Jermaine O'Neal had 24 points and 16 rebounds and all five starters scored at least 18 as the Pacers controlled most of the game, then withstood a late rally to win their third in a row and hand Philadelphia its fifth consecutive loss on Sunday at Conseco Fieldhouse.
If the Pacers are still searching for respect, they found some. The Philadelphia 76ers are convinced they aren't just a hot team, they're a very good one that must be reckoned with.
Picking up their first victory over a top contender in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers controlled most of the highly contentious game, then withstood a late rally to win 107-97 on Sunday evening at Conseco Fieldhouse.
"They wanted to make a statement today," said Sixers coach Larry Brown. "It was like a heavyweight fight but they were in a whole different league from us."
All five starters scored between 18 and 24 points for the Pacers, led by Jermaine O'Neal with 24 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots. Allen Iverson scored 32 for the Sixers.
"So many teams take a real nosedive, but they've got as good a group of young kids as there is in the league," said Brown. "Reggie (Miller) is still Reggie and it seems like (Ron) Mercer's fit in so well. That trade was great. Getting (Brad) Miller and (Ron) Artest, two very underrated players and good team guys, they've got more depth than anybody. And the thing that's amazing to me is with so many kids that have the ability to play, they never seem to complain. They're very unselfish. I think it's amazing.
"I really think they would've been a potential team to win the East last year if (Al) Harrington doesn't go down."
It was the third win in a row for the Pacers, who improved to 18-5 overall and 11-1 at home. Philadelphia dropped its fifth straight and fell to 15-9 overall and 5-7 on the road.
A brief but challenging Texas two-step begins Tuesday night in Dallas for a rematch with the Mavericks. The Pacers handed Dallas its first loss of the season, 110-98, on Nov. 28 at Conseco Fieldhouse, preventing the Mavs from tying the fastest start in NBA history (15-0). They then head to Houston for another rematch on Wednesday night. The Pacers beat the Rockets 91-82 in the regular-season opener.
The Pacers led by as many as 20 points in the second half and were up 94-78 with 7:43 remaining but the Sixers put together a challenge without any points from Iverson. Keith Van Horn led the offense with three baskets in a 12-2 run that cut the lead to 96-90 with 4:40 remaining. While the Indiana offense continued to struggle, the defense dug in. The Sixers had three consecutive possessions with the chance to further reduce the lead but came up empty each time. The Pacers finally countered with a jumper by Brad Miller, a 3-pointer from Reggie Miller and a pair of baskets from Jamaal Tinsley to put the game away.
Ron Artest scored seven in a row to give the Pacers some breathing room, 45-39, midway through the second period. But that was only a taste of what was to come, as the Pacers put together a 14-2 run to open a 61-44 lead and took a 65-50 margin into the half. The Sixers committed 11 turnovers in the period and 15 in the half. The Pacers outscored them 19-7 from the free-throw line and 24-0 on fast-break points in the half.
The Pacers shot .520 overall but missed a season-high 15 free throws - five in the fourth quarter to assist Philadelphia's comeback. O'Neal led the way with another monster double-double (24 points, 16 rebounds) and added five blocked shots and two steals. Tinsley had 20 points and nine assists. Brad Miller had 19 points, making 11-of-15 free throws, and nine rebounds. Artest scored 18 with three steals but committed seven turnovers. Reggie Miller also scored 18. Iverson was 12-of-26 from the field in scoring 32. Van Horn scored 21 with nine rebounds in 29 minutes. Eric Snow was the only other player in double figures with 15. The Sixers committed 24 turnovers as the Pacers had 14 steals.
The Pacers outscored Philadelphia 24-0 on fast-break points in the first half, 29-8 for the game.
"He's a competitor and he'll compete. Playing against a guy like (Allen) Iverson, he's going to keep coming at you. (Jamaal) Tinsley did a very good job trying to stay in front of him defensively while maintaining his offensive attack. He picked his spots well. When he had shots he took them and he also created shots for others. With his timing and patience, I thought his game was exceptional tonight." - Isiah Thomas
Artest joined Brad Miller with three flagrant foul points apiece. If either player exceeds five points, he will draw an automatic suspension at that time, and for every flagrant foul thereafter. ... Al Harrington picked up a technical foul in the second period. ... The Sixers' Derrick Coleman earned a flagrant foul for elbowing Brad Miller in the mouth in the second quarter. ... The Pacers have been hit with 14 technicals and three flagrant fouls in the last seven games. ... Jonathan Bender was not in uniform due to a sore left calf aggravated in Friday night's victory over Denver....
next: on the road to battle dallas then houston
If the Pacers are still searching for respect, they found some. The Philadelphia 76ers are convinced they aren't just a hot team, they're a very good one that must be reckoned with.
Picking up their first victory over a top contender in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers controlled most of the highly contentious game, then withstood a late rally to win 107-97 on Sunday evening at Conseco Fieldhouse.
"They wanted to make a statement today," said Sixers coach Larry Brown. "It was like a heavyweight fight but they were in a whole different league from us."
All five starters scored between 18 and 24 points for the Pacers, led by Jermaine O'Neal with 24 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots. Allen Iverson scored 32 for the Sixers.
"So many teams take a real nosedive, but they've got as good a group of young kids as there is in the league," said Brown. "Reggie (Miller) is still Reggie and it seems like (Ron) Mercer's fit in so well. That trade was great. Getting (Brad) Miller and (Ron) Artest, two very underrated players and good team guys, they've got more depth than anybody. And the thing that's amazing to me is with so many kids that have the ability to play, they never seem to complain. They're very unselfish. I think it's amazing.
"I really think they would've been a potential team to win the East last year if (Al) Harrington doesn't go down."
It was the third win in a row for the Pacers, who improved to 18-5 overall and 11-1 at home. Philadelphia dropped its fifth straight and fell to 15-9 overall and 5-7 on the road.
A brief but challenging Texas two-step begins Tuesday night in Dallas for a rematch with the Mavericks. The Pacers handed Dallas its first loss of the season, 110-98, on Nov. 28 at Conseco Fieldhouse, preventing the Mavs from tying the fastest start in NBA history (15-0). They then head to Houston for another rematch on Wednesday night. The Pacers beat the Rockets 91-82 in the regular-season opener.
The Pacers led by as many as 20 points in the second half and were up 94-78 with 7:43 remaining but the Sixers put together a challenge without any points from Iverson. Keith Van Horn led the offense with three baskets in a 12-2 run that cut the lead to 96-90 with 4:40 remaining. While the Indiana offense continued to struggle, the defense dug in. The Sixers had three consecutive possessions with the chance to further reduce the lead but came up empty each time. The Pacers finally countered with a jumper by Brad Miller, a 3-pointer from Reggie Miller and a pair of baskets from Jamaal Tinsley to put the game away.
Ron Artest scored seven in a row to give the Pacers some breathing room, 45-39, midway through the second period. But that was only a taste of what was to come, as the Pacers put together a 14-2 run to open a 61-44 lead and took a 65-50 margin into the half. The Sixers committed 11 turnovers in the period and 15 in the half. The Pacers outscored them 19-7 from the free-throw line and 24-0 on fast-break points in the half.
The Pacers shot .520 overall but missed a season-high 15 free throws - five in the fourth quarter to assist Philadelphia's comeback. O'Neal led the way with another monster double-double (24 points, 16 rebounds) and added five blocked shots and two steals. Tinsley had 20 points and nine assists. Brad Miller had 19 points, making 11-of-15 free throws, and nine rebounds. Artest scored 18 with three steals but committed seven turnovers. Reggie Miller also scored 18. Iverson was 12-of-26 from the field in scoring 32. Van Horn scored 21 with nine rebounds in 29 minutes. Eric Snow was the only other player in double figures with 15. The Sixers committed 24 turnovers as the Pacers had 14 steals.
The Pacers outscored Philadelphia 24-0 on fast-break points in the first half, 29-8 for the game.
"He's a competitor and he'll compete. Playing against a guy like (Allen) Iverson, he's going to keep coming at you. (Jamaal) Tinsley did a very good job trying to stay in front of him defensively while maintaining his offensive attack. He picked his spots well. When he had shots he took them and he also created shots for others. With his timing and patience, I thought his game was exceptional tonight." - Isiah Thomas
Artest joined Brad Miller with three flagrant foul points apiece. If either player exceeds five points, he will draw an automatic suspension at that time, and for every flagrant foul thereafter. ... Al Harrington picked up a technical foul in the second period. ... The Sixers' Derrick Coleman earned a flagrant foul for elbowing Brad Miller in the mouth in the second quarter. ... The Pacers have been hit with 14 technicals and three flagrant fouls in the last seven games. ... Jonathan Bender was not in uniform due to a sore left calf aggravated in Friday night's victory over Denver....
next: on the road to battle dallas then houston