Indiana Pacers News & Notes

[TheGeneral+]

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The league-leading Indiana Pacers try to win four in a row against the New York Knicks for the first time in 23 years Thursday as they continue a three-game homestand at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Pacers have won their last three meetings with the Knicks, including a 95-94 victory at Madison Square Garden on November 15. They last won four straight games against New York from February 20, 1980-January 8, 1981, when they took five in a row.

Indiana has won 12 of its first 14 games for the best record in the NBA, extending its winning streak to six games with a 98-75 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Ron Artest collected 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Jermaine O'Neal scored 17 points for the Pacers, who had six players in double figures.

Indiana is trying to win seven in a row for the first time since a nine-game run from November 2-22, 2002.

New York has won a season-high three games after rallying for a 97-92 victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday.

Allan Houston made six of his final seven shots and scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks won their first meeting with Latrell Sprewell, who was traded to the Timberwolves in the offseason.

Dikembe Mutombo had season highs of 18 points and 17 rebounds and Frank Williams scored a career-high 17 points for the Knicks, who shot 52 percent (36-of-69) and won for the sixth time in seven games.

http://www.nba.com/games/20031127/NYKIND/preview.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

Knicks routed by Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS - (KRT) - Ron Artest always will be remembered as the one who got away, the New York City kid with the famous temper whom the Knicks passed over in the 1999 NBA draft for that infamous French pastry, Frederic Weis.

These days, Artest has his emotions, and his game, under control. And with Jermaine O'Neal as Artest's sidekick, the Indiana Pacers own the two of the league's top young players as well as the NBA's best record.

"They're the reason why that team is where they are," Allan Houston said.

O'Neal and Artest combined for 48 points as Indiana flexed its considerable muscle, led wire-to-wire and easily defeated the Knicks, 93-70, on Thursday night. The 70 points were a season-low for the Knicks, who as a team made 23 field goals compared to a combined 20 for O'Neal and Artest.

"We may be a one-two punch, but it's not just that," said Artest, who finished with 21 points and five steals in 35 minutes. "We feed off each other."

Actually, O'Neal was eating up Dikembe Mutombo, who struggled to stay with the younger and more athletic center. O'Neal, who beat the Knicks with a last-second shot two weeks ago, scored a game-high 27 points on 12-for-21 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds in 30 minutes as the Pacers improved to 13-2.

The loss snapped the Knicks' three-game winning streak and prevented them from winning four straight for the first time since January of 2002. The Knicks, who had defeated Minnesota one night earlier, fell to 6-10.

"O'Neal and Artest are real rising stars in this league," said Don Chaney, whose team will play host to New Orleans on Saturday. "They're aggressive and tough to defend."

The Pacers played like the East's best squad while the Knicks resembled a team playing its third game in four nights. They were lethargic, careless and overmatched.

The Knicks committed 24 turnovers, shot 35 percent and never posed a serious challenge. They led trailed by as many as 24 overall and never got closer than five in the second half.

"Our energy level was a bit low," said Mutombo, who had eight points and eight rebounds.

Trouble for the Knicks surfaced just 10 seconds into the game when Reggie Miller drew a foul on Houston. For Miller, a renowned flop artist, that was a record.

"He's been doing it so long he has the referees trained," Houston said. "That's just what he does. It's frustrating."

Fifty-nine seconds later, Miller drew another foul on Houston, this time away from the ball, and Houston wasn't heard from again until he hit his first and only jumper of the half with seven minutes left in the second quarter.

Houston, who scored eight points in 19 minutes, also bruised his right shin when he collided with O'Neal and was called for a charge.

Kurt Thomas led the Knicks with 12 and Frank Williams, who scored a career-high 17 points against Minnesota, finished with 11.

The Knicks were down 56-48 midway through the third quarter before O'Neal sparked an 18-2 run. Artest's three made it 65-50. Moments later, he converted a turnover into a layup and then saved a ball from going out of bounds, which led to O'Neal's runner. O'Neal returned the favor by feeding Artest for a back-door layup.

"They played great," Thomas said. "(O'Neal) is big and strong and he's got good touch around the basket and Ron is a tough cover for anyone in the league."

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[TheGeneral+]

PHILADELPHIA - (KRT) - Today, Larry Brown probably wishes he were Rick Carlisle. If he were, there wouldn't be questions about the loyalty of the former 76ers coach to an organization that once employed him and to a city that embraced him for half a decade.

And if you were a Sixer, you wouldn't mind playing for Carlisle.

Reason No. 1: You would be winning more games.

Reason No. 2: Championship aspirations would be something more than pipe dreams.

Reason No. 3: You would have shooters, a stud forward, and a top candidate for defensive player of the year on your side.

The Indiana Pacers - the team Carlisle is coaching after having been replaced by Brown in Detroit - are the best team in the Eastern Conference. After Thursday night's home victory over the New York Knicks, they have a 13-2 record - the best in the NBA. They are 5 1/2 games better than the 8-8 Sixers, who are mired in mediocrity at the moment.

The Pacers have won seven straight games. They are 9-2 in conference matchups. But if there is one thing for the Sixers to cling to as they head into their game Friday night in Indianapolis, it is that the Pacers, undefeated on the road, are a mere 6-2 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"We're doing OK, just taking things day by day," Carlisle said recently. "It's a long season, and we know this. We also know, if we do what we're capable of doing, we should be able to compete with anybody."

Ask the Sixers and you'll hear them echo those sentiments about their own situation. But the Sixers are not a good team yet. They are not healthy yet. Injuries have been a problem, as has the number of new players on the roster. To accelerate their ascension toward being a top team, they must overcome those things.

"And, obviously, we haven't done that yet," coach Randy Ayers said. "This game versus Indiana will be a real test for us. To me, this is where the season begins. A lot of stuff has been put behind us, so now is the time to find out where we really are and what we're made of."

No one is questioning what the Pacers are made of.

Jermaine O'Neal, with his averages of 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, is an all-star.

Ron Artest, an exceptional defender, continues to shut down everyone he faces. One day, it's Allan Houston of the Knicks. Another day, it's Rashard Lewis of the Seattle SuperSonics. In addition to abusing the Sixers in general and Glenn Robinson in particular for 30 points Nov. 9, Artest helped hold Robinson to six points. Chances are, he will battle Detroit's Ben Wallace for the title of defensive player of the year in the NBA.

The Pacers also have Reggie Miller's veteran leadership and Al Harrington's toughness. They have gotten surprising play from big man Jeff Foster. They have added a true point guard in Kenny Anderson. And they have a coach in Carlisle who has gotten little love for accomplishments yet, but who is very much respected by his peers.

"They're a very tough team," Ayers said. "There's no question about that. They're better than us in a half-court game right now, and they're being coached very well. That's why this game is such a big test for us. We should be able to find out where we are as a team with a game like this and where we need to go."

Brown had said basically the same thing eight days earlier, hours before his Pistons took on the Los Angeles Lakers at home. He had talked about playing against a team perceived as being better.

Teams do take on the personalities of their coaches, and the Pacers are no different.

Months after being unceremoniously dismissed as coach of the Pistons despite having guided them to two consecutive Central Division titles and two straight 50-win seasons, he is saying little but doing a lot, not looking for credit or blame.

"He's an impersonal person - the kind of guy you'd walk into a bar and see and wouldn't say a word to because he doesn't appear approachable at all," a Pacers official said. "But, man, can he coach."

His team is not bad, either.

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[TheGeneral+]

Pacers 90, 76ers 77

Jermaine O'Neal and the Indiana Pacers are getting used to winning these days.

"We expect to win every single night," he said. "We've kind of gotten in that habit. It's contagious."

Who can blame them? Especially after another dominating performance Friday night gave the Pacers their eighth win in a row.

Ron Artest had 20 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, four steals and four blocks and the Pacers held Philadelphia's Allen Iverson in check on their way to beating the 76ers 90-77 Friday night.

"They're playing at an extremely high level," Sixers coach Randy Ayers said.

O'Neal added 21 points, six rebounds and six blocks for the NBA-leading Pacers (14-2), setting up a showdown in Los Angeles against the Lakers on Sunday.

The Pacers will bring the NBA's best defense to the West Coast. They've held nine of their last 10 opponents under 80 points.

Iverson found out just how good that defense is Friday night. He had a season-low 12 points on 4-of-19 shooting. He came in averaging a league-leading 28.1 points a game.

"It's one of those ones I just wanted to forget about," Iverson said. "I missed a couple easy ones, but I tried to stay with it all night and it just never got right for me."

Iverson's not alone. He became the latest in a long list of high scorers who have struggled against the Pacers, who are just now meshing with new coach Rick Carlisle.

"They're playing good team basketball and I think everything coach Carlisle is asking them to do, they're doing it," Iverson said.

Iverson said he was feeling a bit ill, but didn't want to sit out because so many teammates are injured -- including Derrick Coleman, Glenn Robinson and Todd MacCullough.

Coleman missed the game with a left knee strain that kept him out of six games earlier this season.

The short-handed Sixers were no match for the deep and confident Pacers.

Indiana dominated from the get-go, using a 16-4 run in the first quarter to take control.

"They have players who, when you put the ball in their hands, can do something with it," Ayers said. "They're a confident ballclub."

The Sixers, meanwhile, went nearly seven minutes without a field goal in the quarter and shot 23.5 percent from the field in falling behind 22-14.

Kenny Thomas led the Sixers with 14 points and seven rebounds, and Eric Snow added 12 points and 10 assists, but Philadelphia never got closer than 10 in the second half.

Al Harrington added 17 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for Indiana, which has little time to celebrate a tough five-game West Coast road swing on the horizon.

"We can't take the time to stand back and celebrate our record," O'Neal said. "We're not getting any trophies right now."

Notes:

Pacers G Jamaal Tinsley missed his second straight game with a sore lower back. ... Sixers center Marc Jackson left briefly in the third quarter after falling awkwardly on his left ankle. ... Greg Buckner was called for a flagrant foul for grabbing Harrington under the basket and throwing him to the floor in the second quarter. ... Iverson has had a steal in 40 straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA.

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[TheGeneral+]

INDIANAPOLIS - After shredding Eastern Conference foes for five games in a row, it's time for the NBA-leading Indiana Pacers to find out how good they really are.

A tough five-game road trip out West will provide the indicator.

The Pacers (14-2) face the top five teams in the Pacific Division, beginning Sunday with a showdown with the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers.

"These are all very tough games," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "It will be a gauge and a test for us."

Despite their eye-popping stats - Indiana has the league's best record and its best defense, allowing 80.5 points a game - there are still questions surrounding the team.

They've done most their damage against what is widely believed to be inferior competition in the Eastern Conference, though they are 4-0 against teams from the West.

"It's going to be a true test to see where we're really at," said forward Al Harrington, who had 17 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in Friday's 90-77 win over Philadelphia. "We go out there and win most of these games, I think we'll be sitting pretty good and our confidence will be there."

Confidence appears to be in abundance in Indiana these days. The Pacers have won eight in a row, the last three in convincing fashion, and will take a franchise-record seven-game road winning streak against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

They've certainly made believers out of their opponents.

"They seem to be more under control this year than in the past," 76ers guard Eric Snow said. "Everyone knew the talent was there, but when things seemed to go bad and teams made their runs they kind of seemed to go separate ways or try to do a little too much, whereas now everyone seems to be under control."

That's thanks to a combination of Carlisle's disciplined, yet calming approach and a team that's a year older, and a year wiser than the one that unraveled during the second half of last season under former coach Isiah Thomas.

The Pacers have played with a poise and unselfishness that hasn't been seen in these parts in recent memory. They've dished out 50 assists in the last two games and are executing Carlisle's intricate offense more crisply with each game.

In short, the Pacers are rolling right now, just in time for the meaty part of the schedule that also includes Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, and Sacramento.

"This will be a great measuring stick for this team," Reggie Miller said.

First up are the Lakers, who have Shaquille O'Neal back after missing two games with a strained right calf. With Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton also in L.A., the Lakers are again one of the favorites to win the NBA championship this season.

Carlisle welcomes the challenge.

"We're playing what some people think is the best team in basketball," Carlisle said. "That's what it's all about."

It's also about opening some eyes across the country, Harrington said. Some of the Pacers feel playing in small-market Indianapolis has prevented them from gaining the type of national exposure that players in L.A., New York and Dallas get.

That could all change with a strong showing this week.

"We'll let the whole league know that we're a real team," Harrington said.

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[TheGeneral+]

Pacers cut down to size by Lakers

L.a. LAkers 99, PACERS 77

LOS ANGELES -- Not only was there a time change, there was a team change.

The Indiana Pacers that had run off eight consecutive victories, and seven in a row in someone else's arena, didn't pack their mojo for Sunday night's showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Listless, basically from the start, the Pacers entered the game with the NBA's best overall record and left with a giant boot print on their backs.

By the time the Lakers put the finishing touches on their 99-77 win before a sellout crowd at the Staples Center, that argument about the Eastern Conference being the Western Conference's sickly, freckle-faced cousin seemed about right.

"They've got their own Dream Team," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said before the game.

Do they ever. Karl Malone had 11 points and 15 rebounds before exiting late in the third quarter to a rousing ovation. Gary Payton and Kobe Bryant had pedestrian numbers by their usual standards, but big contributions weren't needed with Shaquille O'Neal dominating the action whenever he felt the desire to do so.

And that was when he was on the floor. He spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble. He still finished with a game-high 23 points, making 7-of-12 shots from the floor.

The game came undone for the Pacers just after halftime, when a 21-4 Lakers run ignited the crowd and sapped whatever remaining energy the Pacers had. O'Neal scored 10 points in the quarter with an assortment of Pacers trying desperately to slow him down.

It was the second dismantling of a supposed rival in as many games for the home team. The Lakers crushed San Antonio here Friday night, leaving little doubt as to who the NBA's best team is after the first month of the season.

Jermaine O'Neal finished with 14 points and six rebounds for the Pacers, but Ron Artest scored just six points on 2-of-9 shooting from the floor. Reggie Miller managed nine on a 3-of-9 shooting effort.

The Pacers shot just 39 percent from the floor.

The Lakers, playing the entire second quarter without Shaq, still managed to stretch the lead to as many as 11. They led 46-37 at halftime, thanks to Bryon Russell's buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the corner.

Al Harrington had plenty do to with keeping the Pacers in the game early. With the 40-year-old Malone and 38-year-old Grant taking turns guarding him, Harrington took advantage of his elders and scored 14 first-half points off the bench.

He was a point shy of tripling the first-half output of starters Ron Artest, Jeff Foster and Kenny Anderson. Foster played just two minutes after picking up two early fouls.

The first quarter was sloppier than the second. The action on the floor looked like anything but the NBA's two best teams matching wits. The Pacers, who average 14.2 turnovers per game, had nine in the first quarter; the Lakers had six.

A Derek Fisher jumper at the buzzer put the Lakers ahead 23-17. But that was after Shaq had picked up his third foul, pushing off Scot Pollard on a post up under the Lakers basket with 1.9 seconds to play.

Jermaine O'Neal joined Shaq in early foul trouble; both men had two and were on the bench with more than six minutes remaining in the quarter.

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[TheGeneral+]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Former Indiana Pacers' head coach Isiah Thomas said the 2003-04 season would be a successful season for the team.

"My job was to come in and get them ready, and now they're ready," Thomas was quoted as saying by the New York Times on Sunday. "You have to have your heartaches. That's the learning process and the maturation league."

"Now, all the learning has been done and this is the fourth year and they'll be in the NBA finals," Thomas said.

Thomas, who was fired by new president Larry Bird before the season, predicted the youth Pacers needed four years to get back into the finals when he was asked by then team president Donnie Walsh three years ago.

Thomas led the Pacers to playoffs during all his three-year staying with the team before been replaced by former Detroit Pistons coach Rick Carlisle.

http://news.xinhuanet.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - The Indiana Pacers attempt to get back on the winning track tonight when they travel to Phoenix to meet Stephon Marbury and the Suns at America West Arena.

The Pacers, who will be playing the second leg of a five-game West Coast road trip this evening, were blown out by the Los Angeles Lakers, 99-77, at the Staples Center on Sunday.

Al Harrington led the Pacers with 18 points and 10 boards off the bench. Indiana, which had an eight-game win streak come to an end, was the last team in the NBA to have a perfect record on the road, but they never had a chance against the Lakers and dropped to 7-1 as the visitor this season.

The Lakers went into the locker room with a 46-37 advantage before blowing the game open early in the third quarter.

Los Angeles scored nine of the first 13 points in the second half to increase the margin. Gary Payton's hook shot in the lane finalized the mini-burst to make it a 14-point game at 55-41.

Shaquille O'Neal converted down low to allow the Lakers' lead to balloon to 20 with just under a minute to play in the third quarter. Los Angeles went into the final period with a 68-51 lead after the Pacers managed just 14 points in the third quarter.

The game turned into extended garbage time in the final quarter, as both teams emptied its benches and the Lakers cruised to the easy victory.

The Pacers have lost five straight and 11 of 12 as the visitor against the Lakers.

Indiana guard Jamaal Tinsley missed the LA game with a bad back and is questionable for tonight's contest.

The Suns were defeated by the Golden State Warriors, 92-83, on Friday in front of their home crowd.

Anfernee Hardaway paced the Suns with 16 points off the bench. Stephon Marbury and Casey Jacobsen added 14 points apiece, as the Suns lost for the second time in three games.

Phoenix was outrebounded by Golden State, 50-33.

The Suns played the Warriors without forward Shawn Marion, who has an ankle injury. Marion, though, is expected to play tonight.

Phoenix is 6-4 as the host this season.

In 2002-03, the teams split two games as each club won on its homecourt. Overall, the home team has won eight straight meetings in this series.

Indiana has lost four straight and six of its last seven in Phoenix.

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[TheGeneral+]

Pacers 89, Suns 82

PHOENIX, Dec. 1 — Jermaine O'Neal once was the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA game. Seven years later, he's one of the best, and still barely 25 years old.

O'Neal had 32 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots and the Indiana Pacers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 89-82 Monday night.

''What can you say?'' coach Rick Carlisle said. ''He made every play.''

O'Neal made five of six shots for 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots in the fourth quarter. Reggie Miller added a pair of 3-pointers in the final quarter and finished with 15 points. Al Harrington added 18 points, four in a 9-0 run that put Indiana up for good.

The Pacers, who bounced back from a 99-77 Sunday night loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles, have won nine of 10 and, at 15-3, have the NBA's best record.

''This was probably the most important game of our season so far,'' O'Neal said. ''Last night was probably the biggest game because it's the Lakers and it's in their gym. But this is the most important game. Even when we got behind, we showed a lot of maturity. Maybe the last couple of years, we don't win this game.''

Indiana, without Ron Artest because of back spasms, trailed by as many as 11 in the first half but took control with the 9-0 spurt to go up 72-64 on O'Neal's inside shot with 7:49 to play. Miller sank a 3-pointer and Harrington scored four in the run.

''This was probably our best win of the year for a lot of reasons,'' Carlisle said. ''It's our sixth game in eight nights. We were coming off a disappointing performance last night. We don't have one of our top players.''

Shawn Marion, back from a sprained ankle that sidelined him for two games, scored 15 for Phoenix. Stephon Marbury had 14 points and 10 assists but went just 4-of-15 from the field. Scott Williams was 6-for-6 shooting for 13 points. Amare Stoudemire scored 11.

The Suns have lost three of four.

''Right now we're in a nasty funk,'' Marbury said. ''The only people that can get us out of it is ourselves.''

Marbury said the Suns simply aren't the exciting, active team they were last season.

''Right now we're in a nasty funk. Offensively we can't get nothing going,'' he said. ''We play totally different than we played last year. Last year there was a lot of cutting, a lot of movement, a lot of back door.''

Marion's fast-break stuff to cut the lead to 74-70 with 5:52 to play. But Anthony Johnson's layup and Miller's 3-pointer boosted it to 79-70 with 4:55 left.

After Phoenix cut it to 79-73, O'Neal blocked Stoudemire's rebound shot, then ran the court, sank a fast-break layup and was fouled for a three-point play that made it 82-73 with 2:52 to go.

''They certainly took it to us in the fourth quarter,'' Phoenix coach Frank Johnson said.

Rookie Leandro Barbosa's scored seven in a 22-7 run that put Phoenix up 37-26 on his 3-pointer with 7:58 left in the first half. Moments later, Barbosa was fouled and crashed to the floor on a drive through the lane.

He stayed in the game to shoot the free throws, missed them both, then left with a bruised back and did not return.

Indiana scored the next 12 that ended when Miller made a free throw after Marbury was called for a technical foul, and the Pacers led 38-37 with 4:49 to play until halftime.

The game was tied at 44-all at the half, and neither team led by more than three points in the third quarter. Phoenix led 62-61 entering the fourth.

Notes: O'Neal's points and blocked shots were season highs. His career-best for blocked shots is 10. ... Jamaal Tinsley was not with the Pacers because of personal reasons. ... Indiana has three more stops on its five-game trip through the Pacific Division. The Pacers are at Portland on Wednesday night. ... Marion had played in 65 consecutive games before missing last Wednesday's Dallas contest.

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[TheGeneral+]

O'Neal, Pacers are all grown up

Indiana players insist the team will not suffer another swoon, as it did last season after a fast start

The Indiana Pacers are off to a very fast start -- just like last season.

The Pacers began a five-game Western trip Sunday with a league-leading 14-2 record. Last season, the Pacers had a 13-2 record before a five-game Western swing.

But there, they insist, the similarities end.

Last year's team ended its trip 2-3 and never recovered, struggling the rest of the season before a first-round playoff loss.

"We understand what happened last year and it was a lesson well-learned," forward Jermaine O'Neal said. "We can't be satisfied with a great start and we have to keep our focus. For us to be successful, we need all 15 guys on board, playing hard for each other and pulling for each other."

The Pacers, who play at the Trail Blazers tonight at the Rose Garden, point to their game at Phoenix on Monday as evidence of a focused attitude and mental growth this season.

Indiana began the trip by losing 99-77 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The Pacers rebounded, winning 89-82 at Phoenix (their first win in Phoenix in six years) despite playing on consecutive nights on the road and without Ron Artest (back spasms).

"Our best win of the year," said Indiana coach Rick Carlisle, who was selected the Eastern Conference coach of the month for November. "We had a lot of things against us -- it was our sixth game in eight nights and we didn't have one of our top players."

Last season, the Pacers probably would have lost a similar game. Instead, they fell behind early but overcame a double-digit, first-half deficit and tied the score at halftime. They used an 11-2 run early in the fourth quarter to take the lead and held off the Suns down the stretch.

"Maybe we don't win this game in the last couple of years," O'Neal said. "The way we played when we fell behind, we showed a lot of maturity."

Another sign of growth is how the Pacers -- with an NBA-best 15-3 record -- talk about finishing this trip with a winning record. Going home with three wins would represent another step in convincing themselves this season really is different.

"They've been here before in terms of the record and the way this trip is set up," Carlisle said. "I sensed there's an understanding that there's some urgency to this trip."

The Pacers are a league-leading 8-1 on the road, but just two wins have come against teams with winning records. The first seven victories came against Eastern Conference teams with a combined record of 54-69 (through Monday night).

"We'll find out whether we are the team that's ready to take it to the next level or a team that's kind of front-running," O'Neal said.

O'Neal continues to show why he could be the best power forward in the Eastern Conference and should be mentioned along with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Chris Webber as one of the best power forwards in the league.

"He's has been carrying us for the last three years," guard Reggie Miller said. "It's a load for him to go against the best power forwards, but he can."

The 6-foot-11, 240-pound O'Neal dominated the game against the Suns with 32 points, 14 rebounds (eight offensive) and eight blocked shots. He carried the team with 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks in the fourth quarter.

"He made every huge play in the game. He made some blocks and got down the floor in breathtaking fashion," Carlisle said. "But that's what franchise players do."

The former Blazer is producing at a pace that should earn him a second consecutive All-Star selection. He is averaging 20.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.18 blocks. If the Pacers continue to play well, O'Neal will receive votes for most valuable player.

Though he is 25, O'Neal is the unquestioned leader of the Pacers. A significant sign of his maturity was how he handled the firing of former coach Isiah Thomas and the hiring of Carlisle.

O'Neal was upset when Thomas -- whom he calls a father-figure -- was fired in August. He wondered if he wanted to remain with the team despite signing a seven-year, $122 million contract a month before Thomas was fired. But O'Neal quickly regrouped and supported Carlisle.

"I felt like I was lied to just to (re-sign) me. You're going to feel bad about it, but you gotta move on," O'Neal said. "I have no problems with Rick. I don't have a problem with the organization anymore. It's a business."

O'Neal says he believes that management wasn't truthful about Thomas' job status, but he also is grateful that Pacers president Donnie Walsh took a chance on an unproven player in August 2000, when he traded Dale Davis to Portland for O'Neal and Joe Kleine.

"He was the only one who really trusted in me, when nobody else trusted in me," O'Neal said. "It was a huge deal because Dale Davis had just come off his all-star year and they had just went to the Finals the year before. He was the one who rolled the dice."

Walsh also rolled the dice when he acquired Artest from Chicago in a February 2002 trade. That move looked shaky after a season in which Artest was suspended for 12 games (league- and team-imposed) for various incidents, including damaging a television camera and monitor, obscene gestures and flagrant fouls.

The old Artest has disappeared and a new one has emerged this season. He is playing the best basketball of his six-year career, averaging 18.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists, all career highs, and his defense is as tenacious as ever. More important, the 24-year-old Artest hasn't been assessed a technical foul and has not missed a game because of suspension this season.

Artest credits maturity.

"People change and I have more experience now," he said. "As a man, you have to pretty much help yourself."

Artest is part of a young Indiana team -- nine players are 25 or younger, and the average age is 26.6. That average would drop without Miller, 38, and Kenny Anderson, 33, on the roster. Still, this is the third season they have been together, and they've grown as a team. Gone are the constant glares at officials after a perceived missed call, the technical fouls and the incessant whining about lack of respect.

Those are signs of a team attempting to overcome adversity while using the experience and lessons as the cornerstones for growth and maturity. They are factors in the Pacers' quick start, but it's a long season.

"We don't want to get too excited," Miller said. "We had a great start last season and the bottom fell out."

http://www.oregonlive.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Miller still in position to help the Pacers win

Reggie Miller is 38 and averaging the fewest points (10.6) in his career since his rookie season in 1987-88. But don't assume the two add up to an impending retirement. The five-time All-Star appears ready to bounce off screens and light up NBA arenas into his 40s. He is surrounded by a wealth of young talent that keeps alive his dream of winning an NBA championship for the Indiana Pacers, the only team he has played for. He took time out with USA TODAY's Greg Boeck to talk about his team, the league and his role.

Q: How good is this team?

A: I don't want to get too excited. We got off to a great start last year and the bottom fell out. But there's a big difference here. I think our maturity level is somewhat reaching an all-time high. We're staying in ballgames, we're picking our spots when to make runs and when to come up with the big defensive stops, and that's much different from what it was last year.

Q: What impact has new coach Rick Carlisle had?

A: He's a good position coach because he understands time and score and who's hot, who's not. He's patient and really works with the younger guys.

Q: Talk about the development of Jermaine O'Neal.

Q: He's been carrying us the last three years. He's the premier All-Star, especially the power forward-center in the East. He's been in the game a long time. When did he come in? When he was 12 or 13? 17 or 18, something like that.

Q: Is the clock winding down on Miller Time?

A: As long as they keep giving me wide-open looks and they keep doubling me coming off screens and they keep holding me, it will always be Miller Time.

Q: There are only a dozen players shooting 50% or better this year. What's the state of shooting in the NBA?

A: It's way down, because no one knows how to shoot anymore. This league is all about crossovers and dunks. Shooting is a lost art. When I came in, every team had a great shooting guard. From Rolando Blackman, Ricky Pierce, Sidney Moncrief, Alvin Robertson, Randy Wittman, Ron Harper, Eddie Johnson. Now it's more about off-the-dribble dunks and crossovers.

Q: Do you see good shooting ever coming back?

A: The more you have kids coming out of high school, no, because fundamentals are lost. They are coming to the NBA being expected to learn on the go. You're not learning jump stops and you're not learning pivots and you're not learning coming off screens or proper foot position and shooting technique.

Q: Eddie Johnson said you were the most unselfish superstar he ever played with. You seem to have gotten even more unselfish as you've gotten older.

A: You never want to get in the way of progress, especially with these younger guys. You have to put your ego aside and understand that this is a team on the rise with young players. You nurture them and help them, and they respect that and they give me the chance when the game is on the line to go back to my former self. Other than that, I get out of the way.

Q: And you're comfortable with that?

A: Heck, yeah. As long as we win, that's all that matters.

http://www.usatoday.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Blazers 97, Pacers 95

15-4 13-6 ATS

PORTLAND, Ore. / OVERTIME - Zach Randolph scored a career-most 34 points to lead Portland after apologizing to his teammates for his arrest on a charge of driving under the influence of marijuana.

Reggie Miller made a three-pointer with 28.5 seconds left to put the Pacers ahead 95-94 before Damon Stoudamire answered.

After a timeout, Indiana's Ron Artest slipped while driving under the basket and lost control of the ball. Anthony Johnson then fouled Stoudamire, who made the first of two free throws.

http://rockymountainnews.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Sonics take on Pacers

SEATTLE - Go ahead, make fun of the NBA's Eastern Conference if you want. After all, only four of the circuit's 15 teams have winning records.

Still, one team back east is doing quite well and it's tonight's opponent for the Seattle SuperSonics, the Indiana Pacers.

Under new coach Rick Carlisle, who has bounced back nicely after his unceremonious and wholly undeserved firing by Detroit last season, Indiana boasts a shiny 15-4 record. The Pacers, in fact, had a remarkable November, winning the first seven road games on their schedule. Indiana, which did not lose away from home until facing the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland in the last week, has an 8-2 road mark, the league's best.

None of this is a coincidence, of course. Carlisle has the Pacers winning the old-fashioned way - with defense and rebounding. Indiana leads the NBA in scoring defense, giving up a mere 82.4 points a game, and is sixth in opponents' field goal percentage at .414. In rebound percentage, which calculates a team's percentage of the total possible rebounds, the Pacers are seventh at .510 (the Sonics, meanwhile, are last among 29 teams at .475).

All this means Seattle will face a formidable challenge tonight at KeyArena, and it begins with the formidable task of stopping 6-foot-11 forward Jermaine O'Neal, one of the game's rising stars. O'Neal leads the Pacers in scoring (20.1 points per game), rebounds (10.5) and blocked shots (3.11), and he joins with 6-7 Ron Artest (18.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.28 steals) to give Indiana one of the league's best forward tandems.

O'Neal, said Seattle coach Nate McMillan, "is a very good player. He's definitely one of the top (big men) in the league."

The Sonics and Pacers have already tangled once this season and it was, for Seattle, a forgettable outing. On Nov. 14 the two teams played at Indiana's Conseco Fieldhouse and the Pacers breezed to a 101-78 victory, an outcome that equals Seattle's worst defeat of the season.

"They had just lost a game at home," McMillan recalled, "and they had three days (of practice to prepare), and they came out with intensity and just got after us."

Though his players feel good after consecutive wins against Houston and New York, that defeat "is still fresh in our minds," he added. "We didn't play well, and we didn't play with that fire and that fight that we've played in the last couple of games."

Despite their struggles at times this season, the Sonics will bring a 9-6 record into tonight's clash. Considering the absence of guard Ray Allen, the team's top scorer from a year ago who has yet to play after Nov. 1 ankle surgery, that would seem to be a decent mark.

Not exactly, McMillan said. Home losses to Atlanta, Miami and Memphis still rankle him, not to mention a 23-point thrashing by New Jersey at KeyArena 10 days ago. In fact, in a staff meeting just before the season, McMillan projected the Sonics winning 10 of their first 12 games, with possible wins against Minnesota and New Jersey in the other two.

His assistants, McMillan admitted with a smile, "looked at me like I was crazy."

"So with us winning nine games, I felt like we could do that," he said. "Am I happy with 9-6? No. I'll take it, though."

http://www.heraldnet.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Indiana Pacers Team Report - December 6

16-4 14-6 ATS


Jermaine O'Neal scored 30 points and hauled down nine boards to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 101-94 win over the Seattle SuperSonics at KeyArena on Friday.

Al Harrington contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds and Jeff Foster collected 14 boards. Reggie Miller added 14 points for the Pacers, who have won 10 of their last 12 games.

The Pacers trailed 45-44 after the first half, but scored 36 points in the third quarter to put the game away. Indiana opened up the first eight minutes of the period on a 25-4 run, and led 80-60 heading into the fourth.

The 36-point quarter for Indiana was the most given up by the Sonics in a stanza this season.

Ronald Murray sank two free throws with 5:41 to go to cut the Pacers' lead to 10 points at 90-80. Indiana's lead remained in double-digits until there was 2:41 to play, when Rashard Lewis buried a three-pointer to make it 92-85.

However, O'Neal got free for a dunk with less than two minutes to go, pushing the lead back up to nine points and effectively ending the contest. Seattle made a frenetic defensive stand in the final minute, but couldn't get the Pacers' lead below five.

Indiana will head back to the court on Sunday against Sacramento.

http://sportsnetwork.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

16-5 15-6 ATS


Kings 91, Pacers 88



Hundreds of fans waited inside Arco Arena for Brad Miller to return to the court for his postgame radio interview. They cheered him madly, and he acknowledged the greeting with a single fist pump.

Sacramento's faithful don't stand for losing, and Miller played a big part in getting the Kings back on track on their home floor.

Miller had 18 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in his first game against his former team, and the Kings overcame a season-high 21 turnovers for a 91-88 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

Peja Stojakovic had 27 points and five rebounds and Mike Bibby added 14 points for the Kings, who led by 16 in the third quarter of the emotional game that saw many players challenge the inconsistent officiating.

"All I know is that they hate Sacramento," Kings guard Bobby Jackson said of the referees. "That's East Coast basketball -- grab and hold. They let the East Coast beat the West Coast up."

Indiana forward Ron Artest was ejected late in the second quarter for arguing an offensive foul call.

Official Anthony Jordan whistled Artest for a charge 3:31 before halftime and Artest became angry and received a technical for questioning the foul. The Pacers called timeout before Bibby shot the first technical shot.

During the timeout, Artest approached Jordan to give him another earful and official Bob Delaney called the second technical that led to Artest being tossed.

"It was clear to me that the first technical was deserved," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "But the second one was unwarranted, particularly on how well he's conducted himself this season. I thought it was ridiculous to eject a guy who is just wanting an explanation. Because it was a questionable call to say the least that led to the whole situation."

Artest, the Pacers' second-leading scorer at 18.3 points per game, had nine points, an assist and no rebounds.

"I thought you were able to talk to the refs in this league, but obviously not," Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal said.

O'Neal had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead Indiana, which missed many key shots down the stretch and shot 39 percent. Jamison Brewer couldn't get a desperation 3-point shot off in time to beat the final buzzer.

Sacramento's Vlade Divac was whistled for an offensive foul with 50.2 seconds left and his finger roll in the paint went in, which would have given the Kings a three-point lead.

O'Neal missed on the other end and the Kings got the ball back, calling timeout with 17.8 seconds left. Stojakovic hit two free throws with 12.4 on the clock.

Miller, a 7-foot All-Star center, had his second career triple-double, both this season. He was acquired from the Pacers in a three-team trade in July. He is fitting in well in Sacramento and scored a career-high 35 points Friday night in a 112-109 overtime loss to Minnesota that snapped Sacramento's 17-game home winning streak. The Kings had been 10-0 at Arco this season before the loss.

In the first half Sunday, Miller took three charges and hit the floor six times. He is averaging 25.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists over the last four games.

After O'Neal blocked a shot by Jackson, Brewer dunked in transition on the other end to give the Pacers an 81-77 lead with 8:51 left in the game.

Stojakovic kept the Kings in it, scoring 11 of his points in the final period.

"Down the stretch, we played better defense," Divac said. "We cannot afford to look careless in the fourth."

The Pacers, who shot 39 percent, made a late run in the third quarter to pull within 74-73 going into the fourth.

Sacramento shot 53.2 percent in the first half for a 57-46 halftime lead.

Notes:

The Kings have won 37 of their last 38 games against the Eastern Conference, including 25 straight. The Pacers were the last team from the East to beat the Kings here, 97-86 on March 3, 2002. ... Carlisle is pleased with how the Pacers are adjusting to all the offseason changes -- a new coaching staff, a new style, and the loss of Brad Miller. "There's also been a significant adjustment to the style of play that we have," Carlisle said. "But we've come together nicely so far." ... Artest, who had 12 behavior-related suspensions last season, has been saying he's matured and is determined to play smart this season. It was his first technical and first ejection of the year. He also hasn't been called for a flagrant foul. ... Former Kings C Scot Pollard made his third start of the season in his return to Arco Arena. ... O'Neal had his 11th double-double of the season.

www.sfgate.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Washington Wizards (7-12) At Indiana Pacers (16-5), 7 P.m.

The Indiana Pacers return home tonight from a five-game West Coast road trip to welcome the Washington Wizards to Conseco Fieldhouse for an Eastern Conference tussle.

Indiana finished 2-3 on its road swing. The Pacers lost to the Sacramento Kings, 91-88, on Sunday at ARCO Arena.

Jermaine O'Neal paced Indiana with 20 points and 13 rebounds in the loss, while Al Harrington chipped in 17 points and nine boards off the bench, as the Pacers lost for the second time in the last three games.

Pacers guard Ron Artest scored nine points before being ejected in the second quarter for arguing with an official. Austin Croshere scored 11 and Kenny Anderson added 10 for the Pacers, who made just 39 percent of their shots from the floor.

Indiana is 7-2 at home this season.

Washington will be trying to win its second in a row in the final game its four-game road trip. The Wizards are 1-2 thus far on the swing.

Larry Hughes scored eight of his season-high 36 points in overtime to lead Washington to a 114-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday at the Bradley Center.

Kwame Brown added 18 points -- including the shot to force overtime -- for the Wizards, who rallied from a four-point deficit in regulation to snap a four- game losing streak.

Hughes converted on 13-of-22 shots from the field and 8-of-10 free throws in the win.

The Wizards are 4-8 on the road.

In 2002-03, the teams split four contests as each club won once at home and once on the road.

Overall, the Wizards have won two straight over the Pacers, who have won nine of the last 12 meetings. Washington has lost 20 of its last 22 at Indiana.

www.theindychannel.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

17-5 16-6 ATS

Pacers prevail in return
Defense, Artest spark victory over Wizards in ragged effort

Back home again in Indiana, the Pacers showed more substance than style Tuesday.

Their 93-79 victory over Washington was typical of the first home game after a five-game Western trip: ragged.

But they got enough defense and enough contributions from Ron Artest to win their sixth consecutive home game and improve their record to 17-5.

Artest didn't shoot well (6-of-17) but still stood out whether he was playing with starters or reserves. He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and a game-high nine assists.

Jermaine O'Neal added 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Pacers shot just 38 percent in the first half and allowed the Wizards (7-13) to shoot 50 percent. Indiana still led by seven, though, by controlling the boards 24-15.

The Pacers gradually opened their lead in the third quarter, extending it to 16 points on Al Harrington's 20-footer with 1:47 left, and led by 14 heading into the final period.

The lead grew to 81-59, at which time coach Rick Carlisle inserted seldom-used center Primoz Brezec for Artest. Washington, keeping the Pacers off-balance with full-court pressure defense, went on a 14-2 run that made it a 10-point game and forced a Pacers timeout with 3:33 left.

Carlisle returned Kenny Anderson, Reggie Miller and O'Neal to the game, rejoining Artest and Harrington.

The Pacers promptly went on a 10-4 run, capped by Jamison Brewer's 3-pointer, to clinch the outcome.

It was the seventh consecutive home game in which the Pacers held their opponent below 80 points.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/100683-9956-094.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers Hope Success Continues At Home

Indianapolis, IN -- The Indiana Pacers try to make it two straight wins overall and seven in a row at home tonight when they wrap up a brief two-game homestand against the Atlanta Hawks at Conseco Fieldhouse.

On Tuesday, Ron Artest led the way with 16 points and nine assists, as Indiana downed the Washington Wizards, 93-79. Jermaine O'Neal posted 15 points with nine rebounds for the Pacers, who has won 11 of their last 14 contests.

Al Harrington added 13 points and nine boards while Kenny Anderson netted 12 points in the victory.

The Pacers are 8-2 at home this season.

Atlanta, meanwhile, was denied its first winning streak of the season on Wednesday, as it was dealt a 103-90 setback at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jason Terry scored 19 points and handed out five assists and Shareef Abdur- Rahim finished with 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, as the Hawks fell for the fifth time in six games.

Stephen Jackson returned to the Hawks lineup after a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team and ended with 14 points off the bench.

However, rookie guard Boris Diaw left the contest late in the fourth quarter with an ankle sprain. With the Hawks down 12, Abdur-Rahim fed Diaw under the basket but Diaw missed a layup, then came down awkwardly on his left ankle. Diaw grabbed it and rolled over, grimacing, before he left the game.

He is questionable for tonight's game.

Atlanta, which will be closing a two-game road trip tonight, is 3-10 away from home this season.

Indiana defeated the Hawks earlier in the season and could have the advantage tonight, as the home team in this series has won 12 of the last 14 meetings. The Pacers have won six of nine and eight of the last 12 meetings, including the last seven in Indiana.

Atlanta's last win in Indiana came back on November 19, 1999.

Also tonight the Hawks and Pacers will turn back the clock and sport classic uniforms from the early 1970s. The Pacers were in the ABA then and copied the original design of the NBA's Hawks, but not the color scheme.

http://www.theomahachannel.com/nba/2701415/detail.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers 103, Hawks 92

With two of his top three scorers on the bench -- Jermaine O'Neal with foul trouble and Al Harrington with an injury -- Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle needed someone to step in offensively.

Up stepped Fred Jones.

Jones scored a career-high 18 points to lead the Pacers to a 103-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

"Fred Jones played a key role in this game," Carlisle said. "His contribution was vital."

Harrington had a strong first half before leaving with a bruised right cheekbone, scoring nine points on 4-of-4 shooting with three assists as the Pacers built a 52-35 lead.

That's when the Pacers' depth came into play.

The Hawks rallied in the third quarter behind Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who scored 10 of his 19 points in the quarter, but Jones countered with 13 points in the fourth as the Pacers were able to increase the lead with O'Neal in foul trouble and Harrington out.

"He loves to go right and I don't think we took that away from him all night," Atlanta's Dion Glover said of Jones. "He played well tonight."

O'Neal finished with 20 points, including seven in a row midway through the fourth to give Indiana a 91-75 lead.

X-rays were negative on Harrington, Indiana's third-leading scorer with 13.5 points a game. He collided with Hawks guard Stephen Jackson under the basket shortly before halftime and clutched his face as he fell to the floor.

With both scorers out, Jones became the aggressor on the offensive end, driving hard to the basket on several occasions and hitting an open 3-pointer in the first 4:30 of the final period.

Carlisle said he hopes it's a sign of things to come.

"Fred Jones can do things on the court that none of our other players can do -- get by people, elevate," Carlisle said. "We need his contributions on a nightly basis.

Making shots was a welcome development for Jones, who entered the game shooting 31 percent from the field -- including 4-for-21 from 3-point range -- good for second-worst among the Indiana regulars.

"I've been looking at that shooting percentage and having a competition with Scot Pollard at the bottom of the list," Jones said. "Tonight I shot the ball with confidence. I knew everything that left my hand was going in."

Jones shot 5-for-9 from the field -- 2-for-3 on 3-pointers -- and made all six free throws.

"I told him earlier this week that the only thing that matters is the next shot and the next play," Carlisle said. "Tonight he hit a couple of shots and got going. He was huge."

Jason Terry had 18 points, five rebounds and four assists and Glover added 16 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks, who lost their sixth straight road game.

Ron Artest had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Indiana, while Reggie Miller scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

The Hawks didn't score a field goal for the first 4:11 of the game, falling behind 10-1. They shot 14 percent through the first seven minutes as Indiana built a 15-3 lead.

"The start of the game set the tone," Atlanta coach Terry Stotts said. "You're playing the best team in the East at their place, it was too big of a hole to dig out of."

Things weren't much better in the second, when the Pacers opened with a 10-2 run to take a 35-19 lead. ^Notes: Both teams sported throwback uniforms. The Pacers wore home whites from their 1971-72 and '72-73 ABA championship teams, while the Hawks wore a squint-inducing bright green outfit from "Pistol" Pete Maravich's days back in 1971. Harrington, a noted collector of throwback jerseys, said he has a green Maravich jersey but has only worn it once because "it's too much of a distraction." ... Miller passed Oscar Robertson for 10th on the career minutes played list. He has logged 43,908 minutes in his 17-year career.

www.sfgate.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

18-6 17-7 ATS

Lowly Bulls beat Pacers
Last-place Chicago takes lead for good with 16-0 2nd-half run to drop 1st-place Indiana.

CHICAGO -- A first-place team met up with a short-handed last-place team at the United Center on Saturday night.

But effort can make up for all sorts of disadvantages, as the Indiana Pacers were rudely reminded.

"We got our butt whupped," Pacers guard Kenny Anderson said after Chicago's 86-75 victory. "They outhustled us. You hate to say that, but that's what happened."

The Pacers (18-6) lost a chance to exceed last season's record after 24 games, but looked nothing like the best team in the Eastern Conference. Chicago improved to 6-16, 2-4 under coach Scott Skiles.

It's not as if the Pacers didn't know it could happen. They also lost both games here last season to inferior Bulls teams.

This one entered the game without starting forward Tyson Chandler and veteran backup Scottie Pippen. It then lost starting center Eddy Curry at halftime to a bruised left knee.

Even so, Chicago outscored the Pacers 31-14 in the third quarter and allowed just 29 second-half points on 32.5 percent shooting.

"It's the first game in awhile that I felt we got outworked in the second half," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "We've been a good third-quarter team, but they just took it to us. We took a step back in terms of our ability to sustain intensity."

The Bulls hit just 38 percent from the field but made up for the quality of their shooting with quantity. They outrebounded the Pacers 53-39, grabbing 20 offensive rebounds.

The Bulls took advantage of their superior quickness on the perimeter to create good shots, while the Pacers fell into their occasional habit of settling for jumpers until it was too late.

Most of the jumpers didn't go, which made it that much easier for Chicago to break loose. The Pacers missed all 11 of their 3-pointers, and because of their unwillingness to attack the basket, got to the foul line for just 15 free-throw attempts.

Former Bull Ron Artest led the Pacers with 23 points and was their only effective player late. He hit all five of their field goals in the final period while his teammates clanked 14 misses before Carlisle pulled the starters with 2:13 left.

Indiana's reserves managed five points the rest of the way to prevent the lowest-scoring performance of the season.

Jermaine O'Neal added 19 points, but 18 of them came in the first half. Worse yet, he grabbed just four rebounds after getting two in Friday's win over Atlanta.

"This loss is pretty much my fault," he said. "There's really no excuse for getting six rebounds in two games."

The Bulls' backcourt of Jamal Crawford and rookie Kirk Hinrich scored 18 each. Hinrich, starting his seventh NBA game, reached a new career high.

The Pacers led by nine on three occasions in the second quarter, but settled for a six-point lead at the break.

Their late first-half malaise carried over to the second half, however, as Chicago took control with a 16-0 run that opened a 61-49 lead. Carlisle called three timeouts -- at 7:48, 6:33 and 5:15 -- to try to stop the onslaught, but never achieved the desired result.

The Pacers never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

"The Lakers don't have too many of this type of game," Artest said. "We have to play like we're a first-place team."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/102180-7628-036.html