is Indiana the Cinderella in the East?

[milkyway21]

I really wanted for Carlisle to win the COY.

and the Pacers to upset Detroit.

Indiana has the change to upset Miami in the EC finals too! They're the only team who got a 3-1 record over Miami in the regular season.

Reggie in the 4th is hot!. Go SJAX.

[ShoogarBear]

Jeff Foster is OWNING.

[Tek_XX]

Considering the only other cinderalla candidate is Washington, yeah i'd go with Indiana.

[milkyway21]

9 pts only for Detroit in the 4th?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I don't think you can count on Reggie to play like he's 28 every night.

[Manu20]

Jeff Foster is OWNING.
He has 20 rebounds 10 of them coming on the offensive glass!

[HB22inSA]

No.

I think this game will serve as Detroit's wake up call just as Game 1 against Denver did for the Spurs.

[milkyway21]

how Many pts Mr. Clutch Reggie has made in the 4th.The last time i checked it was 11, now 19. 2-3pts?

.32 i think indy gets the W

[Horry For 3!]

Pacers Win Series Tied 1 - 1

Jeff Foster went to SWT which is now TxState.

[exstatic]

I'm not sure Indy can take them, but this bad boy will go at least 6 now. I can't see Indy doing any worse than a split at home, leaving the series at 2-2 after 4 games. As Steve Kerr said, "This is a series, now..."

[HB22inSA]

I think Detroit will win in 5 or 6.

[milkyway21]

how come a depleted team like indy won against 2Wallaces, Hamilton, Billups, Prince & Brown?

Congrats, Coach CArlisle.
Pistons shld make adjustments.

[HB22inSA]

how come a depleted team like indy won against 2Wallaces, Hamilton, Billups, Prince & Brown?


Because Detroit had a San Antonio-like offensive drought.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Larry should have played Darko.

[milkyway21]

Because Detroit had a San Antonio-like offensive drought.:D

and;

21-8 Pacers Offensive rbds
9-15 Detroit turnovers

:cry

[HB22inSA]

indy is better then nuggs tho
Are they?

[T Park]

Larry should have played Darko.


:rollin

[HB22inSA]

I'm pulling for Indy, but I just think that Detroit is too strong.

[ducks]

Larry should have played Darko.
pistons would be better off larry brown with cavs

[milkyway21]

speaking of Darko, i can't understand WHY coach Brown choose to bench him instead of giving him more minutes.

[milkyway21]

man, if the Spurs reach the WC finals and Indy, too(by luck), it would be smooth NBA Finals.

I know Spurs many fans still love SJax and respect Mr. Clutch Reggie Miller.


:D :D :D

[milkyway21]

CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The NBA's most resilient team bounced back again.

Jermaine O'Neal scored 22 points, Reggie Miller had 19 and Jeff Foster grabbed 20 rebounds Wednesday night to lead the Indiana Pacers past the Detroit Pistons 92-83 in Game 2, tying their Eastern Conference semifinal series at one game apiece.

The Pacers trailed for two-plus quarters before taking over with an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter. They lost 96-81 in Game 1.

O'Neal prevented the Pacers from trailing by more than 15 in the first quarter with eight points, then led their surge in the third with 10 points.

Miller made a running jumper and a 3-pointer to put Indiana ahead for the first time with 4:10 left in the third. The Pistons scored the last six points of the quarter to take a 69-68 lead.

After five more lead changes, the score was tied at 77 midway through the fourth quarter.

Miller's 3-pointer put Indiana ahead 82-77 with just under five minutes left.

The Pistons had won eight straight home games in the playoffs, dating to last year's conference finals.

Foster gave the Pacers a huge lift off the bench with 14 points, Jamaal Tinsley had 12 points and 12 assists and Stephen Jackson added 13 points.

Detroit's Tayshaun Prince scored 24, Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton each had 14 and Chauncey Billups scored 13.

The next two games in the best-of-seven series are in Indianapolis on Friday night and Sunday afternoon.

Many wrote the Pacers off when their Nov. 19 brawl with the Pistons and their fans led to unprecedented suspensions, but the Pacers didn't let the loss of Ron Artest and others -- or a slew of injuries later in the season -- devastate them.

Indiana even pulled off a rare road win in a Game 7 of the first round at Boston to advance to play the defending NBA champions, who ended the Pacers' season in the conference finals last year.

Miller, who plans to retire after the season, scored just two points in each of the first two quarters before closing strong in the second half. He scored six points in the series opener.

The Pacers said they would do anything -- and they did -- to try to slow down Hamilton after he scored 28 points Monday.

Miller started out guarding Hamilton, then Jackson did before the Pacers used a zone, but none of the adjustments worked as the Pistons jumped out to a 24-11 lead. Detroit was ahead 33-18 after the first quarter with Prince scoring 11 -- three more than he had in Game 1 -- and Hamilton adding eight points.

The Pistons led 50-40 at halftime, then fell behind by five in the third before going back ahead.


Notes
Artest told a television station he thought his season-long suspension for his role in the infamous melee was "a bit harsh," in an interview broadcast Wednesday. Artest did add, however, he respected NBA commissioner David Stern's decision. "I know what I did wasn't right," Artest said. "It was only a cup. It wasn't like it was a brick." ... Gabrielle Nettle, 18, of nearby Clarkston, was identified as the Pistons' 1,000,000th fan this season before the game. She was given an authentic Detroit jersey, two seats for next season's opener and passes to a VIP area along with Pistons merchandise. David Wieme, a team official, said Nettle was laid off from her job earlier in the day.

:rolleyes Jeff foster =20 rbds?

tough!

[whottt]

I'm not surprised by Indy at all...


They had the best record in the NBA last season. This is basically the same team with Stephen Jackson instead of Artest.

When at full strength they are right there with the Spurs and Pistons in the small group of elite defensive teams in the NBA....and they are back at full strength.

If you ask me this team is better built for playoff success...Artest is a great defensive player but he choked the Pacers out of the playoffs last season.

The Pacers are built for the playoffs...they got some great bigmen, they play great defense...and they have clutch outside shooting...they might just have the best clutch outside shooting....Jack and Reggie.

Not only will I not be surprised if the Pacers beat Pistons...I won't be surpised if they beat the Heat....who they flat out own.

[Experiment2100]

no

[pooh]

Carlisle did the right thing and didn't allow JO to overexert himself like he did on Monday night. He spaced his minutes out well this evening and it worked. The two big stars tonight were Jeff Foster who was huge with 20 boards and Tinsely, who was easily driving through the Wallaces' and getting baskets. The momentum changed in that second quarter, then once the third began the Pacers started to take charge. Poor shooting by the Pistons during that quarter contributed to their demise.

Is the series over? No, not by a long shot. But it's a "series". And for Randy (I can't believe I knocked up Ursula Pari up twice) Beamer, Reggie Miller's yell fest at one of the Pacers' associates is a ritual he does before every game. Get it right Randy. Go Pacers!

[baseline bum]

I don't think anyone expects Indiana to win this series, but they're playing for pride and there is no way they're just going to lay down and get dominated in this series.

[milkyway21]

Not only will I not be surprised if the Pacers beat Pistons...I won't be surpised if they beat the Heat....who they flat out own. exactly!

esp now that ShaQ's defense gone flat. It seems
Wade is carrying the Heat more than ShaQ, he even led in rebounding yesterday with 7. ShaQ shld dominate in this area(rebounds), like a 300+pounder. shld.

[milkyway21]

game 3 Pacers vs. Detroit East Semi-Finals

Indiana held Detroit to JUST 29% FG? :huh

Prince = 0 pt
Hamilton = 3

Pacers 48% FG

[milkyway21]

LAST 10 PLAYS (Last Play on the Bottom)
Team Time Play
DET 35.0 Personal foul on Rasheed Wallace
IND 35.0 Jeff Foster made 1st of 2 Free Throws
IND 35.0 Jeff Foster made 2nd of 2 Free Throws
DET 35.0 20-second Timeout
DET 31.0 Rasheed Wallace made Jump Shot, Assist Chauncey Billups
DET 31.0 20-second Timeout
IND 31.0 20-second Timeout
IND 10.0 Reggie Miller made Jump Shot
DET 10.0 20-second Timeout
DET 7.0 Bad pass turnover on Tayshaun Prince


oh, NO!

[pooh]

The Pacers = the team that will not die

[milkyway21]

The Pacers = the team that will not dieGood game, huh!

i thought you lost the game when Jermaine fouled out.

Congrats!

[pooh]

It was very close, I thought it was over when it was tied up. When Rip fouled out, I started to feel a little better...then JO. But Indy seems to play better when JO is on the bench. But it was a good game and an amazing win for Indy, who would've thought they'd be up 2-1 against Detroit? Not me.

[Jimcs50]

I bet $50 on Indy tonight and believe it or not, I got 4 1/2 pts....I mean WTF?

How in the world could Detroit have been favored AT Indy???

Indy has play Detroit tough all year except game 1, but they, like Dallas had just finished a tough series and took the game off in game 1.

That was eaaaasy money tonight.

:)

[milkyway21]

is game 7 possible bet. these 2?

or

Miami vs. Pacers in the EC finals?

in predicted the Pacers to win in the EC BUT that was when Artest was still playing. Before the brawl.

Miami? And Shaq won't play again game 4 vs. Wzrds. He's out for how long?

[pooh]

I don't know if it will go seven...I always said it would go six. Game four is a must win game for Indy rather than Detroit on Sunday. But let the chips fall and the best team will win.

[milkyway21]

Indiana: BEST DEFENSE(88.1), in the playoffs? :huh

[orhe]

i think detroit is overrated and indiana is underrated
indiana was a team that a lot of guys considered to be a contender in the east but after that brawl and all those suspensions people started writing them off. hey rick carlisle had a system and indy lost only one player (artest) and in his absence other guys have stepped up. i say they make it to the finals if o'neal is 70%.

i haven't seen a lot of detroit games this year but their perimeter defense sucks. (at least for this series)

[Kori Ellis]

If this series goes seven, then whoever wins will probably be so exhausted they have no chance against the Heat.

I'm rooting for the Pacers because of Reggie, but I think Detroit will still probably win.

[Mark in Austin]

Agreed. The only way the winner of a seven game Indy-Motown series wins in the ECFs is if Shaq is still hurting/limited.