INDIANA 125, GOLDEN STATE 117
Pacers reverse roles, stun Warriors
By Conrad Brunner | Jan. 16, 2008
Rarely has a game been so similar, and yet completely different, than its predecessor.
The visiting team controlled most of the way before the previously listless home team suddenly came to life, wiping out a big deficit to pull out a surprising victory. There was even an ill-advised flagrant foul by a visiting player thrown in as if to underline the thoroughness of the role-reversal.
Sunday, it was Golden State coming back on the visiting Pacers for a 106-101 victory. This time, however, Indiana produced the rally that left the Warriors feeling victimized.
Kareem Rush, Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy sparked a huge fourth-quarter comeback, combining for 41 of the team's 46 points as the Pacers wiped out a 14-point deficit to beat the Warriors 125-117 Wednesday at Conseco Fieldhouse.
"That fourth quarter was a lot of fun," said Coach Jim O'Brien. "The first quarter wasn't a lot of fun. It was probably the worst quarter I've ever coached. But to come back and win this game, it makes me very, very proud."
Without starting point guard Jamaal Tinsley, the Pacers (18-22) played a startlingly inept first period, committing six turnovers in the first 3 minutes in falling behind 11-0, jacking it up to 10 turnovers in the first 6 minutes as they fell behind 13-2, and finishing the period with 13. The Warriors had an NBA record 12 steals in that period, six by Baron Davis.
"I said before the game, 'If we keep turnovers to 12 or under, close games, we'll probably win all of them,' " O'Brien said with a laugh. "At the first timeout I told them, 'We exceeded the goal already so let's get on with it.' "
To compound matters, Jermaine O'Neal did not play after the first period due to swelling in his left knee, leaving the Pacers without two starters and facing a 29-18 deficit. It swelled to 84-67 in the third quarter and was 93-79 entering the fourth.
That's when an Indiana team that has blown nine double-digit leads to lose showed its other side and overcame its biggest deficit of the season to win; it was the fourth time the Pacers have wiped out a double-digit lead in a victory.
"I'd rather have the lead (to protect), but I certainly didn't think when we got down in the first quarter that the game was over," said O'Brien. "We were down 14 going into the fourth quarter and Jermaine said to the guys, 'We're going to have our run.' And I couldn't agree more. It was a back-to-back game for them, we had good shooters on the court and we had our run and got a win against a very good basketball team."
The Pacers made five 3-pointers in a 22-5 run opening the period, including consecutive bombs by Rush and another by Mike Dunleavy – a fitting punctuation for the ex-Warrior so pointlessly reviled by Oakland fans Sunday night – put the Pacers up 101-98 with 6:34 left. Rush added another 3-pointer to make it 110-103 at 3:19. A Flagrant Foul by Matt Barnes against Dunleavy led to a four-point possession that gave the Pacers much-needed breathing room, much as a Jamaal Tinsley Flagrant Foul against Monta Ellis in Sunday's game helped spark the Warriors.
Former Pacers Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson hit 3-pointers as the Warriors closed to 115-114 with 1:13 left. But that's when Rush soared into the lane for an offensive rebound then took a return pass from Jeff Foster to hit a pull-up bank shot for a 117-114 lead with 43 seconds remaining. Jackson missed a long 3-pointer and the Warriors were left with little choice but to foul and Granger made six in a row to keep the door closed.
Granger finished with 29, nine rebounds and two blocks. Dunleavy had 24 points and nine rebounds and Rush scored 19, hitting 5-of-7 from the 3-point line. Troy Murphy had 16 points and Travis Diener and Shawne Williams 11 apiece off the bench as the Pacers' reserves outscored their Golden State counterparts 50-25.
Davis led the Warriors (23-17), who had a three-game winning streak snapped, with 24 points, seven assists, seven steals and six rebounds. Harrington scored 22 on 7-of-17 shooting (5-of-11 from the 3-point line). Jackson shot 6-of-19 and scored 17 with eight assists and four steals.
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