but the photo, which was right before tip, probably makes it look more vacant than it was.

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It was an event spectacular in which courageous men entertained the masses to a degree perhaps never before reached in human history. It may have been a new pinnacle for civilization. The world will little note, nor long remember what I write here, but it can never forget what these men did here.

Now, let’s play go some real basketball.

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This morning, Indianapolis Star beat writer Mike Wells reported that the team would not be making a decision on David West’s playing status for tonight’s game in Chicago (at 8:00 pm) until after this morning’s shoot around. That practice session has presumably concluded. Yet we still haven’t gotten any word from the team on whether or not he will play.

If not, it means that the team’s new starting power forward, who had his torn ACL surgically repaired this summer, would not make his Pacers debut until the regular season. That isn’t ideal obviously, but the good news is that the reasons for holding him out are, by all official accounts, precautions based on West’s need to improve his conditioning.

West said his surgically-repaired left knee has felt fine — he’s not wearing a brace — during the practices. His biggest issues are getting into game shape and becoming familiar with the offensive and defensive schemes.

“It’s going to take some time, I know that,” West said. “Learning the terminology and some of the particular things that the team wants to do and learning the guys’ tendencies. Every day we have good days of practice we get closer to our goal.”

West added the following comments in a piece by Conrad Brunner that was published today on Pacers.com.

West has looked strong in practice since joining the team as a free agent last week, and he scored 13 points in a 24-minute intrasquad scrimmage during Fan Jam on Sunday at Conseco Fieldhouse. Whether West will play tonight, however, remains to be seen. His surgically repaired knee is not the issue, rather the conditioning time missed in rehab.

“We’ve kind of just been playing it by ear in terms of making sure my conditioning is getting better, and really having a good sense of what’s going on,” West said. “I don’t want to be out there disrupting the flow and the way guys are working. We knew that was going to take some time in terms of guys getting used to me, me getting used to guys and the system.

“I think I’ll be all right. Patience is more just making sure we’re covering all our bases. I don’t want to get out there and be a deer in headlights, just be completely lost. Obviously, that would disrupt the ability of this team to play well and get better. We’ve been going with the flow, playing it by ear, a lot of communication going on. (Monday) was a good day. We’ll see how I feel (Tuesday).”

Stay tuned for the final word on tonight’s starting lineup.

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The #Pacers and @TheRealJP31 have arrived in Chicago. (via@brookeolzendam)

Indiana plays its second, and last, preseason game tomorrow at 8:00 pm against the Bulls.

UPDATE: I missed this earlier but Pendergraph has also tweaked his knee. He will thus sit out this game in Chicago, but based on the optimism of coach Frank Vogel and the hat he is wearing, hopefully for Indy that means it isn’t that serious.

Jeff Pendergraph missed all of 2010-11 after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in the preseason.

Pendergraph has a mild sprain with the same knee and the club thinks he’ll be ready for the start of the season.

“We’re hoping to have him ready for opening night [Dec. 26 against Detroit],” Pacers head coach Frank Vogel tells The Indianapolis Star. “This is not due to his previous injury.”

More from the source reporting by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.

When Pendergraph “tweaked” his knee, he knew right away it wasn’t an ACL injury because of how he felt when it happened.

“It was just a little twist,” he said. “It was a freak accident. It was bugging me enough that it wasn’t anything to keep fighting through, and after talking to the training staff, they were concerned that I should sit out for a little bit … I can’t wait to get going again. But right now we’re being cautious, making sure I get enough rest and it heals up right. Then we can attack it head-on with the treatment and then go from there so I can get back on the court doing what I do.”

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That’s what coach Frank Vogel told Indianapolis Star beat reporter Mike Wells.

Pacers coach Frank Vogel said today that West likely won’t play against the Chicago Bulls at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday.

“It’s only because the game will just be days after he signed with our team,” Vogel said. “He’s still learning the system and he’s got to improve his conditioning because he was holding himself back some since he was a free agent.”

This is definitely a bummer for fans who hoped to see what the revamped roster, which has added West and George Hill this summer, can do against the Bulls. Although I presume Pacers fans will be more forgiving if Bird goes out and acquires any other players who can’t suit up for the first preseason game.

West is probably eager to play. But he has also enjoyed the extended lockout. It gave him time to recover from the surgery he had to repair his ACL after the devastating knee injury he suffered late last season.

Indiana’s new forward is one of the few players who benefited from the lockout. Last season, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a victory at Utah on March 24. The 31-year-old West had surgery April 12 and was told he’d need six to nine months to recover.

Thanks to the extended break, he will be ready in time for the start of the season.

“For a guy like me, it helped me,” the two-time All-Star said. “It would have been a lot of time missed. I just attacked my rehab and knew this lockout was looming.”

Really, West is an NBA veteran who doesn’t need much preseason seasoning. So this is probably for the best. This season will be truncated. But the way it is being compressed — by squeezing 66 games into four months — is going to be brutal. Even if West’s knee shows no signs of wear and tear during the regular season, the team will likely be best served by letting him sit out a game here and there when the schedule gets overwhelming. Consider it a precautionary investment in the playoffs. Seeding will matter less than normal as all teams likely try to be healthy for the playoff more so than guarantee home court advantage.

If that is also Indiana’s philosophy, giving David a night off in a completely meaningless preseason game is probably a good idea.

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