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 Back to the basics Bird stressing defense as key to winning Game 2
Posted: Monday May 31, 1999 08:30 PM
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Sprint back on defense. Move the ball on offense. Don't commit stupid fouls. Don't lose hope. Those were the messages Larry Bird imparted to his team Monday, a day after the Pacers lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to the New York Knicks. It was Indiana's first loss in more than a month. "His main thing was to say that it's going to be a long series," Indiana's Dale Davis said. "We have time, so put that game behind us and play the way we're capable." The Pacers wore somewhat of a shell-shocked look after having a night to digest what had happened to them on their home floor. Their 11-game winning streak, which included a seven-game unbeaten streak in the postseason, meant nothing to a Knicks team that led for most of the game and converted all the big plays down the stretch. Bird was most upset with his team's defense, especially in transition. The Knicks scored 22 points on the fast break, capitalizing on the athleticism and quickness that has distinguished this year's version from past New York teams. "We like to think that our strength is defensive transition, but it wasn't there," Rik Smits said. "We have to bust our tails and get back." "The thing they did was come in and really take it to us, and we didn't respond well," Davis said. Both teams practiced at Market Square Arena in preparation for Game 2 on Tuesday night. The series shifts to New York for Game 3 Saturday and Game 4 on June 7. The Pacers want to avoid falling into a 2-0 deficit that has proved almost impossible to overcome. Only seven teams have come back from such a hole in a seven-game series. And only two, the 1994 Houston Rockets and 1969 Los Angeles Lakers, made such a comeback after losing the first two games at home. "Everybody knew this series was going to be a war. Now we have one," Indiana's Jalen Rose said. Rose was one member of the Pacers who took the brunt of the criticism from the coach. Bird was displeased that Rose got sucked at times into a one-on-one battle with Latrell Sprewell. Bird also said Smits will need to get involved earlier offensively and Miller will have to avoid the kind of foul trouble that sent him to the bench in the first half when the Knicks were unable to stop him. As for Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, his task Monday was trying to get his team to avoid the kind of letdowns they had in Game 2 of the first and second rounds against Miami and Atlanta. "We've talked about staying hungry, but we talked about that in Miami and were down 23-15 at the quarter, and we said the same thing before Game 2 in Atlanta and were down 13-2. "So we've said all the right things, but we haven't done it yet. If we come out like we have in all the Game 2s, we're going home with a loss," Van Gundy said. "The quality of competition is much improved in this series." One of the keys for Indiana will be stopping Sprewell and Marcus Camby from changing the tempo when New York's second unit is on the court. In Game 1, the infusion of energy provided by Sprewell sparked the Knicks to an early 10-0 run that helped them stay in command for most of the rest of the game. The Sprewell factor is one of the Knicks' new qualities. And the Pacers, accustomed to seeing a New York offense centered around Patrick Ewing, were at a loss to stop it. "We did a horrible job of getting back on defense, and that's all effort and desire," said Miller, who added he expects the Knicks to be a little more laid back in Game 2. "If that's what he thinks, that can be good for us," New York's Kurt Thomas said. "We're not on cruise control. We realize how important every game is."
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