Pooh
01-21-2004, 05:04 AM
By Johnnie Clay - Pacers Insider.
January 21, 2004 - 1:30 AM
Just imagine Detroit's frustration. On Dec. 26, they trailed the Pacers by 4 1/2 games. They promptly won 13 in a row, and still trailed the Pacers by 2 1/2 games. Now, their winning streak is over, they've already lost the season series to the team they're pursuing and the Pacers have a lead of 3 1/2 games.
Displaying remarkable resilience, both physical and mental, the Pacers shut down Detroit in the second half, holding the Pistons to 29 points, and pulled away for an 81-69 victory before 15,848 on Tuesday night in Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Pacers dominated the Pistons during the first quarter, holding them to just nine points, leading 20-9. Detroit was held to only 3-16 shooting (19%), nothing was going right for them, while the Pacers could do no wrong, going 10-22 (45%). It appeared that the Pacers were simply going to run away and hide, but the Pistons came out firing in the second quarter.
During that quarter, the Pistons went 10-13 (77%) as they cut the Pacers lead to just five points at halftime, 45-40. As the Pistons heated up, the Pacers cooled down...shooting 47% (7-15) from the field. As the shooting percentage increased for the Pistons, so did the personal fouls, on both sides. The Pacers and Pistons combined for 29 fouls the first half, eventually ending the game with a staggering total of 47 for the entire contest.
The third quarter started off like the beginning, with a quick Pacers run. However this time, the Pistons were up to the challenge, slugging it out with the Pacers, but could never grab the lead, trailing 66-57 at the end of the quarter.
Detroit's Chucky Atkins opened the fourth quarter with a bank shot to cut the lead to 66-59, but Al Harrington sandwiched a basket and a 3-pointer around a Fred Jones free throw as the Pacers pushed it to 72-59. Detroit had one more surge, closing to 72-63 on a RIchard Hamilton baseline jumper, but Reggie Miller hit a 3-pointer and Jermaine O'Neal hit a pair of free throws while the defense completely shut down the Pistons' offense, and the Pacers coasted home from there.
Afterwards, Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle said this about his teams performance.
“It’s tough when you play four games in five nights; but they were playing four in five nights too. These teams were so even stat-wise it made for an intriguing match-up coming in." Carlisle said. "It was a great win and I give our guys credit for having the toughness to hang in there in one of the toughest stretches I’ve seen. I’ve got a lot of admiration for our team and they way they’ve held together."
Carlisle also praised the fans, who really lifted the team up along with the intensity of his players, especially guard Reggie Miller, who appears to have found the "Fountain of Youth" these past few games.
"Our fans had a big part tonight as well. They gave us a big lift. Really, we’re striving for daily improvement. What really matters comes in April and May. I don’t think there is anyone in here who thinks we’ve done anything special and we have a long way to go. Reggie has played brilliantly the last week. Without him, I don’t know where we would be in this recent stretch. His aggressiveness level has picked up the last 10 days. Jermaine O’Neal again, 28 points, 15 boards, four blocks; just played a monster of a game. When we needed a hoop, he was able to get a clean look or get a foul.”
There weren't many statistical battles the Pacers won. They shot 38% (to Detroit's 39%), were outrebounded 38-37 and out-shot 27-20 from the free-throw line. But they limited their turnovers (12) while converting 21 Pistons miscues into 26 points - including 15 on the fast break.
Jermaine O'Neal was routinely dominant with 28 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots, hitting 10-17 from the floor and 8-8 from the line, leading the Pacers. Reggie Miller came up big once again with 22 points on 6-13 shooting. Ron Artest, with heavy tape on a sprained left thumb, struggled with his shot (4-14) but managed 10 points and five steals.
Jonathan Bender missed his second consecutive game with soreness in his left knee, but Coach Rick Carlisle said he did not consider Bender's absence a setback in his road to recovery, but rather a not altogether unexpected result of playing three games in four nights in his first action of the season. Further examinations of Bender's knee reveal no structural problems.
After wrapping up another stretch of four games in five nights, the Pacers get two days off before facing Houston on Friday night in Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers beat the Rockets 79-71 on Dec. 23, holding Houston to 35% shooting.
Game Time Friday is at 8pm (EST)
January 21, 2004 - 1:30 AM
Just imagine Detroit's frustration. On Dec. 26, they trailed the Pacers by 4 1/2 games. They promptly won 13 in a row, and still trailed the Pacers by 2 1/2 games. Now, their winning streak is over, they've already lost the season series to the team they're pursuing and the Pacers have a lead of 3 1/2 games.
Displaying remarkable resilience, both physical and mental, the Pacers shut down Detroit in the second half, holding the Pistons to 29 points, and pulled away for an 81-69 victory before 15,848 on Tuesday night in Conseco Fieldhouse.
The Pacers dominated the Pistons during the first quarter, holding them to just nine points, leading 20-9. Detroit was held to only 3-16 shooting (19%), nothing was going right for them, while the Pacers could do no wrong, going 10-22 (45%). It appeared that the Pacers were simply going to run away and hide, but the Pistons came out firing in the second quarter.
During that quarter, the Pistons went 10-13 (77%) as they cut the Pacers lead to just five points at halftime, 45-40. As the Pistons heated up, the Pacers cooled down...shooting 47% (7-15) from the field. As the shooting percentage increased for the Pistons, so did the personal fouls, on both sides. The Pacers and Pistons combined for 29 fouls the first half, eventually ending the game with a staggering total of 47 for the entire contest.
The third quarter started off like the beginning, with a quick Pacers run. However this time, the Pistons were up to the challenge, slugging it out with the Pacers, but could never grab the lead, trailing 66-57 at the end of the quarter.
Detroit's Chucky Atkins opened the fourth quarter with a bank shot to cut the lead to 66-59, but Al Harrington sandwiched a basket and a 3-pointer around a Fred Jones free throw as the Pacers pushed it to 72-59. Detroit had one more surge, closing to 72-63 on a RIchard Hamilton baseline jumper, but Reggie Miller hit a 3-pointer and Jermaine O'Neal hit a pair of free throws while the defense completely shut down the Pistons' offense, and the Pacers coasted home from there.
Afterwards, Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle said this about his teams performance.
“It’s tough when you play four games in five nights; but they were playing four in five nights too. These teams were so even stat-wise it made for an intriguing match-up coming in." Carlisle said. "It was a great win and I give our guys credit for having the toughness to hang in there in one of the toughest stretches I’ve seen. I’ve got a lot of admiration for our team and they way they’ve held together."
Carlisle also praised the fans, who really lifted the team up along with the intensity of his players, especially guard Reggie Miller, who appears to have found the "Fountain of Youth" these past few games.
"Our fans had a big part tonight as well. They gave us a big lift. Really, we’re striving for daily improvement. What really matters comes in April and May. I don’t think there is anyone in here who thinks we’ve done anything special and we have a long way to go. Reggie has played brilliantly the last week. Without him, I don’t know where we would be in this recent stretch. His aggressiveness level has picked up the last 10 days. Jermaine O’Neal again, 28 points, 15 boards, four blocks; just played a monster of a game. When we needed a hoop, he was able to get a clean look or get a foul.”
There weren't many statistical battles the Pacers won. They shot 38% (to Detroit's 39%), were outrebounded 38-37 and out-shot 27-20 from the free-throw line. But they limited their turnovers (12) while converting 21 Pistons miscues into 26 points - including 15 on the fast break.
Jermaine O'Neal was routinely dominant with 28 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots, hitting 10-17 from the floor and 8-8 from the line, leading the Pacers. Reggie Miller came up big once again with 22 points on 6-13 shooting. Ron Artest, with heavy tape on a sprained left thumb, struggled with his shot (4-14) but managed 10 points and five steals.
Jonathan Bender missed his second consecutive game with soreness in his left knee, but Coach Rick Carlisle said he did not consider Bender's absence a setback in his road to recovery, but rather a not altogether unexpected result of playing three games in four nights in his first action of the season. Further examinations of Bender's knee reveal no structural problems.
After wrapping up another stretch of four games in five nights, the Pacers get two days off before facing Houston on Friday night in Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers beat the Rockets 79-71 on Dec. 23, holding Houston to 35% shooting.
Game Time Friday is at 8pm (EST)