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 GAME FLOW
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Indiana Pacers coach Isiah Thomas insisted that Wednesday's visit to the Palace of Auburn Hills was no big deal.
His players knew better.
Reggie Miller scored 30 points while Travis Best added 22 as the
Pacers beat the Detroit Pistons 92-88 Wednesday night.
"Isiah coming back to Detroit was a lot like the last few years when Coach (Larry) Bird would go back to Boston," Miller said. "They would act like it was just another game, but you could see it in their eyes. Isiah has a lot of tradition in this town, and we
wanted to win this for him."
Thomas, who spent his Hall of Fame playing career with the
Pistons, was given a standing ovation by the sparse crowd during
pregame introductions.
"I wouldn't trade the feeling I got when I walked back on that
court for anything in the world," Thomas said. "It was great to
realize that the fans here still appreciate what we did."
Jalen Rose's return to the Pacers lineup was delayed for at
least one more game. The Detroit native, who has missed the entire
season with a fractured wrist, had hoped to return against the
Pistons but did not dress for the game.
"It's a boost that we have been able to get to 5-2 without
Jalen," Best said. "We don't have one of our main players, and
even the two games we lost, we had a great chance to win."
Austin Croshere had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana.
Jerry Stackhouse led Detroit with 29 points, and Cedric Ceballos
scored 19.
"We had opportunities to win this game, but that's not any
consolation," Stackhouse said. "This was a game we should have
won. We can't just let teams keep coming back on us like that."
The Pistons missed nine of their first 10 shots in the fourth,
but two baskets from Stackhouse put them ahead, 86-85.
Miller answered with a jumper and, after two Detroit misses and
a turnover, hit a fast-break layup to make it 89-86 with 25.7
seconds left.
Stackhouse threw the ball away on the ensuing possession, and
Miller made a free throw to put the Pacers up by four.
"I thought we played hard enough to win, and we held a good
team to under 40 percent shooting," said Pistons coach George
Irvine. "But in the second half, in crucial situations, we had too
many turnovers."
After two free throws from Chucky Atkins, Miller hit another
pair from the line to wrap up the victory.
Indiana took a 16-4 lead in the game's opening moments, but the
Pistons were within 25-19 by the end of the first quarter. Ceballos
and Mateen Cleaves sparked a 14-4 run by that helped the Pistons to
a 55-46 advantage at the half.
The Pacers rallied in the third behind eight points each from
Miller and little-used Jeff Foster, but Ben Wallace's
buzzer-beating dunk put Detroit ahead 76-74.
The Pacers tied the game early in the fourth, then took an 81-79
lead on Miller's finger roll with 6:12 remaining.
After a free throw by Wallace, Best hit a pair of jumpers to put
Indiana up 85-80 with four minutes left.
Game notes
The Pistons honored Earl Lloyd at halftime. Lloyd, the
first black player in NBA history, also coached the Pistons in the
1960s. The ceremony included tributes from Thomas, Pistons general
manager Joe Dumars and Hall of Famer Dave Bing. ... The Pistons had
hoped to hear from free agent Joe Smith, but had not been contacted
by his agent as of tipoff. ... Foster entered the game without a
point all season, but scored eight in the third quarter.
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NBA Scoreboard
Indiana Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 116
Washington 109
Philadelphia 107
Cleveland 98
Indiana 92
Detroit 88
Milwaukee 84
Atlanta 74
Minnesota 92
Golden State 90
New Jersey 93
Miami 91
Phoenix 99
Dallas 78
LA Clippers 78
New York 74
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Pacers GM Donnie Walsh on coach Isiah Thomas' return to Detroit.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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