by Conrad Brunner
January 15, 2002
END RESULT
Playing uninspired basketball most of the night, the Pacers finally found life in adversity and rallied from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to just two with a chance to tie, but Jalen Rose - who was otherwise brilliant in leading the Pacers back from the brink - missed a critical free throw with 3.2 seconds remaining and Milwaukee escaped with a 106-102 victory on Tuesday night.
WHAT IT MEANS
Losing for the third time in four games overall, as well as the third time in the last four home games, the Pacers fell to 21-18 overall, 12-7 in Conseco Fieldhouse. They also dropped three games behind the first-place Bucks - five in the loss column, as well as falling behind Toronto into third place in the Central Division. The Bucks won their fourth straight to improve to 22-13.
UP NEXT
The rematch with the Bucks in the Bradley Center on Wednesday night now takes on even more importance for the Pacers, who need to win to avoid dropping the season series - and losing a potentially critical tie-breaker. The Pacers have lost the last three games in Milwaukee, including a 115-95 decision on Dec. 15.
TURNING POINT
There were more swings in this game than an elementary school playground, but the most pivotal didn't come at the end, it came relatively early. The Pacers got off to a strong start, building a quick 20-9 lead and humming along at 36-27 early in the second. But the bottom quickly dropped out as the Bucks strung together a 32-8 run to go into the half with a 59-44 lead. In the process, the Pacers lost Jermaine O'Neal to a sprained knee for the rest of the game. They were 3-of-15 from the field during that run, missing their final seven shots of the quarter. They were still close when O'Neal went down, trailing 47-42, but the Bucks had already seized momentum and simply carried it with them the rest of the half. Ultimately, it was the second-quarter collapse that dug a hole too deep for recovery.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Jalen Rose led the Pacers in scoring with 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including four 3-pointers. Reggie Miller contributed 24 before being ejected early in the fourth quarter. Jonathan Bender had 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench, and Jamaal Tinsley had 11 points, 12 assists and six rebounds. Jeff Foster had 10 points and 13 rebounds, seven offensive. Milwaukee was led by Tim Thomas, who scored 25, and guards Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, who scored 23 apiece. Michael Redd came off the bench to score 15, and Anthony Mason contributed 14 points and eight rebounds.
STRATEGY/PERSONNEL
With O'Neal out, Thomas gave Primoz Brezec extended minutes and he acquited himself adequately with six points and two rebounds in 18 minutes, though he did pick up four fouls. The second unit's collective slump took on critical proportions in the second period when the team went completely flat. Thomas later said the second unit ''was terrible'' and said he would consider altering the makeup of the group to reflect a more defensive mindset. Austin Croshere was ineffective in seven minutes, going scoreless for the third time in four games and fifth time in eight. Travis Best was likewise silent, and the usually reliable Al Harrington couldn't get untracked defensively, picking up five fouls in 12 minutes and winding up with just two points. On a night when O'Neal was lost in the second quarter and Miller was ejected in the fourth, the Pacers desperately needed strong bench contributions, but only Bender came through.
NOTEWORTHY