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Decisions, decisions Bird may juggle starting line-up for Game 4
Posted: Monday May 01, 2000 11:38 AM
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Rik Smits, who had to listen to Indiana's victory over Milwaukee on radio Saturday night, will be back in uniform for Game 4 Monday night. He might not start, however. With Smits back at the hotel to serve his one-game suspension by the NBA, Austin Croshere got the start on Saturday. But because of Croshere's sore foot, coach Larry Bird might keep Croshere as a starter in order to prevent the foot from stiffening up after pre-game warmups. "We'll see how Austin is and how Rik feels about it and what I think is best for the team," Bird said. The last time Smits came off the bench during a game was two years ago, after he missed games with foot problems of his own and had to work his way back into the lineup. Bird is leaving his options for Monday night open. "This is the playoffs; you have to make decisions," he said. "You just hope you make the right one." Smits, who said he felt refreshed by his unscheduled layoff Saturday, was surprised to hear that he might not start. But at this point of the season and his career, he's willing to go along with any plan. "That's his decision," Smits said of Bird. "Hey, I don't care. If I don't play at all and we win, I'll take that, too." Smits was suspended one game for throwing an elbow at Bucks center Ervin Johnson in Game 2 of the best-of-five series. There was a local television blackout of Saturday night's game in Milwaukee, so Smits had to listen to the game on the clock radio in his hotel room. The Pacers' 109-96 victory gave them a 2-1 lead in the series. A victory Monday night would send the Pacers into the Eastern Conference semifinals; a loss would force a fifth game against the Bucks Thursday night in Indianapolis.
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