Pooh
04-10-2004, 02:32 AM
By John Clayton
Indianapolis, April 9, 2004
Ron Artest emerged from his locker to high-five Jermaine O’Neal. What was intended as a handshake with Reggie Miller turned into a hug. “Congrats” was written on blue ink on the message board in the understated locker room of a Pacers team that had just secured the best record in the league and homecourt advantage throughout the length of the NBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Even in the face of those accomplishments, revelry was difficult to find beyond "congrats."
“Though it is a clinching win for us to have the best record, home court doesn’t assure us anything,” said Miller. “We’ve still got to go out and play games. We’ve just got to take it one game at a time. We can’t get too high or too low. We just take care of business.”
Business on Good Friday meant beating the visiting New Jersey Nets 90-80 and tying the franchise record for wins in a season with 59 while setting a new NBA standard. The ABA Championship team of 1969-70 finished 59-25. The previous NBA mark of 58 was set in 1997-98. This season’s Pacers improved to 59-21 with games remaining at Philadelphia Monday and at home against Chicago in the season finale Wednesday.
“To tie the ABA record and have a chance to break it would be a milestone,” said Coach Rick Carlisle. “Those ABA teams in the late 60s and early 70s were great teams and among the best in basketball.”
But Carlisle and his players have said that this team will be measured by its playoff performance. The Pacers have made the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, but failed to advance past the first round. The last time the Pacers won a playoff series was on their path to the 2000 NBA Finals.
“Obviously, the big picture is the playoffs for us and doing something we haven’t done since I’ve been here and that’s getting out of the first round,” said O’Neal. “That’s what I’m concentrating on. What is it, 58 or 59 games now? That’s good, but getting out of the first round and getting to the NBA Finals, I’d be a lot more happy.”
Like New Jersey, which sewed up the Eastern Conference’s second seed with its third straight Atlantic Division title earlier in the week, the Pacers now have the option to rest some key players and nurse some nagging injuries just before the playoffs begin. Neither Jason Kidd nor Kenyon Martin, both All-Stars for the Nets, played against the Pacers. While the temptation to rest players is there, Carlisle said he will address the possibility of resting players on a case-by-case basis.
“I’m going to keep playing guys as long as everybody’s feeling good,” Carlisle said. “You’ve got to be careful with this rest thing because you can create a little bit of the rust factor. . . . We’re trying to get on a roll. We’re playing good basketball, but we can play a little bit better and that’s going to be one of our goals.”
O’Neal’s aching knee and rest for the 38-year-old Miller will be considerations for Carlisle over the final five days of the regular season.
“Reggie’s not playing heavy minutes, so I think he’ll say he wants to keep playing, but he’s a guy I’ll talk to,” Carlisle said. “We’ll see how Jermaine feels. Obviously, he’s feeling better out there and that’s certainly good news for us.”
Regardless of who plays over the next two games as the Pacers strive for the 60-win plateau for the first time in franchise history, they can now at least begin to focus on a playoff run they know will now begin and end with the home-court advantage – one way or the other.
“It’s good to have 59 wins and have the best record in basketball,” said Anthony Johnson, who played on NBA Finals teams the past two seasons in New Jersey. “There’s still a lot of things left to accomplish. We can finish out the season on a good note and get ready for the playoffs. We’ve accomplished a lot, probably a little bit more than expected, but at the same time we’re trying to end the season with a win and that big trophy.”
Indianapolis, April 9, 2004
Ron Artest emerged from his locker to high-five Jermaine O’Neal. What was intended as a handshake with Reggie Miller turned into a hug. “Congrats” was written on blue ink on the message board in the understated locker room of a Pacers team that had just secured the best record in the league and homecourt advantage throughout the length of the NBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Even in the face of those accomplishments, revelry was difficult to find beyond "congrats."
“Though it is a clinching win for us to have the best record, home court doesn’t assure us anything,” said Miller. “We’ve still got to go out and play games. We’ve just got to take it one game at a time. We can’t get too high or too low. We just take care of business.”
Business on Good Friday meant beating the visiting New Jersey Nets 90-80 and tying the franchise record for wins in a season with 59 while setting a new NBA standard. The ABA Championship team of 1969-70 finished 59-25. The previous NBA mark of 58 was set in 1997-98. This season’s Pacers improved to 59-21 with games remaining at Philadelphia Monday and at home against Chicago in the season finale Wednesday.
“To tie the ABA record and have a chance to break it would be a milestone,” said Coach Rick Carlisle. “Those ABA teams in the late 60s and early 70s were great teams and among the best in basketball.”
But Carlisle and his players have said that this team will be measured by its playoff performance. The Pacers have made the playoffs in each of the past three seasons, but failed to advance past the first round. The last time the Pacers won a playoff series was on their path to the 2000 NBA Finals.
“Obviously, the big picture is the playoffs for us and doing something we haven’t done since I’ve been here and that’s getting out of the first round,” said O’Neal. “That’s what I’m concentrating on. What is it, 58 or 59 games now? That’s good, but getting out of the first round and getting to the NBA Finals, I’d be a lot more happy.”
Like New Jersey, which sewed up the Eastern Conference’s second seed with its third straight Atlantic Division title earlier in the week, the Pacers now have the option to rest some key players and nurse some nagging injuries just before the playoffs begin. Neither Jason Kidd nor Kenyon Martin, both All-Stars for the Nets, played against the Pacers. While the temptation to rest players is there, Carlisle said he will address the possibility of resting players on a case-by-case basis.
“I’m going to keep playing guys as long as everybody’s feeling good,” Carlisle said. “You’ve got to be careful with this rest thing because you can create a little bit of the rust factor. . . . We’re trying to get on a roll. We’re playing good basketball, but we can play a little bit better and that’s going to be one of our goals.”
O’Neal’s aching knee and rest for the 38-year-old Miller will be considerations for Carlisle over the final five days of the regular season.
“Reggie’s not playing heavy minutes, so I think he’ll say he wants to keep playing, but he’s a guy I’ll talk to,” Carlisle said. “We’ll see how Jermaine feels. Obviously, he’s feeling better out there and that’s certainly good news for us.”
Regardless of who plays over the next two games as the Pacers strive for the 60-win plateau for the first time in franchise history, they can now at least begin to focus on a playoff run they know will now begin and end with the home-court advantage – one way or the other.
“It’s good to have 59 wins and have the best record in basketball,” said Anthony Johnson, who played on NBA Finals teams the past two seasons in New Jersey. “There’s still a lot of things left to accomplish. We can finish out the season on a good note and get ready for the playoffs. We’ve accomplished a lot, probably a little bit more than expected, but at the same time we’re trying to end the season with a win and that big trophy.”