What They’re Saying: Jan. 7

Boston Globe: ”Granger is beginning to show signs of returning and he’ll be welcomed back by a team that has grown exponentially in his absence because it had to. Without their leading scorer, the Pacers had to depend on a stingy defense, the flourishing of Paul George,and the leadership of David West, who rejected the opportunity to sign with the Celtics to play in Indiana.”  Read More

NBA Philippines: ”If Stephenson earned the nickname ‘Born Ready’ as a youngster at the blacktop courts of Rucker Park in Harlem, Johnson’s mantra this season has been to ‘stay ready’. And even when he got off to a rough 0-4 start shooting from the field, the 23-year-old second-round pick by the Pacers from US Santa Barbara, where he averaged 21.1 points as a junior, never doubted himself and kept shooting.”  Read More

Indy Sports Legends: ”This time, other players scored the points and made the shots that the go-to guys couldn’t. And that is progress for Indiana, which has struggled to find bench scoring all season.”  Read More

Always Miller Time: ”Now comes the big test of playing the Miami Heat come Tuesday.  It’s a home game for the Pacers, so hopefully that home environment and the linger of last year’s playoffs can help will a Pacers victory.”  Read More

NOLA.com NBA Power Rankings (Pacers: No. 7 overall, No. 3 in Eastern Conference): “Seven-game home winning streak is the longest since 2009-10 season when they won eight straight.”  Read More