That could be about to change for the fourth-year forward.

Granger took a significant step toward taking over the leadership

role vacated by Jermaine O'Neal's departure to Toronto during the

summer when he kept his team from unraveling during Tuesday's game

against the Atlanta Hawks.

Granger, who scored 34 points against the Hawks, told his

teammates that they had to keep it together after Atlanta cut what was

a 17-point lead down to seven. The Pacers responded by going on a 9-2

run to pull away from the Hawks.

"I think in the last two years that I have been here, his best

leadership came (Tuesday night)," coach Jim O'Brien said. "He really

did a great job of verbally communicating to the team what we needed

to do to win this game. I thought his leadership was off the chart. At

timeouts, coming off the court, he really grasped what we're really

trying to accomplish."

Staying together hasn't always been a strong suit of the Pacers in

years past. The Pacers know they need some form of leadership, whether

it's from one player or a number of players, to help right the ship

when things get rough during the season.

PACERS 113, HAWKS 96: The Pacers let the Hawks cut their 17-point

lead early in the fourth quarter down to seven before forward Danny

Granger fueled a 9-2 run by scoring seven points to help end a

two-game losing streak. Granger led six Pacers in double-figures when

he scored 34 points, which was three shy of his career high, on

13-of-18 shooting. Forward Troy Murphy had 10 points and 19 rebounds.