3:42 p.m. - 2006-03-08
Knicks-Pacers
It was a sweet homecoming for Jalen Rose.

Rose, who played six seasons for Indiana, scored 21 points Tuesday night in his first game back as a member of the New York Knicks. Jamal Crawford added 16 points as the Knicks beat the Pacers 107-92.

``Obviously you want to come back and play well,'' said Rose, enjoying the Knicks' first two-game winning streak since he joined the team last month. ``Guys that say they don't like playing against their former teams are definitely lying. So many guys on that bench did so much for my career.''

The Pacers sent Rose to Chicago as part of the 2002 trade that brought Ron Artest to Indiana. Rose later played in Toronto and went to New York in a trade for Antonio Davis last month. Still, Indiana's almost like home for him, and he received a warm welcome from the Indiana fans.

The feeling was mutual.

``This is one of the only gyms I get a chance to run up and down the court where I contributed some blood and some sweat to the banners that are hanging up. So it does feel good to get back here,'' Rose said.

``Larry Bird is like a basketball god to me for what he's done for my career,'' he said of the Pacers president and former coach.

New York, which had lost 16 of its past 18 games and had the NBA's second-worst record, overcame a horrible start, pulled within one point at halftime and took control with a flurry of 3-pointers at the start of the third quarter.

Rose and Quentin Richardson hit consecutive 3s as the Knicks went in front in the first minute of the third period. Richardson had another 3-pointer and Stephon Marbury hit two from long range before New York's first miss. By that time, the Knicks' lead was 64-57. The Pacers managed one more tie at 72 but never led the rest of the game.

``We controlled the tempo even though we turned the ball over,'' said the Knicks' Larry Brown, who also coached Rose one season in Indiana before Bird took over. ``We got great shots, rebounded the ball pretty effectively, defended pretty well.

``This wasn't one of their better games but it's a quality win for us on the road,'' Brown said.

The Knicks snapped a six-game losing streak on Saturday at Milwaukee.

``We're playing under control better. We're not just running up and down the court,'' Brown said of the difference the past two games. ``I feel good about everybody's contribution.''

New York took a 75-72 lead into the fourth quarter, then Crawford started the final period with consecutive 3-pointers as the Knicks pulled away for good. The Pacers hit just two of their first 11 shots in the fourth quarter and fell behind by as many as 19 points in the final minutes.

For the game, New York hit 9-for-13 from behind the arc, including 8-for-10 in the second half.

``They competed at a higher level than we did, and that's disappointing,'' said Carlisle, who succeeded Bird as coach four years ago. ``We just didn't have it. Everytime we would make a run, we'd make a defensive mistake and they'd get a 3.''

Eddy Curry added 15 points for the Knicks, including five dunks. Stephen Jackson and Peja Stojakovic led Indiana with 20 points each.

There were seven lead changes and five ties in a sloppy, poor-shooting first half.

The Knicks shot just 21 percent in the first quarter but trailed only 18-12 at the end of the period and slowly cut into Indiana's lead with their reserves on the floor at the start of the second quarter.

A rebound basket by Channing Frye and two free throws by Steve Francis pulled New York within 27-24. Then after a basket by Pacers rookie Danny Granger, the Knicks regained the lead with a 9-0 run, ending with a basket by Jackie Butler for a 33-29 lead.

Indiana's starters returned at that point, and Jackson scored on a layup and free throw and Stojakovic hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 33. New York had one more lead that quarter, but the Pacers went back in front on a rebound tip by Jeff Foster took a 45-44 lead at halftime.

1:06 p.m. - 2006-02-24
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Pacers-Pistons

The Detroit Pistons were struggling through a rare off night Thursday.

Fortunately for them, Rasheed Wallace picked up a technical foul.

As has become his trademark, Wallace turned up his game after the technical, scoring 11 of his game-high 28 points in a key fourth-quarter surge to lift the Detroit Pistons to an 88-83 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

``Sheed thrives on controversy,'' Ben Wallace said. ``Everyone knows that.''

With Detroit leading 70-64 early in the fourth, Wallace hit four straight shots - three from 3-point range - in 97 seconds to put the game away.

``That game was ugly by any description,'' said Chauncey Billups. ``But Sheed finally got cooking and carried us home. We'll take it.''

Wallace picked up the technical after he was called for elbowing Indiana rookie Danny Granger.

``How can I throw an elbow at a guy when I'm catching the ball out of the net and throwing it,'' he asked. ``That's bull in my book. It's felonious.''

The win was Detroit's first at home against Indiana since April 4, 2004. Indiana won both meetings at the Palace last year - the first ended early by the infamous brawl and the second delayed by a bomb threat aimed at the Pacers locker room.

``I thought we might have played 10 to 13 minutes of championship basketball tonight,'' Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. ``We won the game, but there are things we need to work on.''

There were no such incidents in this one, in which Ben Wallace added 13 points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Pistons, while Billups had 14 points and nine assists.

``Ben erases a lot of mistakes for us,'' Saunders said. ``He was unbelievable with everything he was doing.''

Stephen Jackson led the Pacers with 15 points and Peja Stojakovic added 14.

``We were right there in the fourth until Rasheed hit that stretch,'' Stojakovic said. ``That was the difference. That put them up 20, and there's not much you can do after that.''

Indiana finished with 22 turnovers and forced only 12.

``That was a big part of the game,'' Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. ``When you turn it over 22 times for 30 points, you aren't going to beat a top team.''

Detroit led 46-41 at the half, thanks to 13 points from Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons led by as many as 13 in the third quarter, but the Pacers pulled within 63-59 late in the period.

The Pistons, though, scored the last four points, all from the free-throw line, to lead by eight going into the fourth.

The teams traded baskets to start the final 12 minutes, and Billups added a free throw when David Harrison received a technical foul after arguing a call.

After Jackson split a pair from the line, Rasheed Wallace hit a jumper and followed it with three straight 3-pointers for an 11-0 run and a 81-64 lead with 7:40 left.

Detroit led by as many as 20 before the Pacers reserves put together a rally in the final minutes that came too late.

2:48 p.m. - 2006-02-17
Bucks-Pacers
Bucks-Pacers

The Indiana Pacers were happy to enter the All-Star break with a victory.

The Pacers shot 41 percent and committed 20 turnovers, but earned an 88-77 victory on Wednesday night.

Anthony Johnson scored 24 points and Peja Stojakovic had 16 of his 20 in the second half for Indiana.

``It seemed like we were playing in quicksand, turning the ball over,'' Johnson said. ``They really didn't have much energy, either. It was just two teams playing with no energy, but we found a way in the second half to get a big lead and create some distance and get a much needed win.''

The Pacers led 40-39 at the end of a sloppy first half. The teams combined for 22 turnovers and both shot 40 percent in the first two quarters.

David Harrison had 16 points and six rebounds and Jeff Foster grabbed 18 boards for the Pacers. Indiana has won five of its last six games heading into the break.

Michael Redd led Milwaukee with 24 points, but he shot 10-for-26 from the field. Bobby Simmons scored 19 points and Jamaal Magloire added 11 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks.

The Pacers led 76-70 in the fourth quarter before a 6-0 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer and a dunk by Stojakovic, put the game out of reach.

It was a disappointing loss for the Bucks, which had played four games in five days. Milwaukee played the night before, beating Seattle 106-91. The rested Pacers hadn't played since Sunday's 92-88 loss to San Antonio.

``I really don't think we gave our best effort tonight, being the second of a back-to-back,'' said Milwaukee guard T.J. Ford, who is recovering from a mid-back contusion. ``But with the All-Star break here, we've got some time to heal.''

Indiana didn't make a 3-pointer in the first half, but hit five in the second. The Pacers outrebounded the Bucks 52-39 and held them to 37 percent shooting.

Pacers guard Stephen Jackson was poked on the eye on a drive to the basket in the second quarter and went straight to the locker room. He returned to start the third quarter.

Indiana held a 40-39 lead at halftime. The Pacers' top two scorers, Jackson and Stojakovic, were only a combined 3-for-13 in the first half.

The Pacers started to get their offense going in the third quarter when Stojakovic got going. He hit two quick 3-pointers to give Indiana a 54-47 lead and force a Milwaukee timeout.

Simmons scored six points in a Milwaukee run that cut Indiana's lead to 60-58. The Pacers responded by scoring the last seven points of the quarter, including a 3-pointer by Johnson at the buzzer that gave Indiana a 67-58 lead heading into the fourth.

Johnson has been more assertive as a scorer lately. He scored 23 points in a 107-95 win over Golden State on Feb. 10.

``It's always nice to get some attempts,'' he said. ``I feel my offensive game is coming around. I feel good about taking shots and guys are looking for me.''

The win was significant for Indiana because for most of the season, the Pacers have had to play well to win. Johnson saw the positive in being able to win, especially while missing injured starters Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley and Austin Croshere.

``I know our margin for error was small, but our defense has been unbelievable in the past two weeks. We've just been getting stops, we've been holding teams below 90 points. Any time you do that, you have a chance.''

10:31 a.m. - 2006-02-06
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Pistons-Pacers

Just by playing, Stephen Jackson showed the Pacers the toughness they needed to beat Detroit.

Jackson shook off a recent injury that sent him to the hospital to score 20 points and grab seven rebounds, and Indiana upset the rival Pistons 93-85 Saturday night.

The Pacers won their second in a row after a six-game losing streak.

Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 31 points, shooting 14-for-24, and Rasheed Wallace added 17 points.

Jackson was hospitalized with a bruised hip and scraped elbow after a scary fall in Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. A further examination showed no fractures and he was released from the hospital early Thursday. He was questionable for Saturday's game but started and played 39 minutes.

``I told myself that as long as I'm able to run a little bit and I'm feeling better than I did in practice I was going to play,'' he said. ``I wanted to play. That was my mind-set. If I could walk, I could play.''

Jackson surprised Indiana coach Rick Carlisle.

``I wasn't convinced that there was any way Steve Jackson could play tonight after the fall he took on Wednesday,'' Carlisle said. ``I went and saw him at the hospital after the game and he was in a lot of pain.''

Reserve center David Harrison scored 15 points and guard Fred Jones scored nine of his 13 in the fourth quarter for the Pacers, who used a 59-44 rebounding advantage to win the first meeting this season between the Central Division rivals. The rebounding edge allowed the Pacers to get away with shooting 39 percent from the field.

``Beating a team like Detroit is good,'' Jackson said. ``It's showing that we're starting to get some identity and showing that we can win tough games and we can play with the best.''

Detroit's NBA-best record dropped to 39-7 with its second loss in the last four games. The Pistons beat Philadelphia on Friday night, but the rested Pacers hadn't played since Wednesday.

``You've got a team that had three days off playing against a team that played four games in five days, in four different cities, and a back-to-back situation,'' Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. ``They played with a great amount of energy and they carried that energy to a win.''

The Pacers improved to 23-22. Detroit center Ben Wallace, who had said Friday that the rivalry had lost some of its luster since the Pacers had been struggling, said the Pistons took the game seriously.

``We don't underestimate nobody,'' he said. ``This was just one of those nights. They were more aggressive than we were. They were making plays and we couldn't make a play.''

Jackson made three 3-pointers in the last three minutes of the first half to help the Pacers take a 51-50 halftime lead.

The Pacers closed the third quarter on an 11-2 run, keyed by seven points from rookie Danny Granger, to take a 74-64 lead into the final period. The Pistons shot 6-for-18 in the third quarter.

The Pistons shut down Indiana forward Peja Stojakovic, who had averaged 21.5 points in his first two games as a Pacer since being acquired for Ron Artest. Detroit's Tayshaun Prince held Stojakovic to eight points on 3-for-14 shooting.

Other Pacers made up for it. Granger had 11 points and nine rebounds, Scot Pollard had 14 rebounds and Jeff Foster had 12 boards.

4:30 p.m. - 2005-12-19
Pacers-Knicks
Pacers 102, Knicks 96

If the Indiana Pacers do trade Ron Artest, Danny Granger is ready to step up.

Jermaine O'Neal scored 31 points, including the go-ahead basket with 1:56 left, and Granger had the best game of his rookie season as the Pacers beat New York 102-96 on Saturday night, handing the Knicks their season-high sixth straight loss.

``I think Danny Granger was the key to our success tonight,'' O'Neal said. ``When things got tough and we needed big plays, whether offense or defense, he made that play.''

Jamaal Tinsley added 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Pacers, who have won four of five overall and snapped a two-game road losing streak.

``We know that right now from a personnel standpoint we're not at our best, but there's a lot you can make up for with a strong collective effort and a strong belief in one other,'' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.

Granger scored a season-high 12 points, all in the second half. He played a season-high 29 minutes, mostly because starting small forward Stephen Jackson sprained his right thumb in the first half and did not play after halftime.

Granger, the 17th pick from New Mexico, could be seeing more minutes if the Pacers honor Artest's request to be traded. Artest's agent said Saturday his client now wants to remain in Indiana, but if there is a trade, Granger says he is ready.

``I'm definitely ready for that to happen, 'cause I always want to play more minutes,'' Granger said. ``Ron was my mentor, he taught me a lot of things and I'd love to continue to play with him. But if a trade is going to happen, it gives me an opportunity.''

Indiana's first-round pick also had three huge blocks in the fourth quarter.

Stephon Marbury scored 25 points for the Knicks, but had a costly turnover with 39 seconds left and New York trailing by three. Jamal Crawford added 15 points and Quentin Richardson had 12.

New York led 94-91 when Granger blocked Marbury's drive for his third block of the period, leading to two free throws by Tinsley with 3 minutes left. Neither team scored again until O'Neal gave Indiana the lead for good at 95-94 with his go-ahead dunk after a timeout.

Granger also showed he could provide some of the defense the Pacers miss without Artest. He had a block that Tinsley turned into a layup for a three-point lead midway through the quarter, and added another one on Crawford with the game tied at 91 with 4 minutes to go.

``It was real big,'' Tinsley said. ``That's defense, that's chemistry on the defensive end. One guy blows past you and you know you've got a teammate who can step up and help you.''

The Knicks lost their first five games of the season, their first under Larry Brown. They fell to 6-17.

``I never accept losing. It's killing me,'' Brown said. ``I feel bad for our fans, I feel bad for our team and ownership for the responsibility they gave me. I asked those guys to do the right thing and they did tonight without exception.''

Leading by one in the second quarter, the Knicks got a spark from rookie David Lee during a 10-2 run that gave them a 46-37 lead with 1:56 remaining in the half. Lee, who had been inactive for the last seven games, came off the bench to score four points during the burst on a follow shot and a dunk.

New York led 48-44 at halftime, one night after giving up 71 points in the first half of a 122-111 loss in Atlanta. The Knicks took a 73-71 lead into the fourth quarter after Maurice Taylor and Crawford closed the third with consecutive three-point plays in the final minute.

Knicks center Eddy Curry missed his second straight game after spraining his left ankle late in Thursday's practice. Also, rookie guard Nate Robinson was inactive after playing in all 22 games, starting six. Brown said Thursday he never expected Robinson would play much this season.

Notes: Former Pacers star Reggie Miller sat courtside with director and Knicks fan Spike Lee. Miller, who hit plenty of big shots against the Knicks during his career, was booed when he was shown on the overhead scoreboard in the closing minutes. ``I tried to get him to suit up,'' said Brown, a former Pacers coach. ... The Pacers played without guard Fred Jones, who has a sprained left ankle that Carlisle did not think was serious.

Indiana Pacers - New York Knicks Goals Total 1 2 3 OT Shootout
Indiana Pacers 102
New York Knicks 96

2:12 p.m. - 2005-12-07
Pacers-SuperSonics

Pacers-SuperSonics
SuperSonics 107, Pacers 102

When the Indiana Pacers stopped Seattle's transition game, the SuperSonics showed their ability and efficiency running a half-court offense.

Ray Allen scored 25 points and was one of four SuperSonics in double figures as Seattle won its third straight game, 107-102 over Indiana on Sunday night.

``Our execution has come in a lot better this year. We're learning to score in more ways,'' Seattle coach Bob Weiss said.

For the second straight game, Seattle's subs provided a needed lift. Allen and Rashard Lewis managed just two points for the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, but backup guard Ronald Murray picked up the slack, scoring eight of his 18 in the fourth.

Murray again provided scoring and energy in a reserve role. After scoring a season-high 24 on Friday against Cleveland, Murray scored 14 points in the second half, and Seattle's reserves outscored Indiana 36-13.

``It's made the biggest difference. There's not a lot of teams in the NBA that can come with guys off their bench that can produce on both ends of the floor,'' Allen said. ``That's definitely been the difference in this team when we win and when we lose.''

Ron Artest tied his season-high with 30 points and Jermaine O'Neal added 22 for the Pacers, who looked lethargic at times as they wrapped up a five-game, eight-day road trip. Afterward, Artest said the long road trip had no effect on Indiana's performance.

``Our energy wasn't what theirs was and that had a lot to do with it,'' Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said.

The SuperSonics picked up a second straight win over a Central Division opponent. They beat Cleveland 115-108 on Friday. In that game, Seattle's subs outscored the Cavaliers' 51-30.

``We're just trying help the starters continue what they were doing,'' Murray said. ``We're just trying to bring a whole lot energy, and keep the rhythm going and the pace going.''

The Sonics appeared to put the tiring Pacers away with a quick burst at the start of the fourth quarter. Seattle went ahead 90-77 with 8:58 left on an ally-oop from Lewis to Vladimir Radmanovic, forcing Carlisle to call timeout.

Seattle extended its lead to 16 before the Pacers made a final run.

Steven Jackson scored, and Artest followed with a 3-pointer and fastbreak layup to get Indiana within 98-89 with 3:48 left.

Artest made two free throws with 1:33 left and the Pacers were within 100-93. Allen made his second basket of the quarter with 1:12 left. Artest answered, but missed a 3-pointer with 35 seconds.

Lewis shot 4-for-5 from the line in the final minute to help seal the win for the Sonics. Seattle outscored Indiana 26-13 at the line.

Artest was defended by a host of Sonics, mostly power forward Reggie Evans, reserve Damien Wilkins and occasionally Lewis. He tied a season-high with 11 field goals, and noticed that Seattle did not give Lewis the defensive assignment.

``For some reason, he didn't seem to want to guard me,'' Artest said. ``But, whatever, they're a good team.''

Lewis finished with 23 points on 6-for-17 shooting, the sixth straight game in which the 6-foot-10 forward scored at least 20 points.

Sarunas Jasikevicius added 16 points and nine assists in his second start for the Pacers, and Jackson finished with 15. The Pacers shot 53 percent, but were outrebounded 37-28.
Instead of trying to run the fatigued Pacers out of the building, Seattle was content not to push the tempo in the first half. The SuperSonics had just two fastbreak points in the half and finished with 11 in the game.

``It was headed ... toward being a game in the 80s,'' Carlisle said. ``I felt we had a good chance to win, and then they caught a spurt.''

Seattle led 49-46 at halftime and picked up the tempo early in the third quarter, starting the half on a 12-2 run to take a 61-48 lead.

Indiana wrapped up its longest road-trip of the season 3-2, falling in Phoenix and picking up wins over the Clippers, Utah and Portland.

Notes: The Pacers played without starters Jamaal Tinsley (groin) and Austin Croshere (abdominal). ... Indiana had been 2-0 on Sunday's this season. ... Seattle F Danny Fortson tied a season-high with nine points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Indiana Pacers - Seattle SuperSonics Goals Total 1 2 3 OT Shootout
Indiana Pacers 102
Seattle SuperSonics 107 Explore Some Related Sites

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