RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Give Reggie Miller's team 22 turnovers, and
he'll give you a victory.
Shoot 3-for-17 against his team in the fourth quarter, and it's
doubly guaranteed.
Miller scored 13 of his 23 points in the third quarter,
including back-to-back jump shots in a 7-0 run that put his team
ahead for good, as the Indiana Pacers beat Washington 86-74 on
Friday night for their third straight victory.
"We are starting to come together a little bit," Miller said.
"Mind you, we are playing against teams that are under .500. Right
now, we will take it."
Miller actually missed one of his 11 free throws -- ending an
unofficial streak of 64 in a row that included 18 at the end of
last postseason, 21 in preseason and 25 this regular season.
Yet Miller's best interaction wasn't with the Wizards, but with
a group of hecklers in the front row. Miller, as he does with Spike
Lee at New York Knicks games, found motivation from jawing with the
fans as he ran down the sideline after scoring baskets.
"People should always know if that if they're going to sit in
those expensive seats not to say anything to me," Miller said.
"If they want me to bring them into the game, I'm going to bring
them into the game. I brought them into the game, and they lost
that way."
Miller by himself was more entertaining than the Wizards, who
are 0-3 at home and already appear to be in the losing rut that has
plagued the team for more than a decade. Team president Michael
Jordan's goal of a .500 season already feels remote, and first-year
coach Leonard Hamilton admitted he's already getting repetitive
with his postgame explanations.
"I thought our guys came ready to play," Hamilton said. "I
thought they gave a tremendous effort. I thought we came up short.
We've got to get past this.
"I'm beginning to sound like a broken record."
Juwan Howard scored 25 points, and Jahidi White had 22 points,
13 rebounds and a career-high seven blocks to lead Washington.
But the Wizards were so generous with the ball that a Pacers'
run was inevitable. Every Washington starter had a turnover in the
first quarter, and six players had at least two for the game, led
by Richard Hamilton's five.
The Wizards entered the game ranked 21st in the NBA in
turnovers, averaging just under 18.
"What we've got to do is concentrate a lot better," Leonard
Hamilton said. "That's become an Achilles heel for us, and we will
eliminate that."
Just as the Wizards got their act together in the fourth
quarter, closing a nine-point deficit to two with 5:56 to play, the
shots stopped falling.
Howard and Mitch Richmond each missed two shots, and Felipe
Lopez missed one over the next five possessions. By then, the
Pacers had put together a clinching 9-0 run capped by Sam Perkins'
off-balance runner that turned into a three-point play and made it
84-73 with 2:46 to go.
"It's taking a toll," White said. "It's almost like what we
went through last year. Whatever we do we don't want to go through
that again."
The Wizards turned the ball over 15 times in the first half, yet
managed to walk off the court to a partial standing ovation because
they were tied 41-41 and shooting 55 percent.
The Pacers committed just five first-half turnovers but shot
only 40 percent. They led 37-29 with 4:57 to go in the second
quarter, but didn't make another field goal the rest of the half.
Game
notes
White also made a career-high 10 free throws, tied his
career high with 39 minutes and was one short of his career high in
points. ... Pacers forward Al Harrington sprained his right ankle
in the first half and did not return. ... Gerard King made his
first start of season for the Wizards, their first change in he
starting lineup this season. Lopez started the first six games at
small forward.
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NBA Scoreboard
Indiana Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 115
Cleveland 88
Indiana 86
Washington 74
New York 103
Boston 101
Dallas 79
San Antonio 77
Miami 87
Utah 80
Sacramento 114
Golden State 107
LA Clippers 115
Atlanta 106
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