craphouse continues slump...blah ill drop the real
The elbows were cocked, the shot fully loaded. After making another 3-pointer in another one of his stunning explosions, Reggie Miller glared at the Washington bench as if to taunt Michael Jordan into the game.
Jordan did return; he's good at that. But it was too late. Playing the second night of a back-to-back set on a gimpy right ankle, Miller offered a vintage effort that reminded Pacers fans of perhaps their most precious truth.
While Jordan has come and gone, and come and gone, and come only to announce he will be gone once and for all, Miller has been unfailingly here.
Scoring 17 of his 25 points in a decisive third-quarter run - including 10 in 50 seconds - Miller carried the weary Pacers to a 100-84 victory over Jordan's Wizards on Friday night before a sellout crowd of 18,345 in Conseco Fieldhouse.
"We had every reason to go south, coming off an emotional win against Dallas while they (the Wizards) were resting, and it kind of showed in the first half when we looked tired," Miller said. "Someone had to do something and it was my turn."
The Pacers thus wrapped up November with a 13-2 record, continuing the best start in the franchise's NBA history. Washington lost its fifth in a row and fell to 6-9.
"It was a great month," said coach Isiah Thomas. "It's one of the better months I've had in basketball. I don't know if I've ever been on a team or with a team that's had this type of month. And I hope we can have another month like this."
December doesn't offer much potential for success. The first six games, and 11 of 16, are on the road. And they enter the trip uncertain about the status of the only point guard on the roster. Jamaal Tinsley went down in the first quarter with a deep bruise in his right thigh and played just three minutes.
Thomas
"It's going to be really tough out there on the road because not only are you going into somebody else's building, you're going in with some kind of reputation where every team is going to give you their best shot," Thomas said. "You want to try to win as many games as you can and put the money in the bank. ... Whatever happens out there, I'm sure it won't totally knock us out. The last two years we've had to play in some tough times and our guys responded."
They did so against the Wizards, thanks to Miller.
Playing 64 minutes on consecutive nights, Miller brought the Pacers back from a 61-49 deficit in little more than a blink. A four-point play, then two 3-pointers in a row gave the Pacers a 65-64 lead with 6:23 left in the quarter, those 10 points requiring less than a minute to produce. In all, Miller scored 17 points in a game-turning 25-7 run that left the Pacers with a 74-68 lead.
"He just has a great instinct knowing when to ignite, when to take shots and hit shots," said Thomas. "It's a great feel. You can compare it to a great entertainer understanding the feel of the audience. He just knows when to do it. And tonight, we needed his outburst."
From there, the defense took over. Washington made just 1-of-11 shots in the fourth quarter as the Pacers, given momentum by their 37-year-old leader, pulled away. Ron Artest scored 21, Jermaine O'Neal 15, Brad Miller 13 and Ron Mercer 11 for the Pacers, who made 35-of-36 free throws to offset a poor shooting night (.400).
O'Neal
"We knew our offense was covered, so it made it easier for us to buckle down on defense," said Jermaine O'Neal. "When he made those first couple of shots, we all knew what time it was."
After handling Dallas its first loss of the season Thursday night, the Pacers were predictably flat-footed for much of the first half, which the Wizards controlled but did not dominate. Jerry Stackhouse emerged from a horrific two-game slump (6-of-35 shooting, 15 points) to provide the offensive spark with 18 points in the half as the Wizards took a 55-47 lead at the break.
But Stackhouse went right back into his slump in the second half, missing all six of his shots while Jordan was 2-of-6. Stackhouse, who finished with 24, and Jordan (14) were the only two Wizards in double figures.
Miller, meanwhile, showed just what the Pacers had been missing as he sat out 12 games to rest a deep bone bruise in his right ankle.
It hasn't healed completely; in fact, he doubts it ever will.
"It's never going to be the same again," he said, "but there are times you have to play with pain."
And times you must inflict a little.
While he was going off in the third period, Miller's eyes found Jordan's. The message seemed to be: "Come on in. That'll make it more fun."
Asked about the moment, Miller smiled.
"I would never say that to the greatest player in the history of the game," he said. "But I was thinking it."
The elbows were cocked, the shot fully loaded. After making another 3-pointer in another one of his stunning explosions, Reggie Miller glared at the Washington bench as if to taunt Michael Jordan into the game.
Jordan did return; he's good at that. But it was too late. Playing the second night of a back-to-back set on a gimpy right ankle, Miller offered a vintage effort that reminded Pacers fans of perhaps their most precious truth.
While Jordan has come and gone, and come and gone, and come only to announce he will be gone once and for all, Miller has been unfailingly here.
Scoring 17 of his 25 points in a decisive third-quarter run - including 10 in 50 seconds - Miller carried the weary Pacers to a 100-84 victory over Jordan's Wizards on Friday night before a sellout crowd of 18,345 in Conseco Fieldhouse.
"We had every reason to go south, coming off an emotional win against Dallas while they (the Wizards) were resting, and it kind of showed in the first half when we looked tired," Miller said. "Someone had to do something and it was my turn."
The Pacers thus wrapped up November with a 13-2 record, continuing the best start in the franchise's NBA history. Washington lost its fifth in a row and fell to 6-9.
"It was a great month," said coach Isiah Thomas. "It's one of the better months I've had in basketball. I don't know if I've ever been on a team or with a team that's had this type of month. And I hope we can have another month like this."
December doesn't offer much potential for success. The first six games, and 11 of 16, are on the road. And they enter the trip uncertain about the status of the only point guard on the roster. Jamaal Tinsley went down in the first quarter with a deep bruise in his right thigh and played just three minutes.
Thomas
"It's going to be really tough out there on the road because not only are you going into somebody else's building, you're going in with some kind of reputation where every team is going to give you their best shot," Thomas said. "You want to try to win as many games as you can and put the money in the bank. ... Whatever happens out there, I'm sure it won't totally knock us out. The last two years we've had to play in some tough times and our guys responded."
They did so against the Wizards, thanks to Miller.
Playing 64 minutes on consecutive nights, Miller brought the Pacers back from a 61-49 deficit in little more than a blink. A four-point play, then two 3-pointers in a row gave the Pacers a 65-64 lead with 6:23 left in the quarter, those 10 points requiring less than a minute to produce. In all, Miller scored 17 points in a game-turning 25-7 run that left the Pacers with a 74-68 lead.
"He just has a great instinct knowing when to ignite, when to take shots and hit shots," said Thomas. "It's a great feel. You can compare it to a great entertainer understanding the feel of the audience. He just knows when to do it. And tonight, we needed his outburst."
From there, the defense took over. Washington made just 1-of-11 shots in the fourth quarter as the Pacers, given momentum by their 37-year-old leader, pulled away. Ron Artest scored 21, Jermaine O'Neal 15, Brad Miller 13 and Ron Mercer 11 for the Pacers, who made 35-of-36 free throws to offset a poor shooting night (.400).
O'Neal
"We knew our offense was covered, so it made it easier for us to buckle down on defense," said Jermaine O'Neal. "When he made those first couple of shots, we all knew what time it was."
After handling Dallas its first loss of the season Thursday night, the Pacers were predictably flat-footed for much of the first half, which the Wizards controlled but did not dominate. Jerry Stackhouse emerged from a horrific two-game slump (6-of-35 shooting, 15 points) to provide the offensive spark with 18 points in the half as the Wizards took a 55-47 lead at the break.
But Stackhouse went right back into his slump in the second half, missing all six of his shots while Jordan was 2-of-6. Stackhouse, who finished with 24, and Jordan (14) were the only two Wizards in double figures.
Miller, meanwhile, showed just what the Pacers had been missing as he sat out 12 games to rest a deep bone bruise in his right ankle.
It hasn't healed completely; in fact, he doubts it ever will.
"It's never going to be the same again," he said, "but there are times you have to play with pain."
And times you must inflict a little.
While he was going off in the third period, Miller's eyes found Jordan's. The message seemed to be: "Come on in. That'll make it more fun."
Asked about the moment, Miller smiled.
"I would never say that to the greatest player in the history of the game," he said. "But I was thinking it."