By Johnnie Clay - Pacers Insider.
January 19, 2004 - 7:45 PM

This was vintage Reggie Miller. He played to the crowd, goaded defenders into fouls, complained constantly to the referees and made clutch shots down the stretch.

Miller hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and added two free throws in the final minute, helping the Indiana Pacers hold off the Atlanta Hawks 100-97 Monday. The win was their first sweep of the Hawks since entering the NBA in the 1976-77 season.

No longer the first option on offense for Indiana, Miller struggled most of the game, missing five of his first seven shots. But with the score tied at 93, Miller made an open 3 with the shot clock winding down.

His free throws with 5.1 seconds left put the Pacers back up by three, and they hung on from there.

"We just wanted to grind this one out,'' Miller said. "It could have been a let up game for us.''

"That's what he does,'' O'Neal said of Miller. "Some people say he's losing it, but he doesn't take as many shots now. He doesn't need to score 20 points every night. He comes through every time we need him to.''

Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 32 points and Jason Terry had 23 for the Hawks. Atlanta's fourth sellout of the season turned out for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee.

Indiana led 93-87 after a layup by Artest before Atlanta rallied. Abdur-Rahim made four free throws he was 16-of-17 from the line and banked in a short jumper, tying the game for the sixth and final time at 93.

"I knew at that point we had them,'' Terry said.

After the teams traded turnovers, the Pacers had another chance to go ahead. O'Neal missed a shot from the baseline, but teammate Al Harrington won the battle for the rebound.

Artest then got the ball on the wing and worked on Stephen Jackson, then passed out to Miller when a double team appeared. Miller calmly drained the shot for the lead.

"He's done that previously against us,'' Terry said. "It's just heartbreaking.''

The Hawks were in control in the first quarter, thanks to some of their most inspired play of the season. Terry hit his first six shots, including two 3-pointers, and one of the weakest defensive teams in the NBA actually showed some bite.

Atlanta forced two consecutive shot clock violations, including one when Artest was hemmed in on the baseline by three players.

"They put us back on our heels at the start,'' O'Neal said.

In between those stands, Jacque Vaughn hit a 15-foot jumper as he was fouled, and his free throw gave the Hawks a 40-27 lead early in the second quarter.

The margin was still 10 after a lucky-bounce jumper by Jackson with about two minutes left, but the Pacers closed the half on a 7-2 run.

"We were a little sluggish,'' Artest said. "They were hitting shots andexecuting. They're tough, too. We've never blown them out.''

Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle talked about the Hawks and how tough they really are.

"They're a good team and they have a lot of offensive weapons." Carlisle said. "They've really stepped up their defense in the last two weeks. It's harder to score on them than it used to be. The games have all been tough. (Shareef) Rahim's a great scorer. Ratliff distorts the game with his shot blocking, and Terry is a great offensive player, and a great weapon at the point spot, so it's tough to play them."

"Nine out of this team's 12 wins have come against teams with .500 or better records, so they take the challenge against better teams. And we knew this was there last shot at us, so they'd give us a great game."

The star of the game Reggie Miller, echoed his coaches' sentiments.

"It easily could have been a let up game for us. We came out with good energy and got an early lead." Miller said. "We've had troubles with Atlanta in games past. They took us to the limit just a week ago. We knew we were going to have our hands full. They have a lot of talented players over there. We just wanted to grind this one out. We got down early, but we wanted to stay within striking distance, especially in the second half."

Jermaine O'Neal led the Pacers with 24 points, 10 rebounds, while Ron Artest scored 22 points, along with 5 rebounds and 6 assists. When O'Neal and Artest score over 20 points, the Pacers are nearly unbeatable. Along with Millers' 13 points, Al Harrington once again was the spark plug off the bench, scoring 15 points and pulling down 5 rebounds.

The Pacers shot 45% (35-77) from the field and 85% (23-27) from the free-throw line.

On the injury front, Jonathan Bender missed the game with a sore left knee. He missed the first 39 games after he had surgery on the knee, then played in three straight games before sitting against the Hawks.

The Pacers now face their old rival the Detroit Pistons, in what should has now become the marquee matchup of the month. Both teams are playing their best basketball. Detroit, having just knocked off the defending champion Spurs are currently riding a 13 game winning streak, their longest since reaching the finals in 1990.

Game Time Tuesday is at 7pm (EST)