Zeke's folly

Pacers' coach learns from his Game 1 blunder

Say this much for Pacers coach Isiah Thomas: At least he learns from his mistakes.

After leaving Reggie Miller on the bench most of the fourth quarter of his team’s Game 1 loss to the Celtics on Saturday, Thomas wasn’t taking any chances in Game 2. With his team’s season on the line, he went with his 37-year-old veteran all the way down the stretch Monday.

Miller responded by making several key plays, including a huge 3-pointer that all but sealed the game.

Miller coming up big in the playoffs? Gee, what a surprise.

5.9 Phoenix's 3-point percentage during their 84-76 Game 2 defeat in San Antonio. The Suns made just one of their 17 attempts. "He's still not a good 3-point shooter." -- Reggie Miller on his Indiana teammate Jamaal Tinsley, a career 26 percent marksman who has made 7-of-10 from downtown in the playoffs. Will the Kings be able to contend if Chris Webber's back strain keeps him out for an extended time?

Thomas, who actually was booed by the home crowd during pre-game introductions Monday, defended his decision to keep Miller on the pine in Game 1 by saying he wanted to have his best defenders, Al Harrington and Ron Artest, on the floor. The Pacers, he reasoned, had a 13-point lead with about eight minutes to go. They didn’t exactly need a 3-point shooter at that point.

But this is the playoffs, when veteran savvy counts more than athleticism. Also, without Miller in the game to spread the floor, the Celtics were able to pack it in on Jermaine O’Neal. He managed just two field-goal attempts as the Pacers' offense ground to a halt.

Suddenly the Celtics began chipping away at the Indiana lead. By the time Miller did get back in, with just a few minutes to play, it was too late. Paul Pierce had gone gonzo on the Pacers to the tune of 21 points in the final frame, sparking the comeback victory.

In Game 2, with the Pacers once again holding a comfortable lead heading into the fourth, Zeke stuck with Reggie. He put the gangly assassin on the floor almost the entire final frame, and this time the Pacers managed to hold off Boston’s Comeback Kids. Indiana didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, but Miller helped Artest hold Pierce scoreless and, when it counted, he was there to bury the dagger.

Thomas, to his credit, made a couple other adjustments, as well. The Pacers got behind the Celtics defense on several occasions in Game 2. Brad Miller, in particular, was effective at taking the ball on top and finding open teammates underneath.

Indiana is a much better team when it moves the basketball. Thomas preached it to his guys before Game 2 and, apparently, they got the message. Indiana had 25 assists on its 31 field goals Monday.

All in all, it was a much better performance for the Pacers. Indiana looked like the team that won 49 games during the regular season. Thomas, for now at least, can breathe a sigh of relief.

	AP Stud: Jermaine O'Neal, F, Pacers Reggie Miller provides the crunch-time punch, but O'Neal is the one who does the heavy lifting for the Pacers. On Monday, O'Neal's 23-point, 20-rebound performance delivered the body blows that set up Miller's fourth-quarter knockout punch .		AP Dud: Calbert Cheaney, G, Jazz Two games. Two points. Two losses. Not good. Cheaney has played 44 minutes, taken nine shots, and made one of them. Anytime the coach decides to pair Carlos Arroyo and Mark Jackson in the backcourt rather than play you, that's not a good sign.

The Suns might have lost a chance to take a commanding 2-0 series lead against the Spurs, but they’ve got to be feeling confident. David Robinson (knee) is ailing, Tony Parker is in a funk (3-of-20 from the floor) and the Spurs can’t seem to stay close to Stephon Marbury. Let’s see, Milwaukee is pinning its hopes against the Nets on two players (Gary Payton and Sam Cassell) who just got arrested and another who’s still upset about losing his starting job at the end of the season (Tim Thomas). If the Bucks lose Game 2 Tuesday night, can we just pencil in the sweep right now? Before the Kings-Jazz series, the prevailing wisdom was that the four-day layoff between Games 2 and 3 would help aging Utah more. Now, with Chris Webber having suffered a lower back strain in Game 2, the Kings look like the team that will benefit from the extended break.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.

 

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