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Sweepstakes Pacers worry about winning, not resting
Posted: Friday May 12, 2000 08:43 PM
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Indiana Pacers are not concerned about a long layoff. They want to sweep the 76ers, then worry about their next opponent. A victory in Game 4 on Saturday would send Indiana to the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight season and fifth time in six years. The Pacers swept Philadelphia in the conference semifinals last season, but lost to the Knicks in the conference finals. "I really don't like a lot of days off, especially in playoff basketball because you tend to lose focus," Pacers guard Reggie Miller said after practice Friday. "That's no excuse but I think we did lose focus in the New York series (last season). But this team is much more focused this year, understanding the window of opportunity is slowly slipping." Indiana waited seven days before playing New York after sweeping the 76ers last May. A sharper Knicks team beat the Pacers twice in Indiana and won the series in six games. If the Pacers win Saturday, they will have nine days off before playing the Knicks-Heat winner. "I think it's going to be good for this team because we have legitimate injuries," Miller said. "The time off will help us. We just have to take care of business." Austin Croshere, with a sore right foot that limited him to two minutes in Game 3, would benefit most from the rest. Dale Davis and Travis Best also are banged up but haven't missed any time. "It has gotten better and the swelling has gone down," Croshere said. "I'll warm up before the game and be available to play." Indiana, which came within a basket of being eliminated by Milwaukee in the first round, routed the 76ers twice to take a 2-0 lead. They rallied from an eight-point, fourth quarter deficit to win Game 3 97-89. "The close-out game is always toughest because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain," Miller said. "We know they are somewhat frustrated, but they have a lot of pride. Coach (Larry) Brown will have them focused. We're playing in their building so nothing comes easy. We still have to come out and match their intensity." Indiana's 3-point shooting has carried them through the three games. The Pacers have hit 45 percent from beyond the arc while Philadelphia is at 25 percent -- an 84-21 scoring difference. Miller is 12-for-23 and Jalen Rose is 6-for-15 from 3-point range. "Any time you're around Larry Bird, Chris Mullin, Reggie Miller, Sam Perkins, guys who can really shoot the ball, if you get an open shot, you better knock it down or you can't come to the bench," said Rose, who's averaging 29 points a game in the series. Brown, who coached Miller and Rose before coming to the 76ers, credits Miller for Rose's development. "This guy has been a great player for a long time," Brown said. "Based on the regular season and how unselfish he's been getting Jalen going, it looks like he's picked it up. He's been special in a lot of series. He's doing everything a super player can in this one." Brown now hopes his team can avoid a repeat and salvage one game after losing seven straight playoff games to Indiana. "There's not a lot I can say. We're disappointed," he said. "We let a chance slip away. We have to win one game. That's our goal. We've lost to a team that's obviously better than us." Miller has another opponent, apart from the 76ers. In Game 3, he had a running commentary going with courtside fans, among them actors Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. At one point, Miller stared down Willis, saying "Die Hard 4," in reference to the movie trilogy starring Willis and Jackson. "He's been looking for me. He's been paging my assistant in Los Angeles. I got his pager number so I'm going to call him to see what's up," Miller joked. "I'm not worried about Bruce Willis. I'm more worried about Samuel Jackson because I was rude to him. But he was rude to us as well. We don't have to take nothing from those celebrities and those fans. If they give it to us, I'm going to give it back."
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