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Tickets at Ticket Master
Reggie Miller scored 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter Friday night, and Jamaal Tinsley hit two 3-pointers in the final 1:10 to give the Indiana Pacers a 96-87 victory over the Washington Wizards.
The Pacers blew an 18-point lead in the first half and trailed by eight early in the fourth, but Miller scored Indiana's next seven points to start the comeback. Tinsley's layup in transition put the Pacers back in front with 2:53 to play, and the second of his 3-pointers was a bank shot that sealed the game with 37 seconds remaining.
Tinsley finished with a season-high 19 points and 10 assists. Jermaine O'Neal added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who survived 22 turnovers to win for the fourth time in five games. Indiana played without forward Ron Artest, who is out indefinitely after tearing a ligament in his left thumb Tuesday against New Orleans.
The Wizards lost their fourth straight, but at least this one wasn't a blowout. They had lost their previous three by 25, 26 and 22 points.
Gilbert Arenas scored 27 points, and Juan Dixon had a career-high eight steals for the Wizards. Arenas, Dixon and Jerry Stackhouse led the third-quarter rally, displaying the type of hustle and tenacity Washington has so often been missing this season.
But the Pacers had the last word, not counting Washington coach Eddie Jordan's charge onto the court to confront the officials after the final whistle. Security intervened, and the parties were separated.
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The Wizards played some of their worst defense of the season in the opening
minutes, allowing the Pacers to score on seven of their first eight possessions.
The Wizards committed eight turnovers in the first quarter, one more than they committed in the entire game when they beat the Pacers on Jan. 24. Indiana outscored Washington 14-0 in fast-break points in the quarter.
Tinsley had plenty of time before launching an open 3-pointer that got the lead to 16 in the second quarter. It was an 18-point advantage before Arenas led a minor rally to close the gap to 50-39 at halftime. Indiana shot 64 percent in the first half.
The Wizards opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run and got their first lead of the game when Stackhouse made two free throws with 3:45 left in theperiod.
Notes
Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said there was still no timetable for Artest, who
had surgery Thursday. ``We're not saying anything because we're not for sure,''
Carlisle said. ``Even the doctors are having a hard time putting a timetable
on it.'' Artest arrived during the game and sat at the end of the bench. ...
The crowd's focus was distracted during the Wizards' third-quarter rally by
a bizarre stunt during a timeout. A man disguised in a bank-teller machine costume
proposed to a woman, who appeared stunned and embarrassed and immediately ran
toward the Wizards' tunnel before a security guard stopped her. She then ran
up the stairs among the fans and was booed. The arena's replay screen flashed
``She said no!!'' The fans were abuzz over the incident forseveral minutes as
play continued.