INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Ronald "Flip" Murray takes his high-scoring show to the Conseco Fieldhouse Friday night as the Seattle SuperSonics visit the Indiana Pacers.
Murray was a second-round pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2002. Last February, he was traded by the Bucks with Ray Allen, Kevin Ollie, and draft picks to the SuperSonics for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason.
Murray, a former Division II Player of the Year from Shaw University, was considered a throw-in in the deal and averaged only 1.9 points in 12 games with the Bucks last year.
But Murray has stepped in for the injured Allen this season and is averaging 23.8 points. He nailed a game-winning jumper at the buzzer in Tuesday's 89-87 victory at Minnesota to cap a 29-point performance.
Murray followed up that game by haunting the Bucks, scoring 20 points in a 104-99 win at Milwaukee on Wednesday. He didn't have to shoulder the load as Rashard Lewis and Vladimir Radmanovic combined for 53 points as Seattle improved to 3-0 on the road.
On Tuesday, Lewis and Radmanovic combined to shoot 7-of-27.
Indiana has struggled at home, where it is 2-2. Last season the Pacers won their first four home games.
The Pacers had a five-game winning streak snapped with a tough 78-76 home loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Jermaine O'Neal scored 21 of his 25 points in the first half as Indiana took a 48-34 lead at halftime. But he battled foul trouble in the second half and then blamed it on the officiating.
"These refs are taking away my aggressiveness in the post," O'Neal said. "I got guys that are afraid to guard me. They were flopping. I can't be effective if I'm not on the court. ... I can't be effective if I can't make power post moves."
Seattle is 13-16 at Indiana and has won three of its last five trips here.
