By Jon Krawczynski
The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - The pressure is mounting with the Eastern Conference finals series between Indiana and Detroit tied at two games each.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle insists the heat is on Detroit because the Pistons made two moves - firing Carlisle for new coach Larry Brown and trading for Rasheed Wallace - in an effort to get to the NBA Finals.

"Right now, I don't feel like the pressure is on us at all," Carlisle said after practice on Saturday. "Their season rides on them making it to the next step. That's not a secret out there."

Brown, meanwhile, is sure the Pacers have everything to lose after winning an NBA-best 61 games during the regular season.

"We're playing the team with the best record in the league, and we're supposed to win?" Brown said. "We would have home court if that was the case."

Thanks to Indiana's convincing 83-68 win in Detroit on Friday, the Pacers again have homecourt advantage, but they will be playing with two starters hobbled by injuries.

All-Star Jermaine O'Neal and point guard Jamaal Tinsley were injured in Game 4 but expect to play in Game 5 in Indianapolis on Sunday.

O'Neal sprained his left knee in the first quarter when he landed awkwardly after jumping for a rebound with Detroit's Ben Wallace.

He twice went to the locker room for treatment during the game and still managed to score 12 points, grab 13 rebounds and block four shots.

"It feels pretty good," said O'Neal, who has had treatment and medication to help keep the swelling down. "It's not even an issue."

Tinsley is a bigger question mark. He has been slowed by knee, ankle and hamstring injuries to his left leg nearly the entire series and sat out the fourth quarter of Game 4. He said afterward that his "left leg is gone," but he planned to play in Game 5.

Tinsley left practice early on Saturday to get an MRI test on his leg, but Carlisle said, "I don't anticipate him not starting."

Anthony Johnson played well in Tinsley's absence, finishing with six points, two assists and just one turnover in 26 minutes.

If Tinsley is limited in Game 5, a rusty Kenny Anderson will have to fill the void.

Anderson has played sparingly since losing his starting spot to Tinsley in December, and openly lobbied for more playing time before Game 4.

He apologized on Saturday for his public comments.

"Two days ago, I was venting, frustrated," Anderson said. "I want to apologize personally to my teammates and coach Carlisle. ... I just have to swallow the pill, deal with my situation and be there for my team."

All was forgiven a day after the Pacers snapped out of a four-game shooting slump to post the most impressive win of the series.

Indiana had shot under 35 percent for four straight games before shooting 46 percent against Detroit on Friday.

"The tape doesn't lie," Pistons guard Chauncey Billups said. "We didn't fight."

Looking to draw Rasheed or Ben Wallace out of the middle, Carlisle gave Austin Croshere his first start since 2002. It worked beautifully.

Croshere scored 14 points in 30 minutes and his threat as an outside shooter helped keep the Wallaces from freely roaming the middle.

The Pistons weren't able to make the adjustment, but Rasheed Wallace said he would be more aggressive offensively against Croshere in Game 5.

"I got to go straight at him, straight at the jugular," Rasheed Wallace said.

The lineup change provided a spark, but it wasn't the reason Indiana won the game, Carlisle said.

"The truth is, we played a much better team game at both ends of the floor," Carlisle said.

It all started with a 29-point first quarter that put the Pistons on their heels.

The fast start did wonders for the Pacers' psyche. After shooting so poorly for four straight games, O'Neal said the team began to press.

"We were thinking, 'This has got to go in,' on every shot," O'Neal said. "Now, we feel like we've got our edge back. We've gotten the monkey off our back with the poor shooting."