Indiana Pacers News & Notes

[TheGeneral+]

Two straight division titles weren't enough for Rick Carlisle to keep his job in Detroit. It was a big reason he didn't stay unemployed long.

Carlisle returns to Detroit with his new team when the Indiana Pacers face the Pistons in the season opener for the Central Division rivals.

Carlisle led the Pistons to 100 wins in two seasons, but was fired in May after Detroit was swept by New Jersey in the Eastern Conference finals. The Pistons replaced him with one of the NBA's best coaches in Larry Brown, whose Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated by Detroit in last season's playoffs.

Larry Bird made sure his friend Carlisle didn't stay out of work long.

After Bird became Pacers president in July, his first major move was to fire Isiah Thomas, who took Indiana to the playoffs three straight seasons but lost in the first round each time. It didn't take long for Thomas to be replaced by Carlisle, who played with Bird in Boston and assisted the Hall of Famer when he was coach of the Pacers.

Carlisle's job in Indiana will involve trying to get more out of a deep Pacers team regarded as one of the most talented in the Eastern Conference last season but played sluggishly after the All-Star break.

Wednesday's game matches Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal and Detroit's Ben Wallace, perhaps the two best big men in the East.

O'Neal averaged 20.8 points and 10.3 rebounds last season, while Wallace won his second straight Defensive Player of the Year award after leading the league in rebounds (15.4) and finishing second in blocked shots (3.14).

The Pacers also have a defensive standout in Ron Artest, who was second to Wallace in last season's voting. He also appears ready to become more of a scoring threat after averaging 18.7 points during the exhibition season.

Veteran Reggie Miller also had a strong preseason, averaging 13.9 points while shooting 53.4 percent.

The Pistons won with defense under Carlisle, but have some offensive talent as well. Richard Hamilton averaged 19.7 points last season, his first with Detroit, while Chauncey Billups added 16.2 per game. Tayshaun Prince had a quiet regular season, but emerged as a key player in the playoffs and will start this season.

Both teams have new centers. Scot Pollard will start for Indiana after coming over from Sacramento in a trade, while Darko Milicic, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, will come off the bench for Detroit.

2002-03 STANDINGS: Pacers - 2nd place, 2 GB, Central Division. Pistons - 1st place, Central Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Pacers - F Artest, F O'Neal, C Pollard, G Jamaal Tinsley or Kenny Anderson, G Miller. Pistons - F Prince, F Wallace, C Elden Campbell, G Billups, G Hamilton.

2002-03 TEAM LEADERS: Pacers - O'Neal, 20.8 ppg and 10.3 rpg; Tinsley, 7.5 apg. Pistons - Hamilton, 19.7 ppg; Wallace, 15.4 rpg; Billups, 3.9 apg.

2002-03 SEASON SERIES: Tied, 2-2.

LAST MEETING: April 4; Pacers, 98-92. At Detroit, O'Neal had 29 points and 13 rebounds for the Pacers. Billups scored 27 points for Detroit.

2002-03 ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Pacers - 16-25 on the road. Pistons - 30-11 at home.

INJURIES: Pacers - F Jonathan Bender (knee); G Jamison Brewer (toe); G James Jones (hamstring). Pistons - F Darvin Ham (wrist); G Hubert Davis (hamstring).



www.ftimes.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Rick Carlisle refused to gloat after beating the team that fired him.

Jermaine O'Neal had 22 points and 15 rebounds Wednesday night as the Indiana Pacers held on for an 89-87 victory over the Detroit Pistons, who got rid of Carlisle after two successful seasons.

''It's not about me and it never will be,'' Carlisle said. ''It's about this group of players, who played at a high level and with a lot of passion to earn this win against a good team.''

In the season opener for both clubs, Indiana led by 10 midway through the fourth quarter before a 13-2 run put Detroit ahead 87-86 with two minutes left. O'Neal scored a go-ahead basket with 1:41 to go and Jeff Foster made a free throw with 14.8 seconds remaining.

Detroit's Chauncey Billups missed an 18-footer with 4.8 seconds left, and Mehmet Okur failed on a hurried 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Carlisle helped the Pistons win 100 regular-season games, two division titles and three playoff series the past two years, but it wasn't enough to save his job.

''He didn't really talk much about it, but we knew in the back of his mind he really wanted to win this one,'' O'Neal said.

Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, who spent the past six seasons in Philadelphia, replaced Carlisle, who advanced past Brown and the 76ers in the second round of the playoffs. Carlisle succeeded fired coach Isiah Thomas in July after almost deciding to be a television analyst this season.

Carlisle was given a rousing ovation when he was introduced, and he responded with a wave to the fans at The Palace. He was expressionless as his eyes followed last season's Central Division banner raised to the rafters.

''Maybe for a few seconds I allowed myself to enjoy that because there's a sense of pride in helping that great group of guys accomplish what they did over the past two seasons,'' Carlisle said. ''But, my mind quickly had to get back to the game at hand.''

Billups pointed toward Carlisle after embracing his former coach upon his arrival at the arena two hours earlier, and Ben Wallace hugged him just before tipoff.

''He did a great job for this team,'' Wallace said. ''That's the least I could've done for him.''

Ron Artest scored 21 points, Reggie Miller had 14 and Kenny Anderson added 10 for the Pacers.

Wallace led the Pistons with 16 points, 17 rebounds, five steals and six blocks. Okur scored 17 off the bench. Tayshaun Prince had 16.

Richard Hamilton and Billups, Detroit's top two scorers last season, combined for just 19 points.

''When you shoot 6-for-31 with those two, and still have a chance to win, you must be doing some good things,'' Brown said.


As expected, Detroit's Darko Milicic did not play. The Pistons do not plan to use the 18-year-old Milicic much early in the season, despite making him the second overall pick in the draft.

Notes: Scot Pollard, acquired by Indiana in a trade for Brad Miller, had two points and four rebounds. ... Detroit's Elden Campbell, a free agent acquisition, scored 11 points. ... Kid Rock sang ''America The Beautiful'' and then sat courtside, several rows in front of Bob Seger, another Michigan resident.


http://famulus.msnbc.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

INDIANAPOLIS -- Rookie T.J. Ford had 11 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in his NBA debut to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 93-79 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.

Ford, who sat out the season opener against Minnesota with a sore right ankle, just missed becoming the second NBA player to record a triple-double in his first game, according to Elias Sports Bureau. In 1960, Oscar Robertson had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Michael Redd added 21 points, and Tim Thomas scored 20 for the Bucks, who gave new coach Terry Porter his first win.

Al Harrington led the Pacers with 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting.

Pacers guard Reggie Miller left after the third quarter with a sore back and did not return. He is listed as day-to-day.

www.freep.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers 103, Hawks 99, OT

ATLANTA - Anthony Johnson hit the shot - then took a hit for the team.

Johnson made a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 22.6 seconds left in overtime, and the Indiana Pacers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 103-99 Saturday night.

After putting the Pacers ahead 100-97, Johnson tied up Jason Terry for an apparent jump ball. Frustrated, Terry swung his left elbow at Johnson, grazing his chin.

The officials tossed Terry from the game, and Johnson hit a couple of free throws to finish off the Hawks.

"He got upset about the jump-ball call," said Johnson, who scored 15 points for the Pacers. "That's what a punk would do. But we got out of here with a win, and that's all that matters."

Terry said he was merely trying to break free from Johnson.

"Just look at the tape. You can see clearly he was holding me," Terry said. "It was almost like a girlfriend-type hug, and I've got a wife at home."

The Pacers fell behind 14-0 at the start but rebounded to keep the Hawks winless in their home opener. Atlanta has lost three in a row to start the season, including a pair in overtime.

"Once we learn how to win some of these close games," Terry said, "teams better look out for us."

Ron Artest led the Pacers with 22 points, but Indiana got huge contributions from the bench. Johnson, who played parts of two seasons with the Hawks, also had six assists and two steals. Al Harrington scored 20 points. In all, the reserves outscored their Atlanta counterparts 38-8.

That didn't even include Fred Jones, who scored 15 points as a fill-in starter. Reggie Miller sat out because of a sore lower back.

The ugly finish ruined a big night for Terry, who scored 29 points. Johnson figured the Hawks would go to their leading scorer at the end of overtime.

"I knew the ball was coming to him," Johnson said. "I was able to get my hands on it, and they called it a jump ball. I guess he got frustrated."

The Hawks, cheered on by a near-sellout crowd of 18,818, scored the final seven points of regulation to tie the score at 90.

Dion Glover hit a 3-pointer with 24.7 seconds left, then the Hawks got a quick foul on Harrington. He missed both free throws, setting up Atlanta for a tying basket.

Terry nearly threw the ball away, but Stephen Jackson saved it to Glover, who got open along the baseline. He sank a 17-footer with 3.6 seconds left, thumping his chest to celebrate.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored half of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Even so, it didn't prevent the Hawks from taking another close loss.

"There's something to the art of winning, knowing what it takes," coach Terry Stotts said. "I hope the fans enjoyed the game. We lost, but I think it was an entertaining game."

After a raucous opening-night ceremony featuring "American Idol" Ruben Studdard, the fired-up Hawks scored the first 14 points.

Jackson dunked off a give-and-go with Theo Ratliff, then hit two straight 3-pointers to finish off the spurt. Jackson didn't do much the rest of the way, finishing with 16 points.

After trailing 49-35 at the half, the Pacers turned the game around in the third quarter with their best player sitting on the bench. Jermaine O'Neal played only one minute in the period, but Indiana hit 14 of 21 shots to make it 67-67.

"At halftime, we made a commitment to each other to play better," Harrington said. "We were either going to play like men or lay down and let them beat us."

Notes Steve Belkin, head of an investment group that is buying the Hawks and NHL Atlanta Thrashers, greeted fans at the main entrance to the arena before the game. ... O'Neal scored 20 points but was just 6 of 12 at the foul line. Neither team did well at the line: Indiana was 21 of 37, Atlanta was 21 of 31. Terry had a surprisingly poor night, making just 7 of 13. ... Indiana dominated the boards, outrebounding the Hawks 52-36. ... Terry doesn't expect to get suspended for Monday night's game against New Orleans. "It wasn't intentional," he said of his swing at Johnson. "I just wanted to free myself."

www.miami.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

71-60 over Denver

When their defense comes together and snuffs out opponents, the Indiana Pacers can afford to overlook their offensive afflictions.

For a while, at least.

Scoring 71 points on 35.5 percent shooting was enough to defeat Denver at Conseco Fieldhouse Tuesday, since the Nuggets could manage only 60 points on 29 percent shooting.

Seventy-one points is the fewest a Pacers NBA team has scored in a victory, but 60 is the fewest allowed to an opponent at Conseco Fieldhouse. All in all, it was the ninth-lowest combined point total in NBA history since the shot clock was introduced.

It might have been an eyesore at times for the 14,669 fans at the fieldhouse, but it still boosted the Pacers' record to 3-1 heading into Thursday's game at New Jersey, the Eastern Conference favorite.

Coach Rick Carlisle called it the "best sustained defensive effort we've had this year" and a building block for the future.

"It wasn't much on the beauty scale, but in terms of the effort and the passion that went into earning the win, I give our team high marks," he said.

His players agreed but lamented the slow-paced offense that turned the game into a teeth-pulling contest.

"You'll have to ask coach that," Al Harrington said when asked about the state of the offense. "Obviously we're not making a lot of shots. As far as where we're at, I don't know."

The Pacers won Tuesday because they remembered where Jermaine O'Neal was. They ran their offense through him on the low post, where he scored most of his 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting. He also grabbed 20 rebounds. It was the fourth 20-20 game of O'Neal's career, playoffs included.

He got help from Ron Artest, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five steals, and from Harrington, who had 11 points off the bench.

The rest of the Pacers combined to hit just 5-of-32 shots. But that was better than the Nuggets' starters could do. They were 5-of-41, scoring 15 points.

Carmelo Anthony, who goes against fellow rookie phenom LeBron James tonight in Cleveland, hit just 1-of-13 shots. His only basket came on a breakaway dunk for his team's first two points of the game.

"I don't know what it was, man," he said. "I just shot poorly tonight; it wasn't because I had that (Cleveland) game on my mind."

The Pacers were willing to take at least partial credit for Denver's offensive misery. Following Saturday's inspired second-half defensive effort at Atlanta, they allowed the up-tempo Nuggets just eight fast-break points and kept them off-balance in the halfcourt.

Denver's futility reached historic proportions in the third quarter when it managed just seven points -- the lowest for a Pacers opponent in their NBA history for any single quarter.

The Nuggets hit just 2-of-20 shots: a rebound basket from Marcus Camby and a breakaway layup from Earl Boykins in the final minute. They committed five turnovers.

The Pacers have offensive problems of their own, however, and they nearly came home to roost in the final period. Their 60-41 lead heading into the final period began disappearing immediately, as Denver opened with a 17-2 run to pull within four with 5:12 to play.

O'Neal put an end to the madness with a pair of turnaround jumpers in the lane, the second opening a 66-58 lead with 3:21 left.

"Coach Carlisle calls every play, so you have to look and see what play's been called," O'Neal said. "It's a little different. Hopefully we can get this thing going pretty fast offensively so we don't have guys rushing shots because the shot clock is going off.

"Maybe we can get these guards to call some of the plays and get into some easy transition baskets. We can't grind every play out. Sometimes that's what coach wants to do, but we need to get into some transition."

www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Anthony Johnson's two late three-pointers ensured the Indiana Pacers held off a late New Jersey Nets rally to win their third consecutive game.
Ron Artest scored 21 points, Johnson added 17 and Jermaine O'Neal contributed 15 for the Pacers as they won 87-81, despite seeing a 19-point third-quarter lead shrink to two points with four minutes left.

New Jersey's Kerry Kittles chipped in with 23 points and nine rebounds, but the Nets struggled with their shooting for the second game in a row.

Richard Jefferson added 18, while Aaron Williams had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Jason Kidd finished with 10 points and eight assists.

Vince Carter scored 19 points as the Toronto Raptors held Dallas Mavericks to their lowest-scoring game in nearly six years with a 77-71 home win.

It was the fewest points the Mavericks have scored in a game since they were held to 67 in a loss to the New York Knicks in 1997.

Dirk Nowitzki topped the scoring for Dallas with 27 points, but scored only four in the second half.

Antonio Davis had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Morris Peterson added 12 points for the Raptors, who bounced back from the lowest-scoring game in their franchise history after losing 73-56 to Minnesota last week.

Antoine Walker had 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Mavericks, but also conceded nine turnovers.

Dallas were without point guard Steve Nash, who missed out with a shoulder injury.


http://news.bbc.co.uk

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers keep LeBron winless

Ron Artest wasn’t about to let a rookie steal a win over his Indiana Pacers — even if it was LeBron James. Artest’s three-point play with 11 seconds left lifted the Indiana Pacers to a 91-90 victory over James and the winless Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

“THAT’S THE MAIN THING, to hit the ones that count,” Artest said.
Artest’s play brought the sellout crowd to its feet and spoiled a strong performance by James, who missed a driving layup with five seconds to go and then a putback as time expired.
That allowed the lethargic Pacers to escape with a win, one night after grinding out an emotional victory in New Jersey.
“I thought our team was emotionally and physically tired and just found a way to hang in there,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.
James finished with 23 points - two short of his career high - and had five rebounds, but turned the ball over seven times in the loss.
Despite missing two shots to win the game, the rookie’s athletic ability left a big impression on the Pacers.

“He’s a tremendous young player,” Carlisle said. “Some of the things he’s doing are breathtaking.”
Artest finished with 21 points and Jermaine O’Neal had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks for the Pacers, who won their fourth straight.
O’Neal sprained his right ankle in the closing moments, however, and was listed as day-to-day. The Pacers play Philadelphia on Sunday.
The Cavs appeared to be on their way to the their first win of the season when DeSagana Diop banked in a short jumper with 26.7 seconds remaining to give Cleveland a 90-88 lead.
“Statistically, they beat us everywhere but the score,” Carlisle said. “Sometimes it comes down to passion more than X’s and O’s.”
On the ensuing possession, Artest took the ball and drove strong down the lane, drawing the foul as his scoop shot dropped through the basket. He then converted the free throw for the one-point lead.
James then missed the layup, and the Cavaliers failed to convert a flurry of attempts to tip the ball in as time expired.
“I had a great look,” James said. “I got a great tip on it and I thought it was going.”
Carlos Boozer added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Cavs, who played with much more vigor after coach Paul Silas criticized their listlessness in Thursday night’s loss to Denver.
“The reason we came out with so much energy and so much fight was that coach got on us,” Darius Miles said. “Now we don’t have nothing to lose. We’re just going to keep playing hard.”
Reggie Miller scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, for Indiana.
James, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, had better luck against the Pacers than his friend Carmelo Anthony, who shot 1-for-13 from the field in Denver’s loss to Indiana on Tuesday.





After disappearing in the second half Wednesday night in his home debut against Anthony, Cleveland coach Paul Silas urged James to be more aggressive offensively late in the game.
Clearly, James was paying attention.
The Cavaliers entered the final period trailing 74-69. But James scored seven points in a two-minute span to help Cleveland tie the game at 82.
“I felt good, I was hitting my shots and my free throws,” said James, who shot 8-for-18 from the floor.
Artest capped a strong second half in which he scored 13 points and helped the Pacers keep winning.
“Everybody seems to be taking a turn stepping up big,” said Anthony Johnson, whose two 3-pointers lifted Indiana over New Jersey on Thursday night. “When we hit the dead tempo tonight, (Artest) was able to bring us out of it.”
Notes: Cleveland’s Ricky Davis just missed a triple-double with nine points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. ... Six players who made the jump from high school to the NBA were present. James, Diop and Miles did it for Cleveland, along with Indiana’s O’Neal, Al Harrington and Jonathan Bender, who was inactive with a knee injury. ... Helped by James and their own fast start, the Pacers had their first sellout of the season.

http://msnbc.com/news/990881.asp?0sl=-22

 

[TheGeneral+]

Maturing Artest sparks Pacers

Ron Artest scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the visiting Indiana Pacers to an 85-74 triumph Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, who wasted a 37-point effort by Allen Iverson. It was the Pacers' fifth consecutive victory.

Jermaine O'Neal added 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who squandered a 13-point lead in the first quarter and trailed by five entering the fourth. That's when Artest took over, leading an 18-4 run that put the Pacers back in control.

After Reggie Miller tied the score at 66, Artest gave the Pacers a 69-66 lead with a three-pointer. He then made it 71-66 when he sank two free throws after chipping a tooth in a collision with 76ers forward Derrick Coleman while driving to the basket. Coleman was whistled for a flagrant foul on the play.

''Last year's Ron would have probably taken out a couple of fans in the front row,'' Miller said, referring to the fact that Artest led the league in flagrant fouls last season. "Tonight is an indication of the new and improved Ron.''

The 76ers went scoreless in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter before scoring only 10 points.

www.suntimes.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Baker buries Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS -- Vin Baker visualized the shot he wanted, the shot he knew would be waiting for him. Given the way the Pacers double-teamed Paul Pierce throughout last night's contest at Conseco Fieldhouse, Baker was confident the ball would swing back to him. Baker believed he could get to the middle of the floor, where he's most comfortable.

As the Celtics came out of a timeout with less than a minute to play, it all transpired as Baker pictured it would.

They ran a pick-and-roll for Pierce, who was promptly double-teamed. The second option was Baker, and Pierce found him on the left wing. Baker dribbled a few steps toward the paint, then launched a 12-footer with 20.8 seconds remaining. The basket put the Celtics ahead for good as they defeated the Pacers, 78-76.

"I really went over that play, all that time sitting in that timeout," said Baker. "I said to myself, `I know it's going to get swung back to me because they're going to double Paul. Now, what's the best option I'm going to get?' When I got to the middle, I had three or four options, but I took the option I thought was best, that I had gone over in my head."

Said Pierce, "Pretty much the play was for him because I knew they were going to come jump out on me and he made a play. He's playing with tremendous confidence and other guys have been willing to go to him. And he's coming through for us."

Still, with a 77-76 lead, the Celtics knew they needed one more stop. The Pacers called timeout and diagrammed one final play. Celtics coach Jim O'Brien stayed true to his defensive philosophy: The Pacers could beat the Celtics with an outside shot from someone other than Reggie Miller, but they were not going to allow Jermaine O'Neal anything inside.

As expected, Indiana went inside to O'Neal, whose presence in the post or lack thereof changed the complexion of the game. In the first half, he dominated, scoring 21 of his 25 points and grabbing 9 of his 11 rebounds. In the third quarter, O'Neal found himself in foul trouble and his absence helped Boston come back from a 15-point deficit.

After shooting over 50 percent in the first half, Indiana shot just 32.4 percent in the second. Over the last 5 minutes of the third period and the first 4 1/2 minutes of the fourth, the Pacers missed 12 straight shots.

But with 3.9 seconds left, none of that really mattered. O'Neal had a 5-foot jumper, and he missed, shooting over a wall of green jerseys. Al Harrington grabbed the rebound, but his attempt at a tip shot with 1.9 seconds remaining was also no good.

"The defense was tough-minded," said O'Brien. "We just were not going to give Jermaine O'Neal anything inside. We just were not. If somebody other than Reggie was going to beat us from the outside, so be it. But we just were not going to give Jermaine O'Neal anything inside.

"Paul, Eric [Williams], and Mark Blount just said, `Guys, we're getting a stop and we're getting it right now.' And they did."

But with their new personnel and new offense this year, the Celtics were not entirely confident they could pull off such a comeback. This was a proverbial "statement game" that the players said proved they could compete with anyone. Sure, there was the Mike James game-winner with 1.8 seconds left at Memphis, but this was different. This was Indiana, which entered the contest with a five-game winning streak and the best record in the Eastern Conference.

"It let's us know that we're never out of a game," said James (11 points, 5 assists). "This is like a statement game for us, to let us know where we stand and that we are going to compete this year."

But in the first half, the Pacers looked every bit the best team in the East, while the Celtics searched for their defense and offense. Boston did not score in the second quarter until Pierce hit a 14-footer with 8:40 remaining. That was also Pierce's first field goal of the night.

By the time Pierce (19 points, 9 assists) finally came through, the Celtics were shooting less than 30 percent and trailed, 32-20. By halftime, the Pacers held a 48-34 lead.

"To get a win against one of the Eastern Conference powers on the road, down 15 is a huge character-builder for us," said Baker (12 points). "It's something we can look back on and continue to grow from."

http://www.boston.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Indiana Pacers are 4-0 on the road and 2-2 at home, a reversal of fortune from the NBA norm.

What's wrong with this picture?

The fans, maybe?

An announced crowd of 14,753 fans showed up for Tuesday's 78-76 loss to Boston at Conseco Fieldhouse. They weren't particularly loud, and some of them booed when the Pacers plunged from a 14-point halftime lead to a six-point fourth-quarter deficit.

The Pacers were quick to acknowledge their shortcomings, but some of them wondered if better fan support might have helped.

"For some reason, we have more energy on the road," Ron Artest said when asked about the team's superior record away from the fieldhouse. "Maybe it's because there are more fans in the seats on the road and it's more intense. When we come home, it's not as intense and we have a tendency to not give effort.

"But you should win home games. We should pick it up."

Jermaine O'Neal, who finished with a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds, said the fans were a brief topic of conversation in the postgame locker room.

"For the most part, the fans have been good to us, but we still need everybody to be on the same boat as us," he said. "We're still 6-2. Hopefully everybody still stays on the bandwagon for another week or so and doesn't jump off."

O'Neal was most disturbed by the smattering of boos as the Pacers' lead evaporated amid a 91/2-minute stretch in which they missed 12 consecutive shots.

"If they think they can make (those shots), I'm pretty sure (owners Herb and Mel Simon) can get a uniform for them and they can come down and try to make (those shots)," he said. "We're trying to make the city proud of us. We're never trying to lose games. Hopefully fans can stick by us when things get tough.

"You're not going to win every game by 20 points. When games are tight, that's when you need the fans. We don't need fans booing us or (making) obscene gestures to us when we miss shots. I don't think the greatest player ever has made every shot."

Newcomer Kenny Anderson acknowledged the Pacers haven't played as well at home. While they've defeated Detroit, Atlanta, New Jersey and Philadelphia on the road, they have lost to Milwaukee and the Celtics at home.

"It's weird; we're not comfortable here for some reason," he said. "We haven't played a good game here, for 48 minutes, this season."

www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers blast past the SuperSonics

Jeff Foster had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Ron Artest shut down Rashard Lewis, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 101-78 win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Friday night.

Foster's previous career-high of 17 came exactly two years earlier against Boston. His willingness to run the floor and hustle down rebounds created easy scoring opportunities for the Pacers as they handed Seattle its second loss of the season.

Al Harrington added 13 points off the bench for the Pacers.

Artest did a masterful job defending Lewis, who entered the game as the NBA's third-leading scorer. Lewis, already the object of frequent double-teams this year, was held to 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

The loss snapped a four-game road win streak for the Sonics, who were led by Ronald Murray's 16 points and Antonio Daniels' 15.

www.taipeitimes.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers Edge Knicks, 95-94

The Knicks and Indiana combined to create a combustible cocktail of a basketball game last night at Madison Square Garden. They mixed in a scorching start by the Pacers, an unbelievable 24-0 comeback run by the Knicks in the third quarter, some playground-style hard defense by Queens native Ron Artest against Allan Houston in the final period, a controversial four-point play by Reggie Miller, two critical lost rebounds that could have won the game for the Knicks, and the short jumper by Jermaine O'Neal with three seconds left that gave the Pacers a 95-94 victory.

But it was left to Indiana coach Rick Carlisle to distill those potent ingredients to their essence. "Never underestimate greatness," Carlisle said.

His reference, of course, was to Miller, still the incomparable Knicks-killer at the age of 38. All Miller did was score 31 points on just 12 shots, 10 of which hit nothing but net. He had a perfect first half, making all six of his shots for 18 points, and a better fourth quarter, delivering 11 points under crunch-time pressure, including the four-point play that gave the Pacers an 88-82 lead with 6:26 to play.

"Reggie's game was a masterpiece," Carlisle said. "Nights like tonight, you really feel like you were in the presence of a living legend."

Houston, who had to cover Miller and dodge his flailing elbows as he has so often over the years, had to agree. Taking nothing away from all the playoff wars the two teams fought in the past decade, Houston said, "That's the best I've ever seen him. When you come so close and you need it so badly, that's what's frustrating."

The loss was the fourth straight for the Knicks (2-7), who needed more than a moral victory against the Pacers (8-2), who have the best record in the Eastern Conference. For a change, the Knicks put together a balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures, led by Houston and Keith Van Horn with 16 points apiece. Charlie Ward had 14 points off the bench; Kurt Thomas contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Dikembe Mutombo, playing with a strained groin, had 13 points and 14 rebounds.

It wasn't enough. The Knicks dug a 34-19 hole in the first quarter when they failed to play defense. Van Horn couldn't stop either Artest (21 points) or Al Harrington, who totaled 14 points and 6-for-6 shooting in the period. The Knicks still were down by 15 early in the third quarter when they began a remarkable 24-0 run to take a 72-63 lead. The Pacers missed 12 shots and committed four turnovers in a span of 8:07 before Artest broke the spell with two foul shots with 2:39 left in the period.

The lead would change hands seven more times in the fourth quarter of this remarkable game. Asked if he could imagine losing after outscoring a team 24-0 in the second half, Houston shook his head and said, "I wouldn't have believed it. I would've asked, 'How?' "

Well, the Pacers came back with an 11-2 run and then pushed their lead to 88-82 when Miller followed a three-pointer with a four-pointer on which referee Bennie Adams fell for Miller's theatrics, in Houston's opinion. "I don't like to get into calls in the press, but he's very good at drawing fouls," Houston said of Miller's abilities as a thespian. "I didn't agree."

The Knicks weren't dead yet. Houston managed only one fourth-quarter shot and two points while fighting off Artest, but Van Horn had four points in a 9-0 run that gave the Knicks a 92-89 lead. A Miller three with 49.2 seconds left put the Pacers ahead again at 93-92, but a tip-in by Mutombo with 33.5 seconds to play pushed the Knicks back in front at 94-93.

Although the Knicks had a monstrous 50-29 rebounding advantage, they will remember the two that got away on the Pacers' final possession.

O'Neal, who had 14 points, missed a short jumper, but Thomas let the rebound slip out of his hands and go out of bounds with 22.5 seconds left.

Indiana's Anthony Johnson then put up a three-pointer from the left wing that bounced off the rim and over Mutombo, who had inside position, to O'Neal, whose 8-foot turnaround fell with three seconds left.

"I had my eye on the flight of the ball, and I was trying to box out," Mutombo said. "The ball ended up bouncing high, and I just couldn't get it."

Thomas took the Knicks' last shot but missed badly on a 17-foot turnaround. That allowed Miller to walk out of the Garden in defiant triumph once again. "This is the greatest place to play basketball, and I have had some great games here," Miller said.

Thinking of the banners with the retired numbers of Knicks greats hanging from the Garden rafters, Carlisle said, "They won't do it, but there should be something here with Reggie's name or number on it. The things that he has pulled off in the years here are the reason he is going to be a Hall of Fame player. It was a privilege to watch Reggie Miller tonight."

As usual, it was the Knicks who paid for the privilege.

www.nynewsday.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers rise to occasion
5 double-figure scorers make up for O'Neal's absence for Indiana

Theoretically, an injury to your All-Star forward is a bad thing.

For the Indiana Pacers, though, it only allows more people to share the wealth.

While Jermaine O'Neal sat out with a sore right knee, nine other Pacers merged for a 91-78 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Conseco Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.

O'Neal, the team's leading rebounder and shot-blocker and second-leading scorer, is questionable for Friday's game at New Orleans. The Pacers hope he can make it back. But if he doesn't, they won't request a forfeit.

"I tell all my friends and I tell my agent, there's so much talent in this room," Jeff Foster said before leaving the locker room. "Sometimes that's not a good thing because guys who want to play don't get to play, but when someone goes down it's an opportunity for someone to step up and show they can play."

Wednesday's list of high-steppers was a long one, as the Pacers improved their league-best record to 9-2 against a team that brought a winning record (4-3) into the game.

Al Harrington, starting in place of O'Neal, scored a game-high 22 points and added nine rebounds. He became the fifth player to lead the team's scoring over the past five games and fell one rebound short of a double-double.

"Jeff stole it from me," he said jokingly of the lost rebound.

Foster got his double-double with 11 points and a season-high 14 rebounds despite playing just 12 minutes in the second half, when the reserves were getting along just fine without the starters.

Kenny Anderson and Austin Croshere each scored a season-high 13 points. Ron Artest added 12 along with the standard standout defensive effort. Anthony Johnson, Fred Jones and Scot Pollard all made significant contributions off the bench.

Reggie Miller, playing just 24 minutes because Jones played well enough to keep him on the bench, scored just three. It was a drastic drop-off from the 31 he dropped on New York in the previous game, but it was a memorable three. He hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 1.1 seconds left in the first half on a play set up during a 20-second timeout.

"It was a great team effort," coach Rick Carlisle said. "When you have some adversity, it presents opportunity. These guys are opportunistic."

Defensive, too, in a good sort of way. They limited the Clippers (4-4) to 78 points, 17 fewer than their previous season low. The Clippers entered the game as the NBA's highest-scoring team (102.6), but shot a season-low 36.5 percent.

Artest had plenty to do with that, although he had plenty of help. He started the game on Corey Maggette, who entered the game averaging 21.1 points. He also took turns on Quentin Richardson, who averaged 21.7 points. It was no coincidence that Maggette finished with seven points on 2-of-7 shooting and Richardson finished with 10 on 3-of-15 shooting.

"That's the good thing about me," said Artest, who hit just 3-of-10 shots. "I'm always going to be getting stops."

The Pacers, who were outscored 24-0 during one stretch of the third period by New York on Saturday, got their drought out of the way early this time. After opening a nine-point lead in the first quarter, they went 7:42 without a field goal while missing 12 consecutive shots overlapping the first and second periods.

They fell behind by as many as five points, but recovered to take a 47-42 lead at the half. Miller closed it with his 3-pointer.

The Clippers led for 17 seconds in the third quarter, but Harrington scored six successive points and Jones added a jumper before they could score again.

With their reserves playing 45 of the possible 60 minutes in the final period, the Pacers limited the Clippers to 3-of-16 shooting and won going away.

Croshere finished the third quarter with a rebound dunk, then scored seven more points in the final period.

"We kind of go with what's rolling," he said.

"That's the great thing. If a guy's struggling, there are other options. Right now we have a great attitude and nobody seems to care."

Oh, sure, they care if O'Neal comes back. But they're not desperate about it.

"We'd love to have him, but it's important that he's right," Carlisle said. "If we don't have him, we're going to have to continue to get by without him."

Besides, O'Neal found a way to contribute, too, even in street clothes.

"He was over there on the bench really encouraging everybody," Carlisle said. "That says a lot about the guy."

www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Hornets won their fourth straight game Wednesday with an 81-73 victory over the Boston Celtics at FleetCenter.

Baron Davis scored 17 points in the win over Boston, while Jamaal Magloire added 15 points and 12 rebounds. P.J. Brown chipped in 12 points and hauled in a game-high 16 boards for the Hornets.

With a win tonight, the Hornets would match the best 13-game start in franchise history.

The Hornets have won nine of their first 12 games to match the best start in the franchise's 16-year history, set in 1997-98 and matched last season. They are trying to match the team-record 10-3 start, which was achieved last season.

New Orleans is 5-1 as the host this season.

The Pacers picked up their third straight win Wednesday with a 91-78 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Al Harrington started in place of injured forward Jermaine O'Neal and turned in a solid effort, scoring 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds. O'Neal was scratched before tip off due to tendinitis in his right knee and is listed as day-to-day.

The 25-year-old O'Neal lead's the team in scoring (18.6 ppg), rebounds (10.2) and blocks (2.7 bpg).

Kenny Anderson and Austin Croshere added 13 points apiece for the Pacers, who have won eight of their last nine contests. At 9-2, the Pacers have the NBA's best record.

Against Los Angeles, the Pacers dominated the paint with 44 points to the Clippers' 30. Overall, Indiana has held five opponents under 80 points this season.

Indiana is a perfect 5-0 on the road this season.

The Pacers are currently in first place in the Central Division -- just one- half game ahead of New Orleans.

In 2002-03, the Pacers won three of the four meetings between the two squads. However, New Orleans won the last encounter, winning 81-71 in Indiana on March 11, 2003.

Overall, the Hornets have won four of the last seven meetings between the two squads.

The Hornets have won six of 10 and eight of the last 13. However, Indiana leads the all-time series, 36-25.

http://www.wtev.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers will take this ugly road win

NEW ORLEANS -- Call it luck, call it survival, call it fate.

The Indiana Pacers call it nothing but a victory, a hard-earned one that kept them atop the Eastern Conference with a 10-2 record and extended their road win streak to seven games dating to last season.

Their 76-75 win at New Orleans on Friday came after a controversial foul call in their favor and the gift of a missed uncontested 5-footer at the buzzer.

And while they exited the court at New Orleans Arena with sheepish grins, they also treated it like a playoff win.

This was billed as a statement game by both teams, and the Pacers made the loudest and last one.

"Hey, we survived," coach Rick Carlisle said. "You can't apologize for winning.

"We're very fortunate, but our guys played well enough to win."

Neither team managed 40 percent shooting, but both defenses were postseason-caliber and neither team gave the ball away much.

Baron Davis' 33-point effort -- hitting 7-of-10 3-pointers -- wasn't enough to overcome Jermaine O'Neal's 24 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, Ron Artest's 22 points and Reggie Miller's two free throws.

The Pacers trailed 75-72 after George Lynch scored with 1:52 left, but Artest hit a pull-up jumper over Lynch. The Pacers got two more defensive stops, the second when O'Neal blocked David Wesley's off-balance 12-footer.

The Pacers called timeout with 21.7 seconds left and set up a play with three options. One of them was Miller, who had hit just 1-of-4 field goal attempts.

Miller, as he has done so often in his career, worked the baseline, choosing between two screens to run off. He was hand-wrestling with Wesley all the while, and drew a foul with 8.4 seconds left.

He hit both free throws for the final points.

Was it a foul? Opinions ran along jersey colors.

"From their point of review, you want the players to decide the ballgame," Miller said. "But through three quarters that would have been a foul. Was it a foul? Yes, it was a foul. They would have called it any other time in the game.

"If they wouldn't have called it I would have had a wide-open shot, because I had it set up. He could have picked his poison. Either I could have hit a 3 on him or gone to the free throw line. He should feel lucky I didn't hit a 3 on him."

Wesley disagreed, saying he had warned the officials before the ball was put into play that Miller would try to draw a foul.

"Everybody in the gym knows what kind of player Reggie Miller is," Wesley said. "That's his style. He's going to flop. He's going to push. That's it."

O'Neal, meanwhile, thought Wesley fouled Miller twice before referee Courtney Kirkland blew his whistle.

"(Wesley's) arm went across his shoulder," O'Neal said. "They had to call it. The refs didn't want to call the first two because it was an end-of-game situation."

Davis missed a 3-pointer over Artest's outstretched hand and O'Neal drew a foul on the rebound. He missed the first attempt, however, then missed the second intentionally.

The Hornets got the rebound and the ball out of bounds after a timeout with 1.1 seconds left. They set up the perfect play, rubbing newly inserted David West off Davis' pick, losing Al Harrington as a defender.

West, however, missed the uncontested shot at the buzzer.

"I was probably too low on the baseline," West said. "Part of the reason I was out there was because nobody was expecting me to take the shot."

He was right about that. Artest, who was defending Davis at the time, blamed himself for not switching. But regardless of who was responsible for West, the Pacers escaped with the best record in the East. New Orleans, their closest competitor, dropped to 9-4.

The Pacers have won 6-of-7 one-possession games. They caught a break, but they weren't surprised to come out ahead.

"Every time we have a game, we feel like we're going to win," Austin Croshere said. "To be 6-0 (this season) against the teams we've beaten and not even have played them in our building yet, you have to be encouraged about the prospects for the season."

http://www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

THERE WERE SNICKERS and rolled eyes from a clueless Bay Area media when the Warriors selected Jeff Foster with the No. 21 pick in the 1999 NBA draft. If you didn't know better, you would have thought the sportswriters and television people knew something about the guy.

But how could they have? He was a virtual unknown, a 6-foot-11 forward/center out of Southwest Texas State. When it was announced a short time later that the Warriors had traded Foster's rights to Indiana for the rights to point guard Vonteego Cummings and a future first-round pick ... oh, then everything seemed to make sense to the so-called experts. A rookie point guard for Mookie Blaylock to mentor. Oh, boy.

In case you don't know, Cummings isn't in the NBA anymore, his last game simultaneously coinciding with the expiration of his guaranteed three-year rookie deal. And Foster? He's the starting center for the Indiana Pacers (10-2), owners of the best record in the NBA.

Yes, the Warriors turned that first-rounder into Troy Murphy, but nobody knew that then. In other words, incredulity not excused.

Foster has evolved into an important piece for the Pacers. It's not about numbers, after all. It's about filling a role to its fullest, which Foster does, whether the stats come or not.

"I wouldn't say it's easy (to find a player like Foster)," said Warriors special assistant Chris Mullin, who was with the Pacers during Foster's rookie season. "He's four or five years in, and now you're asking about him. They saw what was there all along. It takes a little time to polish."

Foster had a workout for the Pacers in the weeks leading up to the 1999 draft. But then-coach Larry Bird wasn't present at the time because his team was in the middle of the playoffs.

After hearing from the Pacers' front office that Foster's workout was impressive, Bird joked to the Indianapolis Star: "You know what they say, 'Put a white guy in a gym by himself and he always looks better than he really is.'"

But Bird saw for himself when the Pacers scheduled a second workout for Foster on the morning of the draft. Later that night, they swung the deal with the Warriors. Obviously, Bird liked what he saw.

Foster has improved every season he's been in the league, and this year is no different. He's was averaging seven points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting just below 50 percent from the field entering the weekend.

More important is his ability to function well without needing touches or being an integral part of the offense. Compare that with former Pacers center Brad Miller, a player who needs the ball, and you can see why the Pacers had chemistry issues last year.

Foster is a player who can be productive without hindering Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest, two of Indiana's key offensive players. Too many non-stars in the NBA think they are stars. When you find a non-star who knows he's a non-star and embraces a lesser role, you hold onto him like a wad of hundreds.

"He runs like a deer and rebounds like crazy," Mullin said of Foster. "He always rebounded. Always. Every shot, no matter how many minutes he was playing."

The quick hoops moral here is that there always is room in the NBA for a big player who possesses some skill and desire. Always. Throw in a little determination on defense and the ability to make a shot or two, and you have the makings of a guy who will be in the league for a long time.

Point No. 2: Don't make judgments on draft day. Fact is, nobody really knows.

www.bayarea.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Two teams headed in opposite directions meet tonight when the Orlando Magic welcome the Indiana Pacers to TD Waterhouse Centre for an Eastern Conference battle.

Orlando continued its horrible start to the 2003-04 season on Friday, losing 122-92 to the Sacramento Kings at ARCO Arena.

Since a season-opening win, Orlando has dropped 12 straight games, including two straight under new head coach Johnny Davis. It is the third-longest skid in franchise history behind a 17-game losing streak from December 4-January 7, 1992 and a 15-game slide from March 22-April 20, 1990.

The Magic were led by Gordan Giricek's 19 points. Tyronn Lue and Tracy McGrady added 12 apiece, with McGrady playing just 29 minutes in the blow-out.

Davis replaced Doc Rivers as Orlando head coach after last Monday's loss to Utah, which dropped the team to 1-10 at the time.

Orlando is winless (0-6) at home.

Reggie Miller hit two free throws with 8.4 seconds left in the game Friday to lift Indiana to a 76-75 win over New Orleans in a battle between two of the top teams in the NBA at New Orleans Arena.

Jermaine O'Neal, who missed Wednesday night's 91-78 win over the Los Angeles Clippers due to tendinitis in his right knee, returned to the lineup and scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Pacers. Ron Artest added 22 points for the Pacers, who have won four straight games overall.

O'Neal had five blocked shots, while Miller finished with nine points.

Indiana remained the only unbeaten team on the road this season. The Pacers have won their first six road games this season, and are one win shy of the all-time franchise mark, set during the 1969-70 season when the team was in the ABA.

In 2002-03, the Pacers won two of the three meetings with the Magic. Orlando's only win over Indiana was a 99-86 victory on April 11 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Overall, the home team has won nine of the last 12 contests between the two clubs. Indiana has won five of the last seven games with the Magic.

http://www.wftv.com/sports/2660124/detail.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

ORLANDO -- The Indiana Pacers got another win Monday, but coach Rick Carlisle's worst fears were realized.

It wasn't as easy as it should have been in theory. Orlando had lost 12 straight games and was playing without leading scorer Tracy McGrady, but kept it interesting most of the night at TD Waterhouse Centre.

"I still think they're a dangerous team and we're catching them at the worst possible time," Carlisle had said before the Pacers' 89-78 victory. "They're going to be in a desperate mode and it's going to be a difficult game."

The win left the Pacers with an NBA-best 11-2 record, and kept their road record perfect (7-0). They have won eight straight games dating back to last season, and have tied the franchise record for the best start on the road in franchise history. The 1969-70 ABA team also won its first seven road games.

Jermaine O'Neal overcame a slow start to lead the Pacers with 22 points and 19 rebounds. Ron Artest added 17.

Austin Croshere had a season-high 15 points. He scored 13 in the first half on 5-of-6 shooting. He hit 3-of-4 3-pointers and two driving dunks.

Orlando, playing its first home game under new coach Johnny Davis, got balanced scoring in McGrady's absence, with four players finishing in double figures. Juwan Howard led with 17.

The Pacers took control of the game with a 7-0 run midway through the final period and held on. They made the plays that had to be made, and Orlando (1-13) simply wasn't good enough to take the game from them.

Croshere started the run with a 21-footer. Kenny Anderson got a layup after Croshere rebounded his own missed shot on the next possession, and O'Neal added a three-point play on the following possession to open a 77-63 lead.

www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers start 9-4 ATS.

 

[TheGeneral+]

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle watched his offense turn in its most complete performance in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In typical Carlisle fashion, however, he was more enamored with the defense after a 98-75 victory Tuesday night.

"Our effort defensively keyed our offensive output," Carlisle said.

Ron Artest had 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists to lead six Pacers in double figures. Artest and Jermaine O'Neal also turned in stellar defensive efforts while the Pacers won their sixth straight game.

O'Neal had 17 points, nine rebounds and six blocks, and Jeff Foster added 10 points and nine boards to help NBA-leading Indiana improve to 12-2.

"Jermaine and Ron Artest are playing at an extremely high level right now," Carlisle said.

O'Neal controlled the paint, including two emphatic blocks on dunk attempts by Mark Madsen, and Artest held Latrell Sprewell scoreless.

"I thought the key tonight, more than anything, was Jermaine's effort defensively," Carlisle said.

Kevin Garnett led the cold-shooting Timberwolves with 25 points and 16 rebounds. Sam Cassell also scored 25 points, but they didn't get any help.

Cassell and Garnett made 22 of 38 shots (58 percent), while their teammates were 6-for-34 (18 percent).

"We had three guys that really played tonight," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said. "I thought KG played his heart out, Sam played well and Freddie (Hoiberg) played well."

The Pacers led by as many as 23 midway through the third quarter before the Timberwolves mounted a comeback.

O'Neal went to the bench with his fourth foul with 5:18 to play in the third, and Minnesota went on a 20-4 run to cut the lead to 69-61 with under two minutes to play in the quarter.

The Pacers responded with a 10-0 run of their own early in the fourth to regain control.

Reggie Miller then hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to give the Pacers a 91-72 lead and send the Timberwolves to their first loss in four games.

"When you fall behind like we did by 20, you're fighting uphill," Saunders said. "We just didn't have enough firepower going tonight to sustain it."

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, were carried by Garnett early. He scored 14 points in the first half on 6-of-11 shooting, but his teammates shot seven for 30.

The Timberwolves shot 39 percent for the game and were outrebounded 49-37.

"When we're getting stops and hitting every shot, it makes it tough to come in here," O'Neal said.

Despite his eye-popping numbers, Garnett took the blame for the loss.

"I have to do a better job of controlling the paint," he said. "They got a lot of second-chance points on us and that's my fault."

Notes:

Minnesota center Michael Olowokandi missed his second straight game with right knee tendinitis. ... The Timberwolves also had a four-game road winning streak snapped. ... Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said forward Jonathan Bender, who has been out all season after having knee surgery, is still not close to returning. ... Carlisle got a technical foul with nine minutes to play in the third for arguing a call. ... Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James sat courtside with actor/comedian Mike Epps.

www.sfgate.com