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Win Ring for Reggie
By Conrad Brunner
Indianapolis, April 26, 2004
Accomplishing the initial goal -- winning a first-round series for the first time since 2000 -- was more a cause for relief than exhilaration for Jermaine O’Neal. His next goal, much loftier, would bring the ultimate reward.
“I got a small monkey off my back as far as getting out of the first round but now I have a bigger one, and that’s getting Mr. (Reggie) Miller his ring,” O’Neal said after the Pacers beat Boston 90-75 in Game 4 on Sunday to sweep their first-round playoff series. “I’m one of those guys who really takes it personal about getting him his ring because he gave up a lot for me to be here and after the last three years of losing it hurt me personally because I knew the type of guy he is and the things he wants for me and the other young guys on the team. …
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“Personally, my goal is to get a ring for him. I have the opportunity for so many years to fight for a ring. But I know Reggie is coming to the end of his and he’s the Hall-of-Famer, one of the best to ever play the game, and he definitely deserves the opportunity to get a championship ring.”
Miller, 38, is one of three Pacers who were on the roster when the team reached the NBA Finals in 2000 (along with Austin Croshere and Jonathan Bender), a six-game loss to the Lakers. He is the only one who experienced all five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in a seven-year span beginning in 1994. He has hinted at retirement, should the Pacers win the championship this year, but that’s a distant thought at the moment. Miller is enjoying a breakthrough stage with his second generation of Pacers teammates.
“I have the utmost respect for my young ballers,” he said. “They’ve carried me these last two or three years. To have the opportunity to play with a future Hall-of-Famer (O’Neal), I’m in a great position because a lot of the pressure isn’t on me as it has been in years past, especially come playoff time. Obviously, I prepare mentally the same way, but I get more excitement out of seeing these guys revel in all this.
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“Their evolution from that first playoff series against Philadelphia, they’ve only gotten better. Obviously, we’ve made mental mistakes along the way but I’ve never really seen a team, other than maybe that (conference) championship team I was on in 2000, be as focused. These guys are really, really focused. We’re not taking anything for granted.”
Miller averaged 9.8 points on .355 shooting against Boston but came alive in Game 4, scoring 13 of his 14 points – hitting four 3-pointers – in the game-turning 33-9 run spanning the second and third periods. But he has been getting credit for his all-around game (with five steals in Game 4 and 12 assists in Games 2 and 3 combined), including solid work on defense.
“Can’t say too much about that guy,” said Jamaal Tinsley. “This year, he’s doing it on the defensive end, opening the court up for everybody, just doing what it takes to get that ring. We owe it to him.”
One of the most prolific scorers in postseason history (he ranks fourth among active players with 2,657 points), Miller averaged at least 19.9 points per game in each of his first 12 postseasons. But as his teammates have emerged, Miller’s scoring has tapered.
“Jermaine, Al (Harrington) and Ron (Artest), offensively, they’re our focus,” he said. “I’m here for the cleanup. I’m here for last-second shots. I’m here to create and help runs, but I shouldn’t be the main focus on this team, offensively. I’m here to blend in. I’m somewhat of a chameleon on this team and that’s something I relish.
“These guys create so much havoc down low that my job has become easier because they create double-teams. I’m out there to serve a purpose and that’s to create spacing. They’re still not coming off me to double-down and I’m getting wide-open shots. It’s my job to make wide-open shots. It’s a pretty easy job description and it’s another one of these roles I’m going to relish in the playoffs.”
