Good shooting from inside the three-point line and a quality defensive effort have the Chicago Bulls up 50-42 over the Indiana Pacers at halftime as the preseason concludes for both teams. Each team began its two-game preseason series against one another recently in a 95-86 Bulls victory over the Pacers, and once again Chicago leads as the teams conclude their respective preseason schedules.
It's been another solid effort from the Bulls so far on Tuesday night, as they jumped out to a 17-8 lead early and were up by as much as 14 points in the first half. They shot an impressive 55 percent from the field in the first half while holding Indiana to just 32 percent shooting, which helps to explain the lead. Both teams have struggled from three-point range, though, with Chicago going 1-for-7 from long range and Indiana going 2-for-8.
Chicago's big new addition for the season, Richard Hamilton, makes his debut tonight. He was in the starting lineup for the Bulls, and scored six points on 3-for-5 shooting while adding three assists and two rebounds in the first half. Luol Deng led the way for Chicago with 12 points, while Carlos Boozer added 10.
The Pacers struggled offensively in the first half, but forward Tyler Hansbrough had a big first half for them. In 16 minutes, he managed to post 16 points and 7 rebounds to lead the way for Indiana. Star forward Danny Granger is also having an okay night for Indiana with 10 points and 2 blocks, although he's just 3-for-8 from the field.
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