INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Rookie T.J. Ford may not be able to dunk like LeBron James, but he has something that James does not - a victory.
The diminutive Ford nearly had a triple-double in his NBA debut as he led the Milwaukee Bucks to a shocking 93-79 victory over the Indiana Pacers, who had their home opener spoiled.
Ford scored 11 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and had seven assists. His driving layup over Jermaine O'Neal with 4:05 left made it 87-75 and stemmed a rally by Indiana.
"I wasn't nervous at all," Ford said. "The biggest thing is for me to come out and prove myself in the NBA, to show these guys I can play."
Selected eighth overall out of Texas, the 5-11, 165-pound Ford sat out Milwaukee's season-opening loss at Minnesota. He made 5-of-7 shots, temporarily answering some questions about his perimeter game.
"He had a great game," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "He was a key at both ends of the floor."
Former Buck great Oscar Robertson's record as the only player to start his career with a triple-double remained safe, but Ford and James are the only rookies to record double-doubles in the early going this season.
Michael Redd led the Bucks with 21 points and Tim Thomas added 20, including eight in the third quarter, when Milwaukee extended to a 21-point lead.
The Pacers got as close as 87-79 with 2:59 left on a three-point play by Al Harrington, who scored 26 points.
"I thought it was important for us to come out and match their energy and intensity," Bucks coach Terry Porter said. "We really got it going."
Making his first appearance with the Pacers, Anthony Johnson provided a spark, connecting on three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. He was the only scorer for the Pacers over a four-minute stretch early in the rally and finished with 10 points.
"We needed quickness in the game and wanted to see if he could help," Carlisle said. "He played well. He's a guy who's ready to play and we'll have to look at that."
The Pacers shot just 39 percent (33-of-85), leading to a 49-25 rebounding advantage for the Bucks, who shot 54 percent (39-of-72).
O'Neal grabbed seven boards for Indiana, which surpassed the 16-year-old franchise low for rebounds ny just two.
"They got a couple more loose balls than we did," O'Neal said. "We didn't shoot the ball very well. (The percentage) shows that. When you're missing them and they're making them, it's impossible to get the lead."
Indiana's Ron Artest, who was called "The Friendly Ghost" and wore a Freddy Krueger mask during Halloween-themed player introductions, was all but invisible, shooting 4-of-17 from the field.
Pacers guard Reggie Miller strained his back in the middle of the third quarter and did not return. He is day-to-day with the injury.
The Pacers lost their home opener for the first time in seven seasons, succumbing as the Bucks extended their all-time Halloween record to 12-2.
