NBA.com News: Indiana 88, New York 86


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      BOX SCORE | RECAP
      Indiana 88, New York 86



      INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker)  If the Indiana Pacers thought their Game One loss 
      to the New York Knicks was just a bump on the road to the NBA Finals, 
      tonight they avoided a huge pothole. 
      Antonio Davis tied the game on a layup with 31 seconds remaining after 
      charging through Marcus Camby, and Reggie Miller sank the go-ahead free 
      throws with two seconds left to give the Pacers an 88-86 victory, evening 
      the Eastern Conference finals at 1-1. 
             Reggie Miller got the opportunity to hit the game-winning free 
            throws after being fouled by Chris Childs with 2 seconds left. (John 
            F. Grieshop/NBA Photos) 


      Miller scored 16 points, none more important than the two free throws that 
      came after he pump-faked Chris Childs into the air to draw contact in the 
      final seconds. 
      Charlie Ward fired the ensuing inbounds pass to Patrick Ewing, who was 
      free for a shot from just inside the key that bounced off the back of the 
      rim as time expired. 
      "It was a desperation play," Ewing said. "I thought I had a good look. I 
      thought it was going to drop. It just didn't." 
      The game hinged on a call made by referee Dick Bavetta with the Knicks 
      clinging to an 86-84 lead. Indiana forward Antonio Davis caught an entry 
      pass just to the left of the lane and turned for a layup attempt when his 
      elbow caught Camby and sent him sprawling. 
      "They put that dotted line down there for a reason," Childs said. "If you 
      are outside of it, it is supposed to be a charge. Marcus was outside of 
      the circle." 
      Davis made the shot and Bavetta whistled a foul on Camby. The Knicks bench 
      argued unsuccessfully for an offensive foul on Davis, who missed the 
      ensuing free throw. 
      "Both teams were holding, grabbing, banging and there were a lot of 
      questionable calls," said Miller, who did not makde a field goal over the 
      final three quarters. "But that's playoff basketball. It's too late in the 
      season to be crying about calls. Just play basketball." 
      Dale Davis had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Mark Jackson added 17 points 
      and eight assists for Indiana, which heads to New York for Game Three on 
      Saturday. 
      "I missed some easy shots last game," Jackson said of his 1-of-8 Game One 
      performance that included a pair of crucial misses down the stretch. 
      "Fortunately, thank God, those shots went down today. I'd be lying if I 
      say this is where we want to be. We wanted to be up 2-0. It's just a war, 
      typical Pacer and Knicks basketball." 

            "I'd be lying if I say this is where we want to be. We wanted to be 
            up 2-0. It's just a war, typical Pacer and Knicks basketball."
             Mark Jackson

      Larry Johnson scored 22 points before fouling out with 4:58 to play and 
      Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell added 15 apiece for New York, which 
      overcame a 17-point deficit before having their team-record postseason 
      winning streak stopped at six games. 
      Chris Dudley also fouled out for New York, which had won four straight 
      playoff road games. Johnson appeared to be favoring his right knee while 
      departing the game and indicated that he would undergo an MRI upon his 
      return to New York. 
      Houston had a chance to put the Knicks back in front after Davis failed to 
      complete the controversial three-point play. But he dribbled into the lane 
      before committing a turnover with 20 seconds to play that helped set up 
      Miller's game-winning free throws. 
      "I drove to the basket but dribbled too deep and didn't have anywhere to 
      go," Houston said. "I didn't get a shot up. I at least have to do that." 
      The Pacers appeared to have matters well in hand with a 70-59 lead and 
      3:19 left in the third quarter. But the Knicks, displaying the poise and 
      relentlessness that has helped them become the first No. 8 seed to reach 
      the conference finals, came charging back. 
      New York went on a 19-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, capped 
      by Houston's 10-footer that gave them a 78-72 lead with 8:29 remaining. 
      "They came out with a lot of fire and energy," Houston added. "But we 
      found a way to fight back. We picked up our defense and that allowed some 
      transition." 
      Facing an 0-2 series deficit and a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden 
      for the next two games, the Pacers displayed some urgency by reeling off 
      the next nine points. Jalen Rose started the spurt with a 17-footer and 
      capped it with a 3-pointer with 5:16 to go that put Indiana in front, 
      81-78. 
      "We worked hard and the bottom line was a win," Rose said. "Us winning was 
      not luck. We must play better, hit free throws and do a better job overall 
      in New York. Again, I say, a win is a win and we will build on that." 
      Sprewell answered with a 12-footer but Dale Davis stretched the lead to 
      84-80 on a three-point play with 3:04 remaining. 
      Ewing, who scored 10 points in 25 minutes while limping through a sore 
      Achilles tendon, hit a 12-footer and Camby made a follow shot with 1:21 
      left that knotted the game at 84-84. 

            "I'm disappointed. This is a game we could have or should have won. 
            We have to regroup and get ready to play on Saturday."
             Patrick Ewing

      "I'm disappointed," Ewing said. "This is a game we could have or should 
      have won. We have to regroup and get ready to play on Saturday." 
      "He told me before the game he would do what he could but didn't know what 
      he could give," New York coach Jeff Van Gundy added. 
      Camby had four points and 13 rebounds for New York, which collected 40 
      personal collected 40 personal fouls compared to 28 for Indiana. The 
      Knicks committed 20 turnovers after giving the ball away only eight times 
      in Sunday's 93-90 victory. 
      Rose scored 13 points for Indiana, which shot 41 percent (28-of-68) from 
      the field and turned the ball over 13 times. New York held a 38-34 edge on 
      the boards. 
      The officials made their presence felt early and often, handing out 20 
      fouls in the first quarter, which featured a combined 27 field goal 
      attempts. 
      "We let the officiating overwhelm us at first," Houston added. "(Coach) 
      told us that whichever team adjusted better would be in better shape. 
      Sometimes breaks go your way, sometimes they don't." 
      New York stayed within 28-22 after 12 minutes but watched the Pacers open 
      a 40-30 lead on Travis Best's layup with 6:35 left before halftime. 
      That basket came during a 21-8 run that helped Indiana open a 55-38 
      cushion on a pair of free throws by Miller with 1:55 remaining. Johnson, 
      who was a sparkling 7-for-9 from the floor in the first half, hit 
      back-to-back layups and a 16-footer to pull New York within 57-46 at the 
      break. 
      Rik Smits, hobbled by a foot injury, managed six points in 13 minutes 
      before fouling out in the fourth quarter. 
      Indiana improved to 8-1 in the postseason and has won 13 of 14 home 
      playoff games over the last two seasons under coach Larry Bird. 
      Despite the defeat, the Knicks still came away from Market Square Arena 
      with home-court advantage as three of the next five games will be played 
      in New York. 
      "It's going to be a war," Ewing added. "Both teams are hoping to win the 
      war in the paint."
       

            Pacers-Knicks series index
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            Pacers postgame quotes: Game 2
            Knicks postgame quotes: Game 2
            VIDEO
            Pacers vs. Knicks (W, 88-86) 
            See complete Game 2 highlights:
            28.8+ | ISDN+ 
            Pacers vs. Knicks (W, 88-86) 
            Reggie Miller drains the free throw to give the Pacers the two-point 
            lead, then Patrick Ewing misses the jumper at the buzzer giving the 
            Pacers the win.
            945k avi | QuickTime 
            Pacers vs. Knicks (W, 88-86) 
            Mark Jackson hits Dale Davis for the layup and the foul to tie the 
            game at 81-81 late in the fourth.
            988k avi | QuickTime 
            Knicks at Pacers (L, 86-88) 
            Latrell Sprewell drives towards the baseline and gets the 
            off-balance jumper to go in off the glass.
            959k avi | QuickTime 
            Knicks at Pacers (L, 86-88) 
            Chris Childs misses the jumper from the top of the key, but Chris 
            Dudley is there for the follow-up to give the Knicks a 73-71 fourth 
            quarter lead.
            878k avi | QuickTime 
            Pacers vs. Knicks (W, 88-86) 
            Antonio Davis loses Marcus Camby in the lane and Mark Jackson fires 
            the perfect alley-oop pass to Antonio for the dunk.
            761k avi | QuickTime 



            AUDIO
            Listen to the Knicks' Game 2 Postgame Press Conference.
            RealAudio

            Listen to the Pacers' Game 2 Postgame Press Conference.
            RealAudio

            Brent Musburger gives the call as Mark Jackson finds Jalen Rose in 
            the corner for the three, giving the Pacers the late lead.
            142k wav | RealAudio

            Reggie Miller gives the Pacers the two-point lead, and the Knicks 
            find Patrick Ewing for the final shot, which just rims out, giving 
            Indiana the win.
            248k wav | RealAudio

            Mark Jackson says the Pacers feel good going into Game 3 in New 
York.
            181k wav | RealAudio

            Patrick Ewing says that Game 2 was a game the Knicks could have won, 
            but they're not going to dwell on the loss.
            128k wav | RealAudio







