Pooh
02-04-2004, 02:20 AM
By Johnnie Clay - Pacers Insider.
February 3, 2004 - 11:00 PM
The old saying goes, "You can't win all of them." And for the Pacers, that came to a halt tonight. Hours after being named to the All-Star Game as a reserve, Ron Artest missed two free-throws late as the New York Knicks rallied to the defeat the Indiana Pacers this evening, 97-90.
The loss snapped the Pacers three-game winning streak, leaving them at 34-16, with only three more games until the All-Star break.
Neither team wanted to it seemed to want to run away with a lead. The Knicks led 23-20 at the end of the first quarter. Both teams slugged it out during the second as the lead went back and forth, yet...the Knicks clung to a 47-43 lead at halftime.
Jermaine O'Neal returned to the Pacers lineup tonight, after missing the previous game due to a neck strain. His shooting however did not come back with him. Although O'Neal scored 19 points, he was a miserable 6-20 shooting.
Afterwards, O'Neal talked about his return.
"I didn’t play well. I shot the ball pretty bad from the field. I just wasn’t me out there." O'Neal said. "I have to put this loss on my shoulders. If I decide to play, whether it is hurt or healthy, I have to find a way to control the game and win the games we are suppose to win.”
O'Neal also talked about playing hurt as well, and how it hindered his performance.
“I am not going to pinpoint anything. When you put the uniform on you are letting your fans and teammates know that you are ready to play." He said. "I really disappointed myself. I am looking forward to Friday and getting back on track.”
The game however was still close and appeared at times to be within the reach of the Pacers as either team was able to put much distance on the other throughout the night, but the Pacers made their biggest move of the game with a 13-2 run in the third quarter to wipe out a 53-47 deficit and take a 60-55 lead.
As was the pattern all night, the Knicks came right back and regained tenuous control early in the fourth quarter. Their lead was 85-79 with 7:02 remaining but the defense shut out the Knicks from the field for the next 5 1/2 minutes. The offense managed just nine points in that span but still, the lead was cut to one.
Reggie Miller's layup left the Knicks with a 91-90 lead with 1:02 left but, after a Kurt Thomas jumper, Ron Artest missed a pair of free throws. Anfernee Hardaway followed with a short jumper over Jamaal Tinsley to make it a five-point game with 17 seconds left, and when Miller missed a forced 3-pointer on the next possession, that sealed the Pacers fate.
Afterwards, Artest talked about the teams' performance.
“We missed a lot of free throws and we made defensive mistakes at the end." Artest said. "They had a lot of offensive rebounds. They played really aggressively."
Pacers relied too heavily on the 3-point shot, attempting 23 (and making just seven.) Artest, Al Harrington, Anthony Johnson and Austin Croshere combined to go 0 of 9 from the arc. The Pacers were outrebounded 48-37 and had just 15 assists, though they did commit just eight turnovers.
Artest's 19 points led the way, and he add six reobunds and five assists. Reggie Miller had 17 points and Al Harrington, who returned to his role as sixth man had 13 points in tonight's losing effort.
Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle talked about tonights loss.
"The two areas that really hurt us were second chance points including rebounds, they out rebounded us by 11, and the free throw line." Carlisle said. "Those are just indications that they were the more aggressive team from start to finish. We hung in there and had chances, but from start to finish they were more aggressive. It's as simple as that. That's the reason they won the game. The Knicks are a better team. There's no question. With guys like Marbury and Hardaway, who was a major factor too, they are playing better and their record shows that since the trade and since Lenny (Wilkens) came in. They are certainly a team on the rise and I see them continuing to move up."
Carlisle also praised Jermaine O'Neal's effort to make it back to the lineup tonight.
"It's tough to sit out for three or four days and come back. He showed a lot of courage by playing tonight. I think coming to the arena he didn't really intend to and then he got out there before the game and felt pretty good and decided to get taped up. That's great. With a guy like that if there is any chance to have him available we have to have him."
The Pacers' first meeting of the season with the Raptors comes Friday night in Toronto. Indiana won three of four last season, but Vince Carter played in just one of the games (scoring 16 points). With Carter healthy, and joined now by former Indiana star Jalen Rose, the Raptors are back in the playoff chase in the Eastern Conference.
Game Time Friday is at 7:30pm (EST).
February 3, 2004 - 11:00 PM
The old saying goes, "You can't win all of them." And for the Pacers, that came to a halt tonight. Hours after being named to the All-Star Game as a reserve, Ron Artest missed two free-throws late as the New York Knicks rallied to the defeat the Indiana Pacers this evening, 97-90.
The loss snapped the Pacers three-game winning streak, leaving them at 34-16, with only three more games until the All-Star break.
Neither team wanted to it seemed to want to run away with a lead. The Knicks led 23-20 at the end of the first quarter. Both teams slugged it out during the second as the lead went back and forth, yet...the Knicks clung to a 47-43 lead at halftime.
Jermaine O'Neal returned to the Pacers lineup tonight, after missing the previous game due to a neck strain. His shooting however did not come back with him. Although O'Neal scored 19 points, he was a miserable 6-20 shooting.
Afterwards, O'Neal talked about his return.
"I didn’t play well. I shot the ball pretty bad from the field. I just wasn’t me out there." O'Neal said. "I have to put this loss on my shoulders. If I decide to play, whether it is hurt or healthy, I have to find a way to control the game and win the games we are suppose to win.”
O'Neal also talked about playing hurt as well, and how it hindered his performance.
“I am not going to pinpoint anything. When you put the uniform on you are letting your fans and teammates know that you are ready to play." He said. "I really disappointed myself. I am looking forward to Friday and getting back on track.”
The game however was still close and appeared at times to be within the reach of the Pacers as either team was able to put much distance on the other throughout the night, but the Pacers made their biggest move of the game with a 13-2 run in the third quarter to wipe out a 53-47 deficit and take a 60-55 lead.
As was the pattern all night, the Knicks came right back and regained tenuous control early in the fourth quarter. Their lead was 85-79 with 7:02 remaining but the defense shut out the Knicks from the field for the next 5 1/2 minutes. The offense managed just nine points in that span but still, the lead was cut to one.
Reggie Miller's layup left the Knicks with a 91-90 lead with 1:02 left but, after a Kurt Thomas jumper, Ron Artest missed a pair of free throws. Anfernee Hardaway followed with a short jumper over Jamaal Tinsley to make it a five-point game with 17 seconds left, and when Miller missed a forced 3-pointer on the next possession, that sealed the Pacers fate.
Afterwards, Artest talked about the teams' performance.
“We missed a lot of free throws and we made defensive mistakes at the end." Artest said. "They had a lot of offensive rebounds. They played really aggressively."
Pacers relied too heavily on the 3-point shot, attempting 23 (and making just seven.) Artest, Al Harrington, Anthony Johnson and Austin Croshere combined to go 0 of 9 from the arc. The Pacers were outrebounded 48-37 and had just 15 assists, though they did commit just eight turnovers.
Artest's 19 points led the way, and he add six reobunds and five assists. Reggie Miller had 17 points and Al Harrington, who returned to his role as sixth man had 13 points in tonight's losing effort.
Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle talked about tonights loss.
"The two areas that really hurt us were second chance points including rebounds, they out rebounded us by 11, and the free throw line." Carlisle said. "Those are just indications that they were the more aggressive team from start to finish. We hung in there and had chances, but from start to finish they were more aggressive. It's as simple as that. That's the reason they won the game. The Knicks are a better team. There's no question. With guys like Marbury and Hardaway, who was a major factor too, they are playing better and their record shows that since the trade and since Lenny (Wilkens) came in. They are certainly a team on the rise and I see them continuing to move up."
Carlisle also praised Jermaine O'Neal's effort to make it back to the lineup tonight.
"It's tough to sit out for three or four days and come back. He showed a lot of courage by playing tonight. I think coming to the arena he didn't really intend to and then he got out there before the game and felt pretty good and decided to get taped up. That's great. With a guy like that if there is any chance to have him available we have to have him."
The Pacers' first meeting of the season with the Raptors comes Friday night in Toronto. Indiana won three of four last season, but Vince Carter played in just one of the games (scoring 16 points). With Carter healthy, and joined now by former Indiana star Jalen Rose, the Raptors are back in the playoff chase in the Eastern Conference.
Game Time Friday is at 7:30pm (EST).