Hoosier hysteria

State hero as a player, Thomas becoming villain as a coach

Is Zeke up a creek?

That’s the question for Pacers coach Isiah Thomas. With Indiana down 3-1 to Boston, the third-year coach is starting to feel the heat in Hoosier country. It’s not just that the Pacers are losing, it’s how they're going about it.

The Pacers have Ron Artest, one of the game’s best perimeter defenders. But they can’t stop Paul Pierce.

They have one of the NBA’s deepest benches. But they can’t match the production of Boston’s supporting cast.

15 Points by the four Dallas starters who allegedly were helping out Dirk Nowitzki on Sunday. All-Star guard Steve Nash had a bagel while Michael Finley scored just five. "I would like to get the ball every ... time. I shouldn't have to say it." -- Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, politely requesting the rock after dominating Game 4 against Minnesota. How could a level-headed team like the Spurs turn it over 25 times to lose Game 4?

They have two All-Star frontcourt players in Jermaine O’Neal and Brad Miller. But they can’t seem to take advantage of Boston’s supposedly inferior interior.

In Sunday’s Game 4, Indiana blew a 16-point second-half lead when Pierce single-handedly took over the game. It was the second time the Pacers allowed Pierce to rally his team from such a deficit, mirroring a similar heist in Game 1. In both games, the Indiana offense collaborated by going into the tank for interminable stretches.

Meanwhile, Reggie Miller has become a non-factor. In Game 4, as in Game 1, the 37-year-old sharpshooter barely played down the stretch. While it’s true that he can’t make a shot to save his life right now, might it have been different if Thomas called more plays for him early to get him into a good shooting rhythm?

Not surprisingly, Pacers fans are grumbling. Thomas might have led the Hoosiers to the 1981 NCAA title, but right now he’s about as popular there as French wine. He even heard some boos during pre-game introductions at Conseco Fieldhouse before Game 2.

To be fair, Thomas isn’t the only coach facing difficult questions right now. Detroit coach Rick Carlisle, who coincidentally was passed over for the Pacers job three years ago, has seen his top-seeded Pistons fall into a 3-1 hole against the Magic.

But Carlisle is only in his second year. If his Pistons fall short again next year, he’ll be feeling the heat, too.

Thomas has had three seasons to leave his imprint on the Pacers. Indiana has improved each year, winning 41, 42 and 47 games. They took the Nets to five games in last year’s first-round series.

On paper, this year’s series with Boston looked solidly in Indiana’s favor. The Celtics were a two-man team that lived and died with 3-pointers. The Pacers were a deep, talented squad with balance and firepower.

Instead, Boston has looked like a team with a clear plan, while Indiana has looked lost. Yes, the Pacers are young. But inexperience can only be an excuse for so long. At some point it starts to reflect on the coach.

Is Zeke up a creek? It’s too early for that. But if the Pacers don’t pull this one out, there will be a lot of Indiana fans offering to buy him the kayak.

	(AP) Stud: Shaquille O'Neal, C, Lakers The self-described Most Dominant Ever looked that way in Game 4, bulling his way to 34 points and 23 rebounds, including a crucial tip-in that cemented the Lakers' comeback win.		(Allen Einstein/NBAE/Getty Images) Dud: Reggie Miller, G, Pacers The man who is synonmymous with playoff excellence has been AWOL in this year's postseason. He nearly went two games without a field goal before draining a meaningless 3-pointer at the end of Indiana's Game 4 defeat.
	(Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images) Stud: Paul Pierce, G, Celtics Pierce broke the Celtics' playoff record with 32 points in the second half to lead their comeback, including a theatric, trash-talking triple over Al Harrington to end the third.		(Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images) Dud: Rip Hamilton, G, Pistons Detroit's leading scorer didn't look like it on Sunday. He was harrassed into a 2-for-11 shooting effort that included three turnovers as the Pistons moved one game from elimination.

The Lakers might have evened their series with the Timberwolves at 2-2 on Sunday, but they didn’t exactly dominate. Minnesota’s pressure defense continues to give Los Angeles problems, and Kobe Bryant has not shot the ball well since the first half of Game 1. With Kevin Millwood’s no-hitter and the Flyers in the Stanley Cup quarterfinals, it’s a great time to be a Philadelphia sports fan. But unless the Sixers (outrebounded 51-33 in Game 3) do a better job on the boards Monday in Game 4, they won’t join the party anytime soon. Go ahead and laugh at Greg Ostertag’s career night of 22 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in Utah’s Game 3 victory over the Kings. But Ostertag has played well most of the series, and Kings center Vlade Divac needs to keep him in check in Monday night's Game 4.

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

 

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