Friday, April 19, 2002
Pacers mature in playoff run
By DAN GELSTON
Associated Press Writer
INDIANAPOLIS — Once again, the doubters have counted out the Indiana Pacers. Sure, the odds are against the eighth-seeded Pacers winning even one playoff game.
They know. Just ask them.
“We're still the underdog. Everybody has counted us out,” center Brad Miller said.
“When haven't we been the underdog?” said Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana's lone All-Star. “We've been the underdog going into every big game.”
And this from rookie point guard Jamaal Tinsley: “People said we couldn't do it. We did it.”
The Pacers were feeling pretty good about proving “everybody” wrong at Thursday's practice. After playing their best basketball of the season and going on a five-game winning streak to qualify, the Pacers have plenty of confidence they can beat New Jersey, starting with Game 1 Saturday at the Meadowlands.
Indiana finished with a flourish, starting with consecutive home victories against the Raptors and Bucks. The Pacers needed a victory Wednesday and a loss by either Milwaukee or Toronto to make the playoffs. Toronto won, but the Bucks lost to Detroit.
“I feel like we've been in the playoffs for the last three weeks,” said Reggie Miller. “Each game has been do or die for us. Hopefully, there can be a continuation of that.”
The Pacers — in the playoffs for the 12th time in 13 years — have the longest winning streak of an East team entering the postseason. The Nets haven't won a playoff series since 1984 and have the fewest victories of a conference champion since 1977.
“We need to continue to build and keep playing the way we've been playing,” O'Neal said. “I think this team is really focused right now. We're not satisfied with just being here.”
The late-season surge can be attributed largely to a more mature O'Neal. O'Neal has taken on a greater leadership role since coming back from a two-game suspension while his numbers have been MVP-like: 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and five double-doubles.
While O'Neal has been a constant, the rest of the Pacers (42-4) hardly resemble the team that went 1-3 against the Nets this season.
The Nets (52-30) won those three games by an average of six points, but all of those games were before the Feb. 19 deal that brought Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie to Indiana from Chicago.
Since the trade, the Pacers are 16-13.
“I think we've become a tougher team, a more competitive team,” said Pacers coach Isiah Thomas. “They brought to our team the things we needed. It's a tougher-minded team. Physically it's a tougher team.”
Indiana blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead in a season-opening loss at New Jersey and was outrebounded 188-163 in the four-game series.
“The first couple of games they killed us on the offensive glass,” Thomas said. “Hopefully that will be an area we can correct.”
O'Neal said Brad Miller's presence adds a new dimension to Indiana. O'Neal said Miller can step outside to shoot the ball, freeing him on the inside. Double-teams could open up the outside game, allowing Reggie Miller to take more shots.
Either way, the trade has changed the makeup of the Pacers.
“It's really changed our state on how we think and how we play,” O'Neal said. “We still go through certain plays where we don't play good, but overall this team is focused and just now starting to do what Isiah wants us to do.”
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