Two nights after Granger's buzzer-beating 3-pointer gave Indiana (13-23) a 113-110 win at Phoenix, the Pacers' leading scorer fouled out and watched from the bench as Kobe Bryant sank the winner with 3 seconds left, handing them a 121-119 loss at Los Angeles on Friday.

Among the NBA's top scorers at 25.9 points per game, Granger had 28 against the Lakers, snapping a string of three straight 30-plus point games.

"He's really becoming quite a basketball player," coach Jim O'Brien told the Pacers' official Web site. "He's been terrific for us in every phase of the game."

Granger is averaging 30.6 points in his last 11 games, which included a 41-point effort with 11 rebounds in the Pacers' 127-120 home win over Golden State on Dec. 17. The fourth-year star is averaging 30.0 points and 9.3 boards in his last three games versus the Warriors.

While Golden State earned a five-point victory in the teams' most recent meeting in Oakland last January, Indiana - 1-2 on a five-game western road trip - is looking for a third straight win overall in the series and third in four trips to Oracle Arena.

To do that, the Pacers will continue to try improve defensively. Allowing an average of 106.3 points per game this season, Indiana is giving up 113.0 over its last nine contests.

"We feel like we can score with anybody in the league so offense isn't really our issue," said Pacers swingman and former Warrior Mike Dunleavy, who has scored 36 points in his last two games since returning from a knee injury. "It's holding teams down defensively. We have to keep improving on defense and from there we have a pretty good chance to be a good basketball team."

The Pacers might be able to outscore Golden State (10-29), which is allowing a league-high 111.6 points per game.

Corey Maggette had 25 points in a 113-100 loss at Portland on Saturday for the Warriors, who are 0-4 in 2009. Maggette is averaging a team-leading 19.6 points a game and 22.3 in three games since missing 15 straight with a hamstring injury, including the most recent with Indiana.

Despite shooting 50.7 percent against the Trail Blazers, Golden State committed 17 turnovers and coach Don Nelson felt his team struggled to rebound and take advantage of second-chance points.

"We're just not good at it," Nelson said. "It's not that we don't try, we're just not good at it."

The Warriors, who have earned all but four of their wins this season at home, could be without second-leading scorer and former Pacer Stephen Jackson for a third consecutive game due to a strained right hamstring.