Indiana Pacers News & Notes

[TheGeneral+]

19-6 17-8 ATS

Pacers 95, CLEVELAND 85
Pacers prove too tough for trade-depleted Cavs

Teamwork is a more difficult concept to market than the glamour of a rookie sensation.

But the Indiana Pacers' season-high 30 assists had more impact than LeBron James' 27 points in their 95-85 victory at Conseco Fieldhouse Monday.

The Pacers (19-6) lent a hand on all but seven of their field goals, outrebounded the league's best rebounding team and shut down James when it was most necessary to extend their homecourt win streak to eight.

The Cavs, meanwhile, extended their road losing streak to 34, matching New Jersey for the second-longest display of futility in NBA history. Sacramento holds the record with 43 consecutive road losses, set in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons.

But it wasn't easy. The Cavs, despite dressing nine players because of the afternoon trade that sent Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm and Michael Stewart to Boston, made the Pacers work for all 48 minutes.

They upheld Pacers coach Rick Carlisle's pregame prediction that it would be a difficult win to extract despite the Cavs' poor record (6-17) and homesick tendencies.

"When you make a major trade, the guys who are left behind really band together," Carlisle said. "They played a heck of a game."

The Cavs were energetic, attacked the basket and tried to keep the Pacers off balance by switching between man-to-man and zone defenses. But the Pacers moved the ball well, took advantage of Jermaine O'Neal's inside dominance, hit timely shots, forced 21 turnovers and outrebounded Cleveland 39-33.

The Pacers threatened to duplicate Saturday's fadeout in Chicago when they let a nine-point second quarter lead slip away in an 11-point loss. They led Cleveland by 11 in the second quarter, but allowed it to tie the score in the third period.

They blunted that rally with a 6-1 run, then took control in the final period with a 7-0 surge in which Fred Jones hit a 3-pointer, Al Harrington hit a reverse layup and O'Neal added two foul shots.

The Cavs were still within four in the final minute, but the Pacers hit six free throws in a row to end the game.

O'Neal led the Pacers with 24 points and added 10 rebounds and a season-high six assists. Ron Artest added 16 points and led the Pacers in assists for the fourth consecutive games with seven. Anthony Johnson had 13 points, six in the final period.

The Pacers' ball movement was encouraging, given the recent trend of opponents playing zone defense to try to contain the one-on-one talents of O'Neal, Harrington and Artest.

The Pacers struggled some against the zone in the second quarter, scoring 16 points, but were more effective in the second half.

"We're getting that every single night," O'Neal said. "We're getting the little guards sticking their little noses in there and trying to bother me a little bit. Ron and Al, also. We have to get used to that."

James, more free to roam with Davis out of the lineup, scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting through the first three periods. Artest, however, helped limit him to one field goal -- a rebound basket -- in three attempts and five points in the fourth quarter.

"There were two or there times he was able to keep LeBron from getting a good look," Carlisle said. "One or two plays can have a great influence on the game. Ron Artest had a huge impact in the fourth quarter defensively."

Artest admitted that James is the rare player who can match him for size, strength and quickness. But he might have better endurance.

"I think Ron wore him down," O'Neal said. "Guys coming off screens and banging on (James). It takes a toll."

Just like teamwork.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/5/102733-4885-036.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

Pacers can't find the zone

Orlando, the league's worst team, confounds Indiana's shooters



They might as well get used to it. Because what the Indiana Pacers saw in Wednesday's nightmare at Conseco Fieldhouse won't go away.

Orlando, owner of the NBA's worst record, zoned the Pacers into their most discouraging loss of the season, a 94-90 setback with multiple story lines.

The Pacers (19-7) had won eight consecutive home games but couldn't handle the Magic (5-21), who had lost convincingly in Chicago the previous night and were without their starting point guard.

Orlando was allowing more points and rebounds than any NBA team entering the game, and was the second-worst shooting team. But it outshot and outrebounded the Pacers, who found countless ways to implode.

"You've got to give Orlando credit," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "They executed and made plays the whole game. I thought their collective will was stronger than ours through a 48-minute game.

"When you're leading the East, you're going to get everybody's best game. Teams will come at you with nothing to lose."

And with zone defenses, in the Pacers' case.

They have been seeing them with more frequency lately, and the Magic hunkered down in a 3-2 formation for virtually all of Wednesday's game.

The Pacers responded by shooting 36.3 percent from the field, only marginally better than their worst effort of the season (35.5 against Denver). Whether they failed to get good shots or simply failed to make the shots they got was a matter of conjecture.

"We had looks," said Reggie Miller, who hit just 1-of-10 shots, including 1-of-9 3-pointers. "We just couldn't knock them down."

They might have had better looks with better penetration. The Pacers outscored the Magic 44-26 in the paint but hoisted 26 3-pointers. They hit just six.

Jermaine O'Neal, who led all scorers with 24 points, easily scored 14 in the first period. He hit all three shot attempts in the third but got off just two in 11 minutes in the fourth, hitting one.

He appeared frustrated by his minimal role in the offense down the stretch, but didn't complain afterward.

"We had good shots," he said. "We have guys who can make those shots. I'm not going to say that I should have shot the ball more, because I shot 20 times."

Along with their failures, the Pacers were victims of bad timing and fluke performances. Orlando had lost by 14 points in Chicago on Tuesday, after which Tracy McGrady ripped his teammates for being selfish. The Magic held a meeting before Wednesday's game, letting out their frustrations in the locker room and then taking them out on the Pacers on the court.

McGrady, the NBA's second-leading scorer (24.6), was held to 21 points, but two other Orlando players made surprising contributions.

Rod Strickland, who has played just 10 games for the Magic, got his first start in the absence of injured Tyronn Lue and finished with 13 points and eight assists. He hit the game's biggest shot, a 15-footer over Anthony Johnson with 14.4 seconds left that gave Orlando the last lead change.

The Pacers had cut off McGrady on the play, but Strickland took Johnson off the dribble and hit a fading shot.

"It was a breakdown," Johnson said. "We ran the play we called and it didn't work."

Strickland also hit a rare 3-pointer to give Orlando an 86-83 lead.

Meanwhile, rookie guard Keith Bogans, who had played four minutes in the past five games, scored a career-high 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting and tied his career high with 15 points. Bogans also hit a 3-pointer after missing 17 of his 18 attempts entering the game.

Despite all that went wrong for them and all that went right for the Magic, the Pacers had their chances. After trailing by as many as 11 points in the third quarter, they took a 90-89 lead on Ron Artest's post-up shot with 2:08 left.

They had two chances to extend the lead, but Miller missed a 26-footer and Johnson missed a 19-footer at the end of possessions.

After Strickland hit his go-ahead shot, Al Harrington got a wide-open look at a 15-footer from the left wing, but missed.

"If I could have it back, I probably would have drove it, but a foul line jump shot?" Harrington said. "I can go out there right now and make 15 in a row. It's crazy. It won't happen again. I can promise you that."

Harrington compounded his miss by failing to block out on Bogans' second foul shot at the other end, allowing Drew Gooden to beat him to the rebound and draw a foul with 4.6 seconds left.

Harrington admitted he was still pouting over his missed shot.

"Yeah, that damn rebound was on me," he said. "I know they say you're not supposed to live in the past, but damn, that was an easy shot."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/9/103388-7949-036.html

 

[RobFunk]

anything else general? anything in the papers about adjustments or assesing needs in the gameplan?! p.s. im sorry i badmouthed manning i should know better after seeing what he did to tampa!!

 

[TheGeneral+]

INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Round two of the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons takes place on Friday night when the teams meet at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Indiana made Rick Carlisle's return to Detroit a success with an 89-87 victory in the season opener on October 29. JermaineO'Neal collected 22 points and 15 rebounds and nailed a go-ahead jumper with 24 seconds to go.

Both franchises are being monitored this season after the coaching changes and the early returns favor Indiana. Carlisle's team is 10-3 at home and can become the first NBA team to reach 20 wins with a victory.

Detroit has struggled recently under former Indiana coach Larry Brown. The Pistons ended a four-game skid by hanging on for Wednesday's 77-73 victory over Chicago.

Scoring has been a problem for Detroit, which has not reached 90 points in its last eight games and is averaging just under 80 in that span.

The Pacers had an eight-game home winning streak snapped with Wednesday's 94-90 loss to lowly Orlando. O'Neal collected 24 points and 17 boards.

Detroit has won three of the last four matchups at Indiana.

www.nba.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by RobFunk:
anything else general? anything in the papers about adjustments or assesing needs in the gameplan?! p.s. im sorry i badmouthed manning i should know better after seeing what he did to tampa!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No worries Rob.

 

[TheGeneral+]

80-75 over Detroit

The comeback didn't begin in the fourth quarter. It didn't even begin on the court.

It started in the locker room at halftime, when Jermaine O'Neal called his teammates together and took his best shot.

"I just told them, this is like a bad memory," O'Neal said after the Indiana Pacers' momentous 80-75 victory over Detroit Friday at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"I started to feel the way I felt in the second half of the season last year. Maybe we were getting a little comfortable, and we were starting to try to do it all by ourselves. I don't think anybody in this league can win games by themselves. You can make shots and certain plays, but you need a team effort to be a championship team. Just do what we've been doing. Playing together, sharing the ball, talking on defense and just being there for one another."

That pretty much sums up how the Pacers escaped from a 10-point deficit in the final nine minutes, avoiding a defeat that would have raised many questions and doubts.

Shooting themselves in the foot with bad offense in the first half, the Pacers ran down the Pistons with a furious fourth-quarter charge and timely and unexpected offensive contributions.

Ron Artest, after hitting 4-of-16 shots in the first half, came back to hit 3-of-4 in the second to finish with 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists, offsetting five turnovers.

O'Neal, who picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

But it was two reserves who left the most lasting memory, Austin Croshere and Jamison Brewer.

Croshere scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in the fourth quarter, and made a key assist for an O'Neal dunk.

Brewer, forced into second-half action after starting point guard Kenny Anderson pulled up lame with a sore left foot, scored just two points in 12 minutes, but provided the energy boost that helped fuel the comeback and earned a game ball for his trouble.

"It was an unbelievable win for our team," said coach Rick Carlisle, who picked up his second win of the season over his former team.

The Pacers (20-7) regained the intensity that had been missing much of the previous two weeks, when they lost 5 of 10 games. But it didn't happen until the second half.

They trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, when they not only shot 31.4 percent, they struggled to even get good shots. As often as not, they were flailing just to beat the shot clock.

They got to the foul line for just two attempts and scored just two fast-break points. If not for their offensive rebounding, most notably from Jeff Foster, they would have been in a bigger hole than their 11-point deficit at the break.

They outrebounded the Pistons 15-2 at the offensive end, with Foster grabbing six of them, and outscored them on second-chance points 12-2.

"We came out a bit over-aggressive, including myself," Artest said. "I was trying to do too much myself."

It all came together down the stretch. The serious fun began midway through the quarter, when they trailed by seven. Croshere started a 15-2 run with a 15-footer, then came back with a fastbreak layup from Brewer.

Artest's 3-pointer -- the only one the Pacers hit in 13 attempts -- gave them the lead for good with 3:51 left. He added two foul shots to force another timeout, and O'Neal added a dunk off Croshere's penetrating feed to extend the lead.

Detroit, which hit 17-of-29 shots in the first half (58.6 percent) hit 11-of-34 in the second -- and two of those came after the Pacers had clinched the outcome.

"They out-toughed us," Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "They simply took the game."

The Pacers avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time this season, a distinction they hold to themselves in the NBA. But much more importantly, they avoided a trend of soft play that would have been difficult to correct tonight in Minnesota against the Timberwolves.

"The second half we found ourselves," Artest said.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/104163-8997-094.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Indiana Pacers are having a difficult time trying to solve their shooting woes.

Kevin Garnett had 28 points to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to their fifth straight victory, 102-80 over the Pacers on Saturday night. Backup Fred Hoiberg had 21 points, and Sam Cassell added 18 points and 10 assists for the Timberwolves.

Jermaine O'Neal led Indiana with 16 points but hit just 6-of-18 from the field for the Pacers, who continued their inconsistent shooting by hitting on just 35 percent of their field goals. It was the Pacers' worst shooting performance of the season and their third consecutive game under 40 percent.

"I don't know what the solution is for bad shooting," O'Neal said. "Especially if you're missing the shots you should take. I do know that your effort has to be a lot higher when you're not shooting the ball well."

The Wolves hit 52 percent of their shots for the game and led by as many as 36.

"I think we're in a little bit of a rhythm right now," Garnett said. "I think our defense is gorgeous right now. For the most part, we're completing games."

Garnett added nine rebounds, six assists and seven blocks, then mused after the game on the prospects of a quadruple-double: "That would have been something, huh?"

Minnesota took the lead for good at 8-7 in the first quarter and extended it to 79-43 on Hoiberg's layup with 2:50 to play in the third quarter. The Pacers finally started making shots in the fourth quarter, but never got closer than 18 points, at 89-71.

Indiana made just 27 percent of its shots in the first half (10-for-37) and trailed by 23 points at halftime.

Playing without their two top point guards, Kenny Anderson and Jamaal Tinsley, the Pacers also struggled to hold on to the ball, committing 13 first-half turnovers and finishing the game with 20.

"Give them credit," Indiana's Austin Croshere said. "They threw a zone defense at us right away. They saw a weakness and went right at it."

The Pacers are just 6-6 in their last 12 games after starting the season 14-2.

By contrast, the Wolves appear to be hitting their stride after a series of injuries early in the season. Before the game, Minnesota activated guard Troy Hudson, who had missed all 25 previous games with a sprained ankle.

"Troy's a very important piece to the team," Hoiberg said. "We're going to need him to perform like he did last year if we're going to do what we want to do this year."

Hudson, who averaged 14.5 points a game in 2002-03, scored five points in 13 minutes.

"I wouldn't say I was rusty," Hudson said. "I just need to get back in my rhythm. Today was a big step as far as trusting the ankle."

Center Mark Madsen also returned after missing 10 of 11 games with back spasms.

Garnett hit all five of his field-goal attempts and scored 12 points in the first quarter. The Wolves used a 29-9 run bridging the first and second quarters to build a 35-16 lead and held the Pacers to just three field goals in the second quarter.

Notes:

Reggie Miller scored just three points for the Pacers, but passed Charles Barkley for 14th on the NBA's career scoring list with 23,759 points. ... Hudson drew a standing ovation from the crowd of 16,624 when he entered with 32 seconds remaining in the first quarter and another when he banked in a 3-pointer with less than a second left in the first half. ... Minnesota ended a four-game losing streak against the Pacers. ... Anderson didn't dress for the game because of a sore left foot, an injury he aggravated Friday night against Detroit. ... Indiana's previous worst-shooting performance this season was 36 percent against Denver on Nov. 4. ... The Wolves made room for Hudson on their roster by waiving forward Quincy Lewis.

www.sfgate.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Indiana Pacers' trouble with zone defenses is such that one of their players is openly griping and another NBA coach is poking fun at them.

It's an unusual circumstance for the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference (20-8), but it's where the Pacers find themselves today as they head into a much-needed practice session. They'll have plenty to talk about and even more to work on. They've won just six of their past 12 games, and have struggled to score against zone defenses that are sprouting from opponents.

Minnesota, which built a 36-point lead during Saturday's 102-80 victory at the Target Center, played zone almost exclusively. Detroit, normally a man-to-man defensive team, used one at times on Friday, when the Pacers had to rally from a 10-point deficit in the final nine minutes to win. Orlando went with one almost exclusively in defeating them last Wednesday. Indiana hit less than 40 percent of its field goal attempts in all three games.

Saturday's difficulties moved Ron Artest to shout at the coaches late in the first half. It was originally thought that Artest was complaining about coach Rick Carlisle's persistent calls for post-ups, but Carlisle and others on the team said Sunday that Artest wanted the ball more often.

Artest repeated a complaint in the locker room after the game when a Minneapolis radio reporter opened the interview with a statement about the Timberwolves' inspired performance.

"This style we're playing is so boring," he said. "It's hard for us to play those (Western) teams when we can't go back at them the way they come at us. Especially when our shots aren't falling.

"We're in first place in the East, but it's not real fun playing this style of basketball. At least not for me. I don't like playing the style we're playing."

Artest has hit 9-of-31 shots over the past two games.

Sunday, Carlisle considered Artest's comments as heat-of-the-battle overstatement.

"You build the system around the style and abilities of your best players," Carlisle said. "Ron and Jermaine O'Neal are our best offensive and defensive players, and Ron is having a career year.

"Ron was obviously disappointed with the loss to Minnesota, but it's important for me as the head coach not to overreact to comments that may have been made in the heat of the moment."

The Pacers did not practice Sunday, and Artest was not available for further comment.

The Pacers have lacked the perimeter shooting to force teams out of zones, and haven't moved the ball well enough on a consistent basis to penetrate them.

They acknowledge some uncertainty in their execution.

"We're struggling with the zone," said Austin Croshere, who scored 15 points against Minnesota for his third consecutive game in double figures. "Anytime your offense is struggling, you get back to the basics. But a lot of times when you're playing against a zone you don't know what that is. You're so far removed from the college setting."

They realize, however, that they're going to continue to see them given their recent struggles.

"Until we're able to shoot our way out of it, we're going to see it every single night," O'Neal said.

Golden State coach Eric Musselman, meanwhile, fired a shot at the Pacers over their approach to zone defenses in comments to a reporter from the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times.

Speaking of Orlando, the Warriors' opponent last Friday, Musselman noted the Pacers' difficulty against the Magic zone. Indiana hit 6-of-26 3-pointers in their 94-90 loss to Orlando.

"We don't want to do what Indiana did, which is stand around like High School Harry and pass the ball above our heads until the shot clock is about to expire and then jack up a long perimeter shot," Musselman said.

High School Harry?

"High School Harry is when the ball stays above your shoulders and goes from one man to the next man to the next man, and your knees are not bent," he said. "Finally, as the shot clock is about to expire, somebody hoists up a 3. That's High School Harry."

The Warriors had their own struggles against Orlando, losing 119-93.

"We're struggling because we're not shooting the ball," Carlisle said. "It's something we obviously need to work on (today) in practice. Our ball movement can get better and I know our shot-making will improve."

www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Reggie Miller has drawn lavish praise this season for being an effective offensive decoy for the Indiana Pacers. It seems a good time, though, for him to become a scorer as well.

With the Pacers struggling to find perimeter scoring against zone defenses, the NBA's all-time leading 3-point shooter is an obvious candidate to help carry the load.

The Pacers, who have lost six of their past 12 games heading into tonight's game at Houston, shot less than 40 percent from the field in each of the past three, including Saturday's 102-80 loss at Minnesota.

That inspired another pledge from Miller on Monday to be more assertive, something he's often talked about but has done only sporadically this season.

"I have to be more assertive when I'm out there," he said. "I have to take advantage of the times I'm in the game."

Time was, the idea of an opposing team playing a zone while Miller was in the game would have been laughable. But he's 38 and willingly deferring to Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest and Al Harrington, the focal points of coach Rick Carlisle's percentage-based offense.

Miller's scoring average (9.4) is the lowest of his career, lower even than his rookie season (10), when he came off the bench. His shooting percentages from the field are consistent with his 16 previous NBA seasons, but he's averaging just 29.2 minutes. That makes it easier for defenses to focus on him when he's in the game, and more difficult for him to get into a rhythm.

Carlisle keeps Miller below 30 minutes in most games to help save his body for the playoffs. He checked in with Miller a couple of weeks ago to make sure he was satisfied with that role.

"He immediately said, 'Hey we've got a lot of good young players; everything's great,' " Carlisle recalled.

Now, however, things aren't as great for the Pacers, who still have the best record in the Eastern Conference but have leveled off more than they anticipated.

And while there are multiple answers to the Pacers' offensive needs -- getting into the halfcourt offense more quickly, better dribble penetration and ball movement, better screening and cutting -- Miller remains the best source for help.

The clearest evidence of that is this: The Pacers are 9-0 in games in which he's scored in double figures. But he's attempted 10 or more field goals in just seven games, and took just one at Minnesota. He needed only 12 shots in his 31-point eruption at New York, hitting 10.

That's OK with Carlisle in most games.

"Even when Reggie Miller isn't shooting the ball much, he still has an unmistakable impact on the game because you must guard him closely," Carlisle said. "That alleviates other things for our team.

"He knows the right time to be aggressive. And he knows when he's the ultimate decoy on the court. When he's playing that role, it allows Jermaine and Al to post up with single coverage or it opens up the floor for them to get the ball out to open guys. Because we're really playing four-on-three, and four-on-three is an easier game to play than five-on-four."

Carlisle, who witnessed many Miller heroics during his three seasons as an assistant coach on Larry Bird's staff, believes Miller can produce more when needed. For proof he has the game at Seattle on Dec. 5, when Artest was a last-minute scratch because of back spasms.

"Right before the jump ball I said, 'Legend, we're getting on your back tonight.' He said, 'Jump on.' "

Miller played 41 minutes, took 11 shots and scored 14 points, the perfect counter-balance to the inside dominance of O'Neal (30) and Harrington (18).

"On a nightly basis he's tailored his game to what's needed," Carlisle said. "The guy has absolutely no interest in making the All-Star team or any of that stuff. What he wants to do is win at a high level at the end of his career.

"He's helping set this team up for the future, and very few veteran players of his magnitude, in the history of the game, have been willing to make this kind of concession."

Some games, though, contributions will be more valuable than concessions. Miller says he realizes that.

"My main focus isn't to score 20 points a game like in years past," he said. "But when I'm aggressive offensively it puts a little more pressure on the other team. I have to be more cognizant of keeping my defender honest."

www.indystar.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

Jermaine O'Neal did nothing out of the ordinary as far as the Houston Rockets were concerned.

O'Neal had 21 points and 14 rebounds for his 15th double-double of the season to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 79-71 victory Tuesday night.

"That's just normal for him. He nearly always has a double-double," Houston's Maurice Taylor said.

Despite O'Neal's statistics, Taylor was more impressed with Ron Artest.

"Jermaine wasn't really shooting that well tonight," Taylor said. "It was Artest that made their team go."

Artest added 21 points and Anthony Johnson 13 for the Pacers.

"We played together tonight," Artest said. "When they took away one thing, we would go to the next option. We haven't been able to handle the zone very well, but tonight we moved the ball."

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle was impressed with Artest's enthusiasm.

"Ron loves to play basketball and this year he has made it all about basketball only," Carlisle said. "He's really a fine player and he has been focused all year."

Steve Francis led Houston with 23 points, and Jim Jackson had 14 and Taylor had a season-high 13 rebounds.

Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy was critical of his team's offensive performance.

"We struggle against the best defenses and again our passing is poor," Van Gundy said. "It's hard to shoot off a bad pass and we also missed 10 free throws."

Taylor agreed with Van Gundy.

"We weren't hitting open shots," Taylor said. "It wasn't anything they were doing, we just missed a ton of layups and open shots that usually come easy."

Houston pull within three at 59-56 with 8:52 left, but the Pacers scored 12 straight, including five by Artest, to take a 71-56 lead with 4:59 left.

The Rockets made another late charge with nine straight points to cut the deficit to 75-69 with 51 seconds left, but couldn't get closer.

Indiana fell behind 6-0 to start the game but then outscored Houston 15-1, including six points by O'Neal, to lead 15-7 with 4:02 left in the first period. The Rockets cut their deficit to 22-20, before the Pacers moved ahead 39-28 at halftime.

Houston was never closer than five in the third period and trailed 57-49 going into the final quarter.

Notes:

Houston is 12-2 when leading after the first quarter. ... Houston is 10-2 when scoring 80 or more, and 1-8 when scoring less than 80 points. ... The Rockets are 14-4 when Steve Francis has more than five assists and 5-10 when he has five assists or less. ... Indiana hasn't lost two consecutive game this season. ... Houston activated guard Mike Wilks from the injured list Tuesday and placed forward John Amaechi on the injured list with an intestinal virus. ... Houston is 2-10 after trailing in the first quarter.

www.sfgate.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Indiana Pacers activated guard Jamaal Tinsley, who expects to play for the first time in nearly two months today at Milwaukee.

Tinsley came off the bench in the season's first two games before being placed on the injured list in November with a sore back. A severe case of the flu slowed his return.
-- The Associated Press

http://www.sltrib.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Indiana Pacers placed guard Kenny Anderson on the injured list with a right calf strain and replaced his roster spot by activating guard Jamaal Tinsley from the IL.

Anderson, in his 13th NBA season, has averaged 6.5 points and 3.1 assists in 28 games for Indiana this season.

The 33-year-old Anderson split last year between Seattle and New Orleans and has also played for New Jersey, Charlotte, Portland and Boston during his career. He was drafted by the Nets out of Georgia Tech with the second overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft.

Anderson has lifetime averages of 13.1 points and 6.3 assists in 799 games.

Tinsley, in his third year with the Pacers, has been sidelined with a lower back injury and a severe case of the flu. He has participated in just four games this season and is averaging 1.8 points per outing.

After starting the majority of the contests during his first two years with Indiana, Tinsley was benched at the start of the 2003-04 campaign.

http://sportsnetwork.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Indiana Pacers fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, 101-96, on Friday at the Bradley Center.

Jermaine O'Neal paced Indiana with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Ron Artest contributed 18 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Pacers, who lost their third straight to Milwaukee.

Trailing by 10 points heading into the final period, Damon Jones and the Bucks took control. Jones capped an 18-8 run with a three-pointer from the left wing with 6:54 left to play, tying the game at 85-85.

But Milwaukee still could not grab its first lead of the contest until Michael Redd hit a clutch three-pointer to make it 99-96 with 1:14 left in the contest. Neither team was able to record a field goal over the final minute- plus of the game. Redd, though, closed out the contest when he hit two from the free throw line with just 1.8 seconds left.

The Pacers, who are 11-3 at home this season, host Kenyon Martin and the New Jersey Nets tonight.

http://sportsnetwork.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

(Sports Network) - The Indiana Pacers lost their second in a row Saturday, falling at home to the New Jersey Nets, 82-75.

Al Harrington scored 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, as Indiana lost for just the fourth time at home in 15 contests this year. The Pacers have now lost back to back games at home for the first time this season.

Austin Croshere, Jermaine O'Neal and Reggie Miller each netted 13 for the Pacers, who played without their coach Rick Carlisle for most of the second half. Carlisle was ejected for arguing a non-call in the third quarter with referee Scott Wall.

New Jersey went up 75-59 midway through the fourth quarter, but Indiana went on a 13-0 run to cut its deficit to three at 75-72.

Kenyon Martin hit a hook shot for the Nets to stop the Pacers' run. Miller picked up a technical foul with 30 seconds remaining and Jason Kidd hit two free throws to help the New Jersey pull away late.

Miller passed Charles Barkley for 14th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

The Pacers are off until Monday when they host the Memphis Grizzlies.

http://sportsnetwork.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

One week ago, Jamaal Tinsley was on the injured list, nearly forgotten and assumed by some outsiders to have played his last meaningful minutes for the Indiana Pacers.

Now look at him. Tinsley not only was the fulcrum of the Pacers' 94-86 win over Memphis at Conseco Fieldhouse on Monday night, he could be back in the starting lineup as early as tonight's game at Cleveland.

Anthony Johnson's strained abdominal muscle could see to that. Johnson started Monday but played just 22 minutes after aggravating his injury in the first half.

That forced Tinsley to play the game's final 18 minutes at point guard, and he responded by turning up the tempo at both ends.

Tinsley, who had played in just four games before coming off the injured list for Friday's game at Milwaukee, finished with eight points, a team-high five assists and a team-high three steals. His statistics would have been more impressive if not for an rash of missed layups, including a couple of his own. But his influence was obvious.

"I love the way he played tonight," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "There were some struggles in the first half but he stayed with it, and by God in the second half he was the difference."

The Pacers' victory blunted a season-long two-game losing "streak," improved their record to 22-10 and handed Memphis its sixth consecutive loss. Just as importantly, it silenced a day's worth of distraction.

Ron Artest, who had been benched for the second half of Saturday's loss to New Jersey for what coach Rick Carlisle termed "conduct detrimental to winning," added further confusion to his status by oversleeping and missing Monday morning's shootaround.

He was replaced by Al Harrington in the starting lineup, but entered the game with 4:56 left in the opening period and played 35 productive minutes.

Artest, who had hit just 36-of-98 field goal attempts (34 percent) in the previous seven games, finished with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting in a controlled, disciplined performance.

"I thought Ron was a key guy in the game to play the way he did under the circumstances of the last two days," Carlisle said.

Jermaine O'Neal produced his seventh double-double in the past eight games with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Austin Croshere (13 points) scored in double figures off the bench for the fifth time in the past seven games and Fred Jones scored nine points.

Still, Tinsley had the greatest impact, leading a second-half charge from a halftime tie. The Pacers took control with a 10-0 run that provided a seven-point lead late in the third period and never looked back.

Tinsley started the flurry with a 10-footer and followed with a steal and assist to Jeff Foster for a dunk. He also assisted Artest's dunk off Croshere's steal and added two free throws to complete the run.

"With Jamaal, it's going to be exciting out there," Harrington said. "He does some things that other people want to do. It's just exciting basketball."

The offense was generated by the defense, which is exactly how Carlisle wants it. After allowing the Grizzlies (15-16) to shoot 52.6 percent in the first half, the Pacers held them to 33 points on 31 percent shooting in the second.

Tinsley was a factor there, too, gambling judiciously to get steals and deflections.

"You can't put a price on what that does for your team," Carlisle said.

The Pacers' defensive thrust allowed them to run more. They scored 14 fast-break points, more than in any game since they defeated Atlanta on Dec. 12, and shot 47 percent from the field.

Tinsley had a quick tempo after the game, too, escaping from the locker room before reporters were allowed to enter. His teammates spoke for him, however, addressing the occasional issue of tempo.

They want to bury it, something that should become easier to do with Tinsley wielding a shovel.

"Rick doesn't want us to grind it out every time," O'Neal said. "He wants us to get easy baskets, but we've been playing so bad defensively it seems like we're grinding it out.

"I'd love to get up and down, but I'd also love to wear these guys down and beat the hell out of them on defense and then get into some easy transition offense."

http://www.indystar.com/articles/8/106917-4578-036.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

CLEVELAND — Ron Artest got in LeBron James' face and inside his jersey. Happy birthday, rookie.

Indiana's Ron Artest swarms over Cleveland's Eric Williams late in the Pacers' victory. Artest also shut down Le Bron James in the closing stages.
By Tony Dejak, AP

Artest pushed around Cleveland's star guard in the second half and Jermaine O'Neal scored 21 points as the Indiana Pacers wrecked James' 19th birthday Tuesday night with a 92-89 win over the Cavaliers. (Related item: Game report)

Artest scored 18 points, none bigger than his 3 with 54.6 seconds left, and held James in check after the first quarter as the Pacers improved to 23-10 — the best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

James finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes but he couldn't shake free in the fourth quarter from Artest, who was draped all over him.

Cavs coach Paul Silas felt his talented rookie was intimidated by Artest.

"Artest is going to test anyone. He's grabbing and holding, and they're letting him get away with it," Silas said. "But LeBron has got to push him off, stand up to him and get in his face, and say, 'If you do it again, we're going to war.' LeBron is not there yet."

James, who came in averaging 27.8 points in his last 10 games, was just 3-for-12 from the field after a 6-for-8 first quarter. He missed all four of his 3-pointers.

However, James didn't complain about Artest bullying him.

"I love playing the Pacers," he said. "I love playing physical. But this is one team we can't get over the hump on."

The Cavaliers lost their third straight to Indiana this season in part because of 18 turnovers and 10 missed free throws — six in the fourth quarter.

Al Harrington added 17 points for the Pacers, who have beaten the Cavaliers 11 straight times at Gund Arena and eight in a row overall.

Harrington's jumper with 2:52 left was Indiana's first field goal in 4:39 and gave the Pacers an 85-80 lead. Zydrunas Ilgauskas' two free throws got Cleveland within three, and after the Pacers misfired, the Cavs had the ball with a chance to tie it.

However, during a scramble for a loose ball, Artest wrestled the ball from Eric Williams and passed it to Jamaal Tinsley, who fed Harrington for a dunk with 1:47 left that made it 87-82.

"After Ron got the steal, I just ran up the floor and got the easy dunk," Harrington said.

Kevin Ollie's layup made it a three-point game again, but Artest, who says he has ironed out any differences with coach Rick Carlisle, hit his 3 from the left wing to give Indiana a 90-84 lead.

Ollie's jumper got the Cavs back within four, but after an Indiana miss, James clanged a 3-pointer with 14.5 seconds to and O'Neal blocked Eric Williams' shot before hitting two free throws with 2.5 seconds left to ice it.

Artest was back in the starting lineup after being benched at the start of Monday's game by Carlisle for oversleeping and missing a shootaround.

A well-rested Artest, who picked up three quick fouls in the first quarter, scored 11 points in the third period when Indiana's defense put the clamps down, triggering an 18-3 burst that put the Pacers up 76-65 entering the fourth.

Artest hit a pair of layups, two free throws, dunked and drilled a 3-pointer in the spurt.

But it was his in-your-face defense against James down the stretch that helped the Pacers become the first team in the league with 23 wins.

"He only had seven points in the second half," Artest said. "The guy is tough, but I think anybody can be stopped if you turn up your defense."

James, whose 12 points in the fourth quarter put Portland away on Sunday, got the crowd in a partying mood right away. He scored 13 points in the first — eight with Artest guarding him — on a variety of drives and fadeaway jumpers.

On one early trip to the basket, he used his left hand to loft a layup high off the glass and over O'Neal.

After playing 12 minutes in the first, James sat until the final 3:24 of the second, scoring his only basket of the period on a floater in the lane with a second left to give Cleveland a 47-43 halftime lead.

Notes: Before the game, Silas laughed when he was asked if he brought James a gift. "That sucker has had enough done for him," Silas said. "He should bring me a win." ... James has scored at least 17 points in each of his past 12 games. ... Tinsley made his first start of the season, replacing Anthony Johnson, who reaggravated an abdominal injury in Monday's win. ... Cavs fans sang Happy Birthday to James during pregame warmups and he was presented with a giant card by MoonDog, the team's mascot.

http://www.usatoday.com

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Indiana Pacers try to win their third straight game this evening when they start the 2004 portion of their schedule against the Boston Celtics at the FleetCenter.

After topping the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, Jermaine O'Neal scored a team-high 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds on Tuesday to lead the Indiana to a 92-89 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

O'Neal made just 5-of-17 shots, but hit each of his 11 free throws. Ron Artest scored 18 for the Pacers, who won for just the second time in their last six away from home.

Al Harrington came off the bench to add 17 points, while Jamal Tinsley, who started in place of injured point guard Anthony Johnson, chipped in 11 for Indiana.

Johnson missed the game due to an abdominal injury and is expected to miss tonight's contest as well.

Indiana, which will return home to host the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday, is 11-6 on the road this season.

Boston, meanwhile, comes into tonight's tilt on a sour note after falling to the Hornets, 96-94, on Wednesday. Jiri Welsch scored 17 points for the Celtics, who have dropped three of their past five contests. Mike James netted 15 while Paul Pierce and Mark Blount each had 14 points in the loss.

Pierce's three-pointer and a pair of free throws by Welsch brought the Celtics within 91-89 in the final 30 seconds. However, New Orleans sealed the win with five foul shots down the stretch.

The Celtics, who will head to Chicago following the game, are 8-9 at home this season.

Boston defeated the Pacers earlier in the season and could have the advantage tonight, as the home team in this series has won seven of the last nine meetings. The Celtics have also won six of the last eight matchups, including the last four in Beantown.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/sports/

 

[TheGeneral+]

Larry Bird hasn't been very visible in his new role as the Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations since the season began.

He's attended most of the home games, none of the road games and has been out of the office much of the time. He's avoided media attention when he's in town, but The Star sat down with him after a practice this week to catch up on his activities and his thoughts on the team.

Q. What's taking up most of your time now that the season has started?

A. Stuff in the office, talking to other teams, scouting, watching a lot of tape.

Q. Has it been enjoyable so far?

A. Yeah, I like the basketball part of it, I really do. It's interesting talking to different teams and seeing what they're trying to do. It's really interesting.

Q. You've made two scouting trips to Europe already. Do you plan to continue to get out a lot?

A. I've been out a lot. I haven't made my schedule out for January yet, but I'll get out. I just got back from Florida watching a high school tournament. It's tough watching them high school kids play. I'd like to see them go to college. But they're coming out and you have to take a look. There's some interesting talent out there. It seems to me like the players are getting better and better.

Q. It seems you're doing a lot more scouting than other team presidents. Why is that?

A. I'm fortunate in that I have (former president and current CEO Donnie Walsh). He's running the company and he's here. I have the luxury of being on the go and seeing these players and not having to worry about things back here.

Q. Do you plan to travel with the team at all?

A. Yeah. I was wanting to go (to Cleveland on Tuesday and to Boston today) but there's a high school tournament here I want to see. I need to spend more time with the team because I haven't gotten to talk to these guys on an individual basis as much as I want.

Q. From what you've seen of the team, what are your thoughts so far?

A. I wish we were shooting the ball a little better. (The Pacers are shooting .428 from the field.) I like a lot of the things we're doing. I'll never question the coach. I have a lot of faith in Rick (Carlisle). I just wish we could shoot a little better. Quickness gives us problems at times, too. But I like our team.

Q. Do you ever look at the team and wonder how it would be if you had been able to keep Brad Miller?

A. I don't worry about that. We couldn't afford him. I just know what he brings to a team. He'd give us more rebounding, an inside presence, he can make the 15-foot shot. That's the only thing about Jeff Foster. If he could ever hit that 15-footer, it's a whole different world for your offense and him.

Jeff's done an outstanding job. It's great to watch him play. I love guys that play like him. But he knows he has to work on his shot out there. He knows if he starts hitting that he can really help this team.

Q. What was your opinion of Ron Artest being benched on Saturday and missing the shootaround Monday morning? How much did that concern you?

A. I get concerned anytime you have those problems. It's very important to have a tight-knit team and have everybody on the same page. But Ronnie's an incredible athlete and he's a great basketball player. I think Rick handled it right. I know when Ronnie loses, he's very upset about it and he wants to win. I got pissed off when we lost, but I handled it a little differently. I think he's going to be fine. I have a lot of faith in him. I love how he plays the game.


Q. How much time are you spending talking to other teams about possible trades?

A. You always try to make your team better. You talk to guys all the time. People call you and ask what you're thinking, what you need. You'll have two or three calls a day.

Q. Has anything intrigued you?

A. Usually they just want your good players and they want to give you their junk. Yeah, there are a couple of guys that have intrigued me that would fit in with our team. But the price is too high to pay.

Q. What do you see as needs?

A. Shooting. We're not shooting a good percentage. I'd like to get our field goal percentage up to 45 or 46 percent on a consistent basis.

Q. Can Jonathan Bender help address that when he returns?

A. He could help tremendously. But the thing about Johnny Bender, he's out there shooting those 3s right now. His butt should be underneath the basket.

Q. What have you thought of Jamaal Tinsley the past couple of games?

A. He brings so much. I've had a lot of conversations with Rick about Jamaal. I'm not telling Rick who to play, but he does bring a different dimension to our team. The thing about Jamaal is, he'll make a couple of turnovers, but on the defensive end he gets steals and he rebounds as well as any point guard in the league except Jason Kidd, and he makes things happen. He came in right at the right time, when the team was down, and stepped in and picked the team up. We're running a little bit more and the ball's moving more.

Q. Knowing Reggie Miller as you do, do you think he's lost something? Or is his role different now and he's simply not asked to do the same things?

A. He's not asked to do the same things. He's trying to fit in with the team. He's going to make shots. When he starts making shots, it's going to open up the whole offensive end.

Reggie's not 25 years old. He's got a lot of wear and tear on his body. But he's still valuable to this team. Very valuable.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/2/107814-1242-036.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

BOSTON -- Ron Artest turned in 42 minutes of superlative play and Reggie Miller microwaved his shot in the fourth quarter Friday as the Indiana Pacers beat Boston 103-90 at the FleetCenter.

The win was their third in a row and improved their record to 24-10 heading into tonight's game against New Orleans at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Artest led the Pacers with 28 points and hounded the Celtics' leading scorer, Paul Pierce into an 8-of-19 shooting effort and 18 points.

Jermaine O'Neal added 21 points and 13 rebounds and Miller had 18. Eleven of those came in the final quarter.

Al Harrington, crashing the offensive boards, had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

It was just the Pacers' fifth 100-point scoring effort of the season.

Boston started the game as it finished Game 6 of the playoffs here last season {uscore} on fire.

It hit five of its first six 3-point attempts, hit 52.6 percent from the field in the first quarter, and was at 50 percent for the half.

It's lead peaked at 15 points midway through the second period, but the Pacers closed with an 8-3 run to get within six.

Indiana played one of its best stretches of the season in the third and early fourth period. It shut down the Celtics at the defensive end, ran, got good shots, and hit from the perimeter.

A 13-2 run put it in command for good, taking it from a six-point deficit with 6:17 left in the quarter to a five-point lead with 1:59 left.

The Celtics got within one point heading into the final period, but the Pacers opened with a 13-0 run to put away the game.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/107980-7697-094.html

 

[TheGeneral+]

MIAMI - (KRT) - It's almost unthinkable that a player like Ron Artest would still be jeopardizing his future with continuous insubordinate and immature behavior.

Maybe the reason is Artest knows something the rest of us don't. Like just how good he really is.

Artest had another episode last week, lashing out at his coach's "boring" offense and following that by missing a morning shootaround. The results were a pair of short-lived benchings, and by the end of it, the Indiana Pacers were praising Artest for just how good a player he really was.

It seems Artest knows that better than anybody, and it's why he continues to test the Pacers' authority.

Take his most recent outburst. Frustrated with the Pacers' slow-paced offense that requires plays to be called every time down the floor (it's a system, by the way, that won Pacers coach Rick Carlisle 100 games in Detroit the past two seasons and won Pat Riley several hundred games in Miami and New York), Artest called the system "boring" after a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

So two games later, Artest fired up several three-pointers early and was not his usual aggressive self on defense. He had a minor confrontation with Carlisle at halftime and was benched for the second half.

Artest then missed a shootaround before a game against Memphis and was punished by not starting. All that led to was a meeting with Artest, Carlisle, team president Larry Bird and Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh.

STIFLING LEBRON

The next game, Artest decided to show how valuable he is. He held Cleveland's LeBron James to seven points on 2-of-10 shooting in the second half and hit the game's biggest shot, a late three-pointer in a Pacers win. James scored 22 on the night, but most of that came when other Pacers guarded him.

"When Ron Artest was on him the second half, it changed the game," Carlisle said.

Later, Bird continued the praise of Artest.

"It's very important to have a tight-knit team and have everybody on the same page," he said. "But Ronnie's an incredible athlete, he's a great basketball player, and I think he understands that he does things to the team.

"I know when Ronnie loses he's very upset about it, and he wants to win. I got upset when we lost, but I handled it a little differently. I think he's going to be fine. I have a lot of faith in him. I love how he plays the game. And I like our team."

So perhaps Artest might not be as misunderstood as everyone believes him to be. It seems he is just using his talent as leverage, speaking for a group of players who would rather not speak for themselves.

Artest is not the only Pacer who disagrees with Carlisle's offensive approach, just like several Pistons were against it last season despite the team's regular-season success.

TRADE UNLIKELY

Already Artest has proven untouchable despite preseason threats to trade him if he continued his poor on-court and off-court decisions. The team won't say as much, but Carlise has somewhat admitted Artest won't be traded this season.

"I think Ron's here for the year, I'll put it that way," Carlisle said. "He's too valuable a player. He's an essential part to what we're doing. Much of our system is built around his abilities at both ends of the court. So I don't see us trading him."

In fact, Artest is so valuable that he is keeping a talented young player, Al Harrington, on the bench. And the smart money would have Harrington getting traded before Artest because the backup isn't the defender that Artest is and won't be happy or consistent until he is a regular starter.

For now, Artest has returned to his good-guy role. But it might only last until he has another statement to make.

"The one thing that was made clear in that meeting is that you have to put the team first," Artest said. "Any issues that you have during or after a game need to be handled later, after you've calmed down and gotten your composure.

"A lot of what happened was my mistake. Definitely. But now everybody is on the same page, and it's time to move on."

www.mercurynews.com